23, Foregate Street

WORCESTER

SO8455SE FRIAR STREET 620-1/12/248 (East side) 22/05/54 No.23

GV II

House, now offices. Built for Rufus James in 1792, with later alterations including those of mid C19. Pinkish-brown brick in Flemish bond with stuccoed plinth, stone steps, sills and architrave; slate roof, truncated brick end stacks with oversailing course and pots. 3 storeys, 4 first-floor windows. Plinth. Renewed 1/1 sashes throughout in plain reveals and with sills and flat arches of gauged brick. Off-centre left entrance: 2 roll-edged steps to 4-panel part-glazed door, the upper panes have decorative cast-iron grids, lower panels fluted, fanlight with Gothick glazing bars. Architrave has Doric frieze and open dentil pediment. Renewed cyma moulded cornice. Rear retains two first-floor tripartite windows with 6/6 between 2/2 sashes, 6/6 and 3/3 sashes. INTERIOR: retains many original features including plasterwork and joinery. Inner 6-panel door with renewed stained glass and with fanlight with radial glazing bars. Minton tile floor to hall. Panelled shutters to several windows; mainly 6-panel doors with raised and fielded panels. Main narrow-openwell staircase to full height has stick balusters, ramped and wreathed mahogany handrail and carved tread ends; lightwell. Dog-leg service staircase has stick balusters. Embellished cornices to ground-floor rooms at front and to hall; modillions to rear, ground-floor room; embellished first floor cornices. Grey marble Regency-style fireplace to front, right room with Art Nouveau brass grate. Large fireplace to rear kitchen. First floor retains white marble fireplace with fleurons; a further Regency-style white marble fireplace. Attics have 2 fireplaces. Cellar has wine stores. HISTORICAL NOTE: during the C18 Foregate Street was known as 'the mall' and Tymbs' Worcester Guide of 1802 notes, 'the Foregate Street itself, by being well paved and sufficiently broad to admit a full circulation of air seems to be generally resorted to as a fashionable promenade.' The Shire Hall, Statue of Queen Victoria, City Museum and Library and Nos 15, 19, 22, 23, 24, 28, Nos 33-46 (consecutive) and No.49 Foregate Street (qqv) form a good group. Information on date and original owner provided by present occupants and taken from deeds. (Worcestershire Historical Society Occasional Papers: Whitehead D: Urban Renewal and Suburban Growth: The Shaping of Georgian Worcester: 1989-: 12).