40, Foregate Street

No. 40 Foregate Street is a house that has been converted into a shop and flat. It dates from the late 18th century, with a rear range built around 1700 and later additions and alterations, including changes to the ground floor in the 19th century and mid-20th century. The building is constructed of pinkish-brown brick in Flemish bond, featuring flat arches made of red gauged brick for the windows, stone sills, a cornice, and copings. The ground floor is covered in stucco, and there is a concealed roof with a brick ridge stack topped with pots.

The building stands three storeys high and has five first-floor windows, along with an extensive range at the back. The first and second floors have 1/1 horned sash windows, which are taller on the first floor, all set in plain reveals with sills and flat arches of gauged brick. The top of the building is adorned with a frieze, ovolo cornice, and a coped parapet. The ground floor features an entrance on the right with a four-panel door; the lower two panels are flush beaded and there is a fanlight above. This door is set in plain reveals and is framed by a doorcase with half-engaged Doric columns, an entablature, and an open pediment that includes an armorial cartouche. The rest of the ground floor has a plate-glass shop front, flanked by outer Doric pilasters and a continuous entablature.

The interior of the ground floor has been altered and was not inspected. Historically, in the 18th century, Foregate Street was referred to as 'the mall.' Tymbs' Worcester Guide of 1802 described it as well-paved and broad enough to allow for a full circulation of air, making it a popular place for fashionable promenades. The building is part of a group that includes the Shire Hall, the Statue of Queen Victoria, the City Museum and Library, and several other notable addresses on Foregate Street.