Port House

Summary

The former customs house and associated offices of the Port of Lowestoft, constructed in 1831.

Reasons for Designation

Port House, constructed in 1831 as the former customs house for the Port of Lowestoft, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* for the austerity of its detailing, expressive of its formal role and function.

Historic interest:

* as part of the original phase of the harbour's construction and for its subsequent role in the development of Lowestoft.

History

Lowestoft was established in its current coastal location in the early C14 and for the ensuing centuries, its prosperity depended heavily on a shore-launched fleet of vessels focused on exploiting the area's abundant herring fisheries. In the early C19 a plan to transform the town's maritime potential was proposed, ultimately bringing about the creation of a harbour and a man-made waterway connecting to Lake Lothing and the Broads.

William Cubitt surveyed the site of the harbour in 1814 and proposed the first plan for its construction. The work was carried out between 1827 and 1831 by the Norwich and Lowestoft Navigation Company. The success of the project stalled until it was brought under the auspices of Sir Samuel Morton Peto who created the Outer Harbour, connected the port to a railway line, and recast the town as a resort.

Port House was constructed on the north side of the inner harbour in 1831 as part of the port's original phase of development. It was an essential part of the operation of the harbour, functioning principally as a customs house with associated offices. For most of the C19 and C20, it stood with wharfs to the south and industrial works around it to the north.

In the First World War, the harbour was used as a naval base, and again in the Second World War when Port House suffered bomb damage during the many bombing raids endured by the town.

In the C21 the building has functioned as offices, suffered periods of dilapidation and vandalism, and in 2020 was granted permission for conversion to use as a restaurant.

Details

The former customs house and associated offices of the Port of Lowestoft, constructed in 1831.

MATERIALS: The building is constructed of gault brick and its hipped roofs are covered in slate.

PLAN: The layout of the building in 2022 resembles a lower case 't' in plan form: a long range facing south with central 'transepts' and a return wing at the east end.

EXTERIOR: Port House is a two-storey building walled in gault brick with hipped slate roofs and has a long range facing south with a central transept. The transept is lit through one six-over-six sash window on the first floor to the south (all of the windows are glazed in this way and have gauged-brick arches), with similar fenestration to the east and west returns. To the right of the transept are five ground-floor sashes, with two C20 windows in blocked doorways. At the first floor, there are three on each side of the transept, with some replaced. The central doorway is flanked by one sash on each side at the ground floor. There is a shallow hipped roof with five stacks, all set to the left.

The east elevation forms the entrance and is of four bays. There is a late C20 pedimented porch in the second bay from left, with a pediment. One sash window is on the left, and two on the right. There are four identical first-floor sashes.

INTERIOR: There is an open well staircase at the west end with two turned balusters to each tread, a moulded handrail and heavy turned newels with ball finials. Otherwise, the interior has been modernised for office use.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

391342

Legacy System:

LBS

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