Slug And Lettuce Public House

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 21 May 2025 to update the Name and Address and reformat the text to current standards

SO8554NW 620-1/17/203

WORCESTER CORNMARKET (West side) No.12

(Formerly listed as No.12 Slug and Lettuce Public House, previously listed as CORNMARKET (West side) King Charles Bar)

05/04/71

GV II

House, now inn. Probably c1600 with later additions and alterations including those c1800, renovated 1994. Stucco over brick with plain tile roof and tall left rear brick stack to right of rear range. Range to rear at left has raised roofline. U-plan with ground-floor infill. Two storeys, four first-floor windows. First floor has 6/6 sashes in shallow reveals. Ground floor has tripartite window to left a 6/6 between 2/2 sash and to right are two 6/6 sashes, all in shallow reveals, the 6/6 sashes all have sills, the tripartite window has plank below. Off-centre left entrance in architrave with fluted pilasters and frieze.

Entrance to far right: four-raised-and-fielded-panel door with overlight. Range to right (return) has pair of 8/8 sashes to ground floor under cambered arch. First floor has blocked small elliptically-arched window; 8/8 sash with elliptical arch in wider elliptically-arched surround.

INTERIOR: the original plan has been partly demolished but has simply moulded cornice to front left part, some boxed beams and some huge exposed beams; at rear a bolection-moulded fireplace and eight-panel door. Dogleg staircase with stick balusters and wreathed handrail from ground to first floors, from first to second floor a closed-string, dogleg staircase with rod-on-chunky-vase balusters and moulded handrail. Right return has exposed roof truss with collar beam, upper collar and queen posts with upper struts.

HISTORICAL NOTE: site owned by the Dean and Chapter c1300; 1376 leased to William Starewaye, a clothier; later to Richard Traunter, a weaver at 20s4d. Used as an inn by 1659 when it was known as 'The Sheaf' when it was owned by Robert Fisher. c1700 the building was occupied by a maltster who supplied yeast for the brewing process. In 1776 Richard Bullock was the licensed victualler; in 1778 it was known as The Rodney; from 1810-15 Joseph Reid had a coffee and liquor shop. It has otherwise formerly been known as Dingles Coffee House, The Tubs, The King Charles and The Barrels. It became The Slug and Lettuce in the early 1980s.

All the listed buildings in Cornmarket (qv) form a good group.