The Bay Horse

The Bay Horse is a public house dating from 1893-94, designed by WG Penty. It was built to replace an earlier, insanitary public house of the same name, which stood against the wall of St Mary’s Abbey. The building is constructed of red brick in English garden-wall bond, with the first floor partially tile hung and partially faced with planted timber framing. Ashlar is used for the ground floor door and window surrounds, and the roof is tiled with tall external brick stacks featuring brick corbel cornices.

The front elevation has three gabled bays on two storeys, with a two-storey, half-octagonal tower filling the angle between the end gable and the external stack on the right return. An entrance is provided through a porch within a quoined and moulded round arch. A rear door is sunk, panelled and set within an architrave with an incised, shouldered head, alongside a fixed, square latticed light, all within a quoined surround that steps up to enclose a panel inscribed "BUILT 1894". The front is punctuated by four-light mullioned windows with sashes, the upper parts of which are square latticed and the lower parts plain. The first floor features a square bay window centrally, coved beneath, and canted bays on shaped brackets, all with five timber mullioned and transomed lights with square lattice glazing. Each gable is filled with decorative timber framing, with each being different in design. The porch surround and first floor plate incorporate carved bosses. A moulded metal plate embossed with the name "BAY HORSE" sits above the porch. The tower has a pointed roof with overhanging eaves on shaped brackets and windows banded at the head of each storey; the ground floor windows are single square latticed lights in moulded stone surrounds, while the first floor has three-light diamond leaded lights with timber mullions.

The right return has two storeys and five bays, with two bays gabled and divided by tall extruded stacks. Doors are sunk, panelled, and have inserted lights. Ground floor windows feature 1, 2, or 5 transomed pivoting lights, while the first floor windows are smaller, with three of 3 mullioned and transomed lights, and one 1-light and one 2-light without transoms, all with square latticed glazing. A stack towards the front features an inset ashlar panel carved in low relief with a cartouche enclosing a prancing horse.

Inside, the original room layout of the ground floor is largely preserved, though there has been some opening up. Original features include the bar and two timber fireplaces with overmantels; one, framed in fluted pilasters, has a carved panel of a Bay Horse dated 1898. The staircase has a close string and turned balusters.