Essex House
Essex House, 57, Fore Street, Chard, TA20 1QA
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1297112
- Date first listed:
- 24-Mar-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Essex House
- Statutory Address:
- Essex House, 57, Fore Street, Chard, TA20 1QA
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 1999-08-29
- Reference:
- IOE01/00033/10
- Rights:
- © Mr Richard Bland. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1297112
- Date first listed:
- 24-Mar-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Essex House
- Statutory Address 1:
- Essex House, 57, Fore Street, Chard, TA20 1QA
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Essex House, 57, Fore Street, Chard, TA20 1QA
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Chard Town
- National Grid Reference:
- ST 32389 08636
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 25 July 2022 to update the name and address, amend description due to change of building use and reformat the text to current standards
ST3308
756-1/4/72
CHARD
FORE STREET (North side)
No 57, Essex House
(Formerly listed as Essex House, FORE STREET)
24/03/50
GV
II*
House, now flats. Mid C18, altered early and late C19. Pebbledash, with Ham Hill stone parapet, rusticated quoins and cornice, and hipped slate roof. Double-depth plan with central entrance and stair hall.
Two storeys, symmetrical five-window range. Doorcase has Tuscan-style columns fronting rusticated pilasters to entablature. Venetian window with Tuscan-style columns and heavy cornice, possibly late C19. Extension to left has two-window range to front with similar ground-floor sash windows to main facade, ie. 2/2-pane sashes; first floor of extension has a single 8/8-pane sashes.
Rear: keyed lintels over late C19 four-pane sashes and tall sash with margin glazing bars to stair hall; early C19 two-storey bay with margin glazing bars.
INTERIOR: C18 cornicing and mid C19 cast-iron ceiling rose to hall, with paired pilasters to rear stair hall which has C18 cornicing and mid C19 coloured glass to stairlight. First-floor features include some C18 moulded wood architraves and two-panelled door to front room on left. This room has retained an early C18 wall painting on its rear wall, flanked by a doorway to right and niche to the left; painting is divided into three panels by fluted Ionic pilasters and depicts biblical scene in provincial Baroque style with Putti, etc. to outer panels and Madonna and Child to centre; quotation in panel to right above door is from Genesis, Chapter 21, verse 17, reads "And the / angel of God / called to / Hagar out / of Heaven". A particularly rare and important survival.
Listing NGR: ST3238908636
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 374101
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 15-Jun-2026 at 02:10:43.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.