3, Broad Street

BROMYARD

815/1/151 BROAD STREET 25-OCT-51 BROMYARD 3 (Formerly listed as: BROAD STREET BROMYARD 2 BANK HOUSE)

GV II An attached town house, dating from the C18, probably with earlier origins.

MATERIALS: the house is constructed from red brick laid in Flemish bond and stone rubble. It has stucco dressings, a painted stone plinth, and a slate roof.

PLAN: the main part of the building is rectangular on plan with a pair of short rear wings to the rear. Attached to the east wing is a lower, narrow range which is linked to a larger block beyond. EXTERIOR: the house is of three storeys with a cellar to the west half of the building, and three bays. The front (south) is roughly symmetrical, though slightly offset to the right of centre, leaving an area of blank brickwork with a doorway (C20 door) to the ground floor that leads through to a passage and the rear of the house. The principal entrance is flanked by eight-over-eight hornless sash windows, set in dressed openings with flat arches of gauged brick and slightly raised keystones. The recessed front door has six raised panels and a semi-circular fanlight above within a semi-circular arch that has a raised keystone beneath an open pediment supported by attached Tuscan columns. Above the front door, the first and second floors windows have unglazed timber sashes and are dummies. These are flanked by wider eight-over-eight sashes on the first floor and four-over-four sash windows above. There is a moulded cornice to the parapet.

INTERIOR: not inspected.

HISTORY: Bromyard is a small market town that was first recorded in circa 840. Bank House, No. 3 Broad Street is situated on one of the principal thoroughfares in the town adjoining the market square. The street appears to have been fully built up by the early C17, though some of the plots have been re-developed since that time.

No. 3 Broad Street dates from at least the C18, though it may incorporate an earlier building that was re-fronted in the C18.

SOURCES: James D, Insight Historic Buildings Research, An Analysis of the Historic Fabric of Fifty Buildings in the Central Area of Bromyard, Herefordshire (2009) Dalwood H and Bryant V, An Archaeological Assessment of Bromyard - The Central Marches Historic Towns Survey 1992-6 (2005) - http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/projArch/EUS/marches_eus_2005/downloads.cfm?county=herefordshire&area=bromyard&CFID=1543698&CFTOKEN=53188440 - Accessed on 11 January 2011

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Bank House, 3 Broad Street is designated at Grade II, for the following principal reasons: * Architectural interest: the building is a good example of a C18 townhouse, possibly with earlier origins, with a classical doorframe and good detailing to the window surrounds * Intactness: the exterior is well-preserved * Group value: it has strong contextual interest, having group value with a large number of other listed buildings in Broad Street