Cellars beneath 10-14 (even) Silver Street

Cellar, former bonded store, circa 1702 extended 1781. Stone piers, brick vaults.

Groined brick vaults supported on a single, centre line of seven stone piers extending beneath the western ten bays of 10 and 12 Silver Street (that part of the building with nearly square windows) and with a return extending southwards for nearly 10m supported by a further two piers. The cellar is extended to the east (extending beneath 14 Silver Street) with a pair of barrel vaulted rooms that are partitioned off from the rest and fitted out with shelves to form bottle bins. The northern room is interpreted as a former secure spirit store, the southern as a wine store. The cellar is entered via a short, arched passage which has an inscribed date stone "G P 1781". Access to the passage was originally via a ramp to the south (as depicted on Ordnance Survey maps), but this was filled-in in the 1950s and replaced by a flight of concrete steps (these steps are not of special interest). The cellar floor is flagged and incorporates drainage gullies. It also retains evidence of a tramway entering the doorway as well as the later insertion of masonry partition walls, interpreted as air raid shelter blast walls, which have since been removed. The vaults have projecting keystones, some of which are pierced with circular holes of unknown purpose (possibly either drainage from above or ventilation). The western end walls have a couple of high level openings with ceramic drain pipes entering from above. These drains have timber bungs attached to chains, again for an unknown purpose. There is also an inserted emergency exit (thought to have been part of the conversion to an air raid shelter). There is also evidence of another, earlier doorway which presumably provided direct access from Silver Street, as well as a removed newel stair to the building above. In addition there are at least two blocked former light wells.

The building above the cellar is not included in the listing.