Former tea room at Priding Farm

Summary

A former tea room, dating from circa 1910, with interior painted with topographical, maritime and botanical subjects.

Reasons for Designation

The former tea room at Priding Farm, dating from circa 1910, is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons:
* Relative rarity: such buildings for leisure and recreation are relatively ephemeral, and do not survive in great numbers;
* Artistic interest: the interior of the building is entirely given over to an extensive, delicate painted scheme of decoration, including painted panels of topographical, marine, genre and botanical subjects in oil, with a wax varnish; the paintings survive very well, without later restoration;
* Historic interest: the building attests to the widespread increase in leisure activities in the late C19 and early C20, and the tranquil riverine scenes suit this purpose, and its setting, very well.

History

Priding Farm is a farmstead on the banks of the River Severn, whose current principal building dates from the early C19. In the early years of the C20, a tea room was added to the site, taking advantage of its position overlooking the river, and the views to the Forest of Dean on the opposite bank. The building was decorated internally by the addition of an extensive painted scheme depicting named topographical and marine scenes, some genre pieces, and botanical subjects, all within painted panels between the window and door openings, and above each opening.

The tea room was abandoned later in the C20, and fell into some disrepair. It may have been slightly reduced in length: the east end wall is inset by a short distance within the brick footprint, leaving overhanging eaves at the east end. In 1997, the farm and ancillary buildings were the subject of a photographic survey by English Heritage; the photographs show that the interior was dirty, but the paintings survived well. A lean-to on the north side shown in the photographs was removed in the later C20. At the time of inspection (2014) the exterior and interior had been repaired, and the paintings lightly cleaned to remove surface dirt.

Details

MATERIALS: the building is timber framed on a brick plinth, with painted timber cladding.

PLAN: a long rectangle, orientated approximately east-west.

EXTERIOR: the building is a single-storey, seven-bay pitched-roof range with entrances in the east end and in the long south elevation. The high brick plinth rises to just under the windows, which are set between raised and fielded timber panelling. The panels above the windows have diamond-shaped panels with applied timber motifs. The windows are six-over-six horned sashes to the south elevation; the central bay houses double doors which are half glazed with coloured margin glazing, and a similarly-glazed over-door light. The eastern end has a central entrance doorway with a flush-fielded, four-panel door flanked by high multi-pane windows with arched glazing and coloured glass to the spandrels. The over-door light is similarly glazed. To the north side, part of the timber cladding has been replaced with plain upright cladding. A six-panelled door occupies the central bay. Some of the windows to the north elevation, which are squarer than those to the south side, have been replaced with Perspex glazing. The elevations all have decorative barge boards to the eaves; the roof is covered in corrugated metal sheeting. A square brick stack with a moulded top rises from the apex at the western end of the roof.

INTERIOR: the interior is a single undivided space. The roof is ceiled below the collar, and clad in timber along its length. The brick plinth is exposed and whitewashed, and the walls are topped by a timber cill which runs along the length of each side of the building. At the western end is a central painted fireplace with a segmental arched opening, black and green floral tile inserts, its mantel shelf on wide, moulded brackets. The fireplace has a very high, elaborate, mirrored timber overmantel, with narrow shelves between Doric columns and a moulded cornice. The overmantel rises almost to the ceiling.

The interior walls are clad in timber, and entirely painted with oils under a wax varnish, with scenes between and above each door and window contained within painted panels. The background colour is a pastel pink, and the panels are outlined in cream. The large panels between the windows on the building’s long sides are painted with topographical scenes, including Windsor Great Park with Windsor Castle, Burnham Beeches, Llandaff with its cathedral, St Bride’s near Newport, boats at Yarmouth, and St Michael’s Mount. Two of the large panels depict classical female figures in architectural settings, in the manner of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Panels above each window and door show maritime scenes. Around the chimneypiece and the door at the opposite end, the interior is panelled, with shallow fielded panels, most of which are narrow to fit the space available. They are painted with botanical subjects, each one depicting a different plant or flower. The four-panelled door also has painted scenes in each of its panels.

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