The Mermaid Inn

The Mermaid Inn

This is an inn with attached accommodation dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, later altered to form a large roadhouse inn in the early 20th century, with further modifications made in the late 20th century. The building is constructed of brick with stone dressings, under both clay tile and slate roofs.

The building comprises several ranges. The principal range is a linear block oriented north-south, running parallel with Gosberton Road. At its north end is an attached L-shaped range oriented west-east, with a former stable range projecting to the north at its west end. To the rear of the public house, projecting to the west, is an earlier single-storey range.

The Mermaid Inn's principal frontage faces Gosberton Road to the east, dating from the early 19th century. It is constructed of brick in Flemish bond with stone dressings and has a hipped roof covered in clay tiles. The building is two storeys arranged over five bays, with a central entrance door featuring a classical surround with Tuscan columns supporting an entablature. Ground floor windows are six-over-six panes while the first floor has three-over-six panes, set within flat stone voussoirs with keystones. All windows are sash and case with timber double-glazed fenestration following the original glazing patterns and timber frames under stone flat arches.

The building continues to the north and west along Stockhouse Lane with a perpendicular brick range, its gable facing onto Gosberton Road painted and with an end stack. The north elevation displays a variety of roof styles, all covered in slate. The perpendicular range is L-shaped and has an attached large single-storey former stable range running to the north. A small 20th century hipped-roof extension stands at the junction of the L-shaped range, with French doors opening onto the pub's garden. The projecting brick stable range is constructed in English garden wall bond with a hipped slate roof.

The west elevation contains at its centre a small single-storey painted brick building with cellar below, suggested to have originally been a tap room. This range has a gable facing west with a brick parapet, a tiled roof and truncated brick stack at its west end. To the right is the public house's rear entrance with a classical surround including an entablature supported by pilasters, panelled ingoes and an early flush-panelled door. Above this is a decorative stair window under a brick semi-circular arch on the first floor. To the right is a series of openings on the ground and first floor under brick segmental arches, all containing modern sash windows. To the left of the possible tap room is the west elevation of the L-shaped range, which has been altered with irregular fenestration, one ground-floor entrance bricked up and an inserted window. To the left (north) is a timber late 20th century addition attached to the former stable range.

The interior has been largely modernised with the plan form altered and modern partitions inserted. An early 19th century winder stair with steeply-pitched timber rail and stick balusters survives at the north end of the south range, continuing up to the first floor to a large landing. The stair has an open string with curved tread ends. A late 20th century bar is situated in the south range with the building's front door on the east wall; the door architrave survives although the door is nailed shut with shelves inserted. The right-hand range contains a dining room with modern fittings. To the rear, in the former stable range, are the kitchens, where two wide elliptical brick arches are visible on the rear (west) wall, now partially infilled, along with an elliptically-arched doorway. The suggested tap room to the rear of the public house contains a fireplace at its west end with a 19th century surround.

On the first-floor landing there is a decorative plaster cornice of possible early 19th century date, though other plaster decorations in this room are later additions. The rest of the first floor of the public house contains a series of bedrooms which have been modernised throughout in the late 20th century with modern doors and finishes.