The Former Wright and Pankhurst Building
THE FORMER WRIGHT AND PANKHURST BUILDING, 17, TOWER 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:
- 1390719
- Date first listed:
- 10-Sept-2003
- List Entry Name:
- The Former Wright and Pankhurst Building
- Statutory Address:
- THE FORMER WRIGHT AND PANKHURST BUILDING, 17, TOWER STREET
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1390719
- Date first listed:
- 10-Sept-2003
- List Entry Name:
- The Former Wright and Pankhurst Building
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE FORMER WRIGHT AND PANKHURST BUILDING, 17, TOWER 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:
- THE FORMER WRIGHT AND PANKHURST BUILDING, 17, TOWER STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- East Sussex
- District:
- Rother (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Rye
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 92156 20597
Details
RYE
776/0/10018 TOWER STREET 10-SEP-03 17 The former Wright and Pankhurst Building
GV II Repository stores, later book company and finally antique showroom. Built in 1907, Architect Philip Henry Tree of St Leonard's for local carriers Wright and Pankhurst as a fireproof repository and stores. Classical style. Built of brown brick in English bond with red brick and stone dressings and mansard tiled roof. Four storeys, three windows to the front. Three storeys and attics, three windows to the sides.
EXTERIOR: Front elevation has three giant round-headed arches between first and third floors with stone keystones and impost blocks. The central window has fixed casements with 12 panes and the end windows are opening casements. The ground floor has central double doors, half-glazed, with granite keystones which are flanked by smaller round-headed windows and at the sides are two round-heded niches with granite keystones and a stone date plaque surviving to the left side only. This has the date 1907 with the initials Wand P (for Wright and Pankhurst) with a carving of a galleon and dolphin. The right side elevation has three blocked dormers, a cornice above the second floor and four pilasters between first and second floor with decorative rainwater heads, decorative S-shaped iron tie plates to first and third floors and two heart-shaped iron tie plates to the second floor. There are three casement windows but the left hand third floor opening has a wooden fire escape and the ground floor has three round-headed windows with granite keystones. The left side elevation has a mansard roof with brick chimneystack. The rear elevation has a projecting lifttower and a loading dock and the windows have original openings but later C20 windows. There is a later C20 shutterfronted grille at the base of the lifttower.
INTERIOR: Contains original sliding fire doors produced by Lucas and Son of Brockley, Lewisham and concrete staircase.
HISTORY: At the time the building was described in an advertising brochure as "the only absolutely fireproof building of its kind in England - each floor heated by the most up-to-date scientific hot air apparatus and served by a gas powered lift to reduce the risk of handling." Wright and Pankhurst were described as a Motor-car proprietor from 1911 but their horse drawn taxi service continued until the 1930s.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 491241
- 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 20-Jun-2026 at 08:09:32.
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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.