Kings Head Hotel
KINGS HEAD HOTEL, 36, HIGH STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1382974
- Date first listed:
- 12-Nov-1953
- List Entry Name:
- Kings Head Hotel
- Statutory Address:
- KINGS HEAD HOTEL, 36, HIGH STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2004-08-07
- Reference:
- IOE01/12783/10
- Rights:
- © Mr John H. Sparkes. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1382974
- Date first listed:
- 12-Nov-1953
- List Entry Name:
- Kings Head Hotel
- Statutory Address 1:
- KINGS HEAD HOTEL, 36, HIGH STREET
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:
- KINGS HEAD HOTEL, 36, HIGH STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Somerset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Wells
- National Grid Reference:
- ST 54859 45710
Details
WELLS
ST5445 HIGH STREET
662-1/7/108 (North side)
12/11/53 No.36
Kings Head Hotel
GV II*
Inn. Late C18 facade to C14 building. Brick with stone
dressings, all colourwashed, possible timber-frame; double
roof, hipped with ridges at right angles to road covered with
double Roman clay tiles, brick chimney stacks.
PLAN: right-angle plan, 2 bays wide, with jettied block to
front and hall to rear.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 2 bays. Rendered plinth, plain parapet
with simple coping, ground floor has fascia across whole of
facade, with a 6-flush-panel door in beaded architrave to
left, then a composite window of 6 sash units of 4+16+4+4+16+4
panes respectively, with continuous sill and large centre
mullion. Above are sash windows in plain openings with
5-keystoned segmental arched heads, the centre keystone
hooded, with 20-pane window to first floor and 18-pane windows
to second. Projecting sign on elaborate early C20 bracket set
between all four upper windows. Plain partly-rendered return
on east side with large painted signboard having segmental
arched head, set at high level.
Building wraps round No.38 (qv) with return elevation along
Union Street, C19 rendered and rubble work colourwashed,
double Roman clay tiled roof, plain gable, brick chimney.
2 storeys, 2 bays. Sash windows of several patterns to first
floor, below a blocked doorway bay 1 and a blocked window bay
2, a segmental arched 2-light casement window bay 3 and a
vertical boarded door to bay 4.
INTERIOR: much modified-essentially in three parts. Front
portion has some deep chamfered beams to ground and first
floor, indications of former jetty in frame at ground floor
level. Centre portion open through to 4-bay roof with 2
intermediate trusses flanking one main truss, the latter a
two-tier base cruck with upper cruck surmounting truss with
short principals and moulded and cusped braces with sunk
spandrels; undersides of bracery and lower collar moulded;
east slope has 3 ranks of purlins, west roof slope cut away
below second purlin, sundry curbed windbraces, intermediate
trusses with upper arched collar only. Other features in this
section are the two staircases up to gallery, and up from this
to second floor front, both of c1800 pattern. Extension at
rear mostly C19/C20.
A good late medieval town house with substantial remains of a
very fine roof structure which invites comparison with the
Glastonbury Abbey Barns; sketch drawings in VAG.
(Gilson RG: Vernacular Architecture Group Report: 1978-).
Listing NGR: ST5485945710
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 483377
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Gilson, R G, Vernacular Architecture Group Report in Vernacular Architecture Group Report, (1978)
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 27-Jun-2026 at 04:33:13.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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