Fountain Inn

Details

GLOUCESTER

SO8318NW WESTGATE STREET 844-1/8/399 (South side) 23/01/52 No.53 Fountain Inn

GV II

Public house. Mostly rebuilt as coffee house in late C17 but retaining part of late C16 range, C18 alterations, remodelled c1900. Brick and timber frame under roughcast render, stone details, plain tile roof, brick stack. PLAN: the main range is set back on the east side of a courtyard behind Nos 51 & 55 Westgate Street (qv) with the entry to the yard through a passage below the west end of No.51 Westgate Street (not included) and through a gateway on the east side of Berkeley Street; a secondary range on the south side of the yard is linked to the main range by a short C20 infill block. The major portion of the main block is a mid to late C17 gable-end parallel-range block with the remains of the late C16 timber-framed range extending from the northern gable-end wall. EXTERIOR OF THE MAIN RANGE: two storeys, attic and cellar; on the front offset plinth, a moulded band at first-floor level, a modillion eaves cornice, and large, widely spaced strip quoins at the outer angles; principal doorway to left with moulded architrave and entablature with pediment above, four panel door and fanlight, the upper panels of the door and the fanlight with rectangular leadlight glazing, the doorway flanked by narrow single light windows. Oriel window to ground floor to right, with timber mullions and upper transom, of two lights to front and canted sidelights with casements; on the first floor symmetrical fenestration: two timber-framed casements each with a central mullion and an upper transom, and in the centre an elongated vertical octagonal window in a heavy timber frame with projecting brick surround. A single storey, lean-to extension of c1900 added against the late C16 wing at the north end of the main block. All the casement windows in the range have rectangular leadlight glazing of c1900. INTERIOR OF MAIN RANGE: on the ground floor the partitions mostly removed to form a large bar room with staircase and service rooms at rear. Early to mid C17 dog-leg staircase with closed strings, square newels, turned balusters and finger grip handrail; at the southern end of the bar room on the inner lateral wall a large fireplace with a mid to late C17 carved and moulded stone chimney-piece of exceptional quality

with a heavy bolection mould architrave surround surmounted by a deep pulvinated frieze carved with scrolled acanthus and a moulded cornice, breaking the frieze and architrave a large projecting and extended keyblock carved with foliage. Brick walled and vaulted cellar. THE SOUTH RANGE: a large reception or assembly room on the first floor is approached by a stair and entrance lobby within an extension with a cat-slide roof on the north side; the entrance doorway from the yard is set in a slight projection surmounted by an open segmental pediment framing a block carved in bas-relief showing King William III mounted on a horse and inscribed below "GUILIAMUS III" and above"Dieu defend le droit"; on the first floor to right of the entrance extension a large C18 sash with glazing bars (4x3 panes). Interior refitted in C20. HISTORY: the inn is recorded as a hostelry in the Abbey Rental of 1455 and converted as a coffee house and tavern in 1672, the probable date of the rebuilding of the main block. The full extent of the alterations of c1900 cannot be determined without further investigation. Traditionally, the inn is associated with a visit to Gloucester by King William III. To show his contempt for a Jacobite club which met in the upper room of the south range, the king is reputed to have ridden his horse up the stair leading to the room from the courtyard.





Listing NGR: SO8302018635

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

472630

Legacy System:

LBS

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