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Summer house in Blake Gardens

SUMMER HOUSE IN BLAKE GARDENS

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

A summer house probably of the C18 or C19 but incorporating earlier fabric; later alterations and repairs. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1297182
Date first listed:: 16-Dec-1974
List Entry Name:: Summer house in Blake Gardens
Statutory Address:: SUMMER HOUSE IN BLAKE GARDENS

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Date:: 2002-09-02
Reference:: IOE01/08082/15
Rights:: © Mr Keith Forrest. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1297182
Date first listed:: 16-Dec-1974
Date of most recent amendment:: 08-Oct-2012
List Entry Name:: Summer house in Blake Gardens
Location Description:: The building is situated in the north-east part of Blake Gardens, centred on NGR ST 30080 36971
Statutory Address 1:: SUMMER HOUSE IN BLAKE GARDENS

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:: SUMMER HOUSE IN BLAKE GARDENS

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

District:: Somerset (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Bridgwater
National Grid Reference:: ST3008036971

Summary

A summer house probably of the C18 or C19 but incorporating earlier fabric; later alterations and repairs.

Reasons for Designation

The summer house in Blake Gardens, Bridgwater, a late-C18 or early-C19 ornamental garden building, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Architectural interest: a picturesque and highly distinctive summer house in a Gothic style; * Historic interest: it incorporates earlier fabric and retains evidence for historic alterations; * Alteration: despite some alteration, it remains a good and indicative example of an ornamental garden structure.

History

The summer house is situated within Blake Gardens, a municipal garden within the town centre on the west bank of the River Parrett. Some sources suggest that the area now occupied by Blake Gardens was originally part of the grounds to a house nearby (now part of No.3 Blake Street) that has C17 origins. A town plan of circa 1835 shows that by this date the land had become the garden to Binford House which is shown occupying the northern end of the plot, at the junction between King Street and Dampiet Street. Both Binford House and its land were purchased by Bridgwater Corporation in 1898 with the intention of creating a public garden. Blake Gardens, named after the C17 Bridgwater-born General Blake, opened on 9 August 1902 to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII. Binford House was demolished and replaced by a public library (Grade II listed) which opened in 1905. Historic photographs illustrate other structures within the municipal gardens of which a folly and a small stone building have since been demolished.

The building has previously been described as a garden seat but based on documentary research it may have been a summer house. Although it appears to incorporate some re-used C17 brickwork, it probably dates from the late C18 or early C19. The building appears to have undergone various alterations and repairs, most recently in the early C21.

Details

MATERIALS: it is constructed predominantly of local Wemdon sandstone rubble and brick; some limestone rubble is also present. It has a shallow, domed concrete roof but the original form of the roof is not known.

PLAN: it is circular in plan with seven projecting buttresses and a diameter of approximately 3m.

EXTERIOR: the walls are divided into bays with regularly-spaced, substantial brick buttresses that include re-used C17 and C18 bricks. The upper part of each buttress is chamfered, above which are two courses of brick and a dentil cornice. To the west side of the building is an entrance with alternate raised bricks forming the pointed-arched head. It is flanked by crudely-fashioned, single-light windows with pointed heads. To the south side are also two lancet-styled windows that are situated close to the ground round, with a matching opening to the north side. Roughly opposing the west entrance but slightly offset to the north is a second entrance but this has been blocked.

INTERIOR: there are shallow fixed curved seats to either side of the entrances; the ceiling is vaulted.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 08/10/2012

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 373823
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Websites
3 Blake Street, Bridgwater, accessed from http://www.bridgwaterheritage.org.uk/blake_street.pdf
Blake Gardens, accessed from http://www.sedgemoor.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=6352
Other
Title: Town Plan of Bridgwater Source Date: c1835 Author: Publisher: Surveyor:

Legal

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