Custom House

The Old Custom House, The Quay, Poole, BH15 1HJ

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Overview

Custom House, built in 1781 and rebuilt in replica in 1814; now a commercial premises. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1275358
Date first listed:: 14-Jun-1954
List Entry Name:: Custom House
Statutory Address:: The Old Custom House, The Quay, Poole, BH15 1HJ

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Date:: 1999-09-09
Reference:: IOE01/02216/19
Rights:: © Mrs Jo Parsons. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II*
List Entry Number:: 1275358
Date first listed:: 14-Jun-1954
Date of most recent amendment:: 13-Apr-2023
List Entry Name:: Custom House
Statutory Address 1:: The Old Custom House, The Quay, Poole, BH15 1HJ

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: The Old Custom House, The Quay, Poole, BH15 1HJ

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SZ 00872 90296

Summary

Custom House, built in 1781 and rebuilt in replica in 1814; now a commercial premises.

Reasons for Designation

The Custom House in Poole is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* this well-designed Georgian building is a handsome presence in this important location in Poole; * for the reflection of the architecture of the Grade II*-listed mid-C18 Guildhall in its main elevation.

Historic interest:

* as a significant building within the development of the harbour and trade in Poole.

History

The original Custom House was destroyed by fire in 1813 and replaced in replica; this original structure was itself a rebuilding of the late C18 Red Lion Coffee House. The Custom House forms a strong group with the Town Cellar (Grade I-listed) and Harbour Office (Grade II-listed) on the old quay, illustrative of the old quayside, and forming the entrance to Thames Street.

Details

Custom house, built in 1781 and rebuilt in replica in 1814; now a commercial premises.

MATERIALS: Flemish bond brickwork with dressings of stone and rubbed brick, under a hipped slate roof with brick ridge and rear, lateral stacks.

PLAN: double-depth plan with a principal rear first-floor room.

EXTERIOR: the Custom House has two upper storeys and a semi-basement. Its front, to the west, is three bays wide, with four-bay side returns to the north and south. The principal façade has a basement impost band, moulded timber eaves, and the central pedimented bay set forward. The central porch has Tuscan columns and an entablature which carries a cast-iron Royal Coat of Arms, restored in around 1990. The double entrance doors are panelled. The porch is approached by symmetrical segmental curved stairs with wrought-iron railings, which copy those of Poole’s mid-C18 Guildhall (Grade II*-listed). Six-over-six-pane sash windows flank the entrance porch, while the central top-floor window is blank, with three-over-three-pane sash windows to either side. Below the entrance, the semi-basement floor has a keyed, segmental-arched doorway with a half-glazed door. The window openings to the semi-basement are round-arched, whilst those to the upper two storeys are flat-arched.

On the side returns the semi-basement forms a lower ground floor, and the fenestration matches that to the front elevation. There is an impost band, doorway and three windows; four sash windows to the floor above and four shorter sashes to the upper floor; and two blocked openings on the return facing Paradise Street.

INTERIOR: the ground floor is understood to be altered, but is reported to contain a rear axial stair, and a roof with four paired king-post trusses, two on each tie beam.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 412625
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Hill, M, Newman, J, Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England. Dorset, (2018), 455-456
Other
Gentleman's Magazine (1812 Part II), 478
RCHME, An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset, Volume 2, South East (1970), 204

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.