37, High Street

PERSHORE

SO9445 HIGH STREET 648-1/5/133 (East side) 11/02/65 No.37 (Formerly Listed as: HIGH STREET (East side) Pershore Rural District Council Offices)

GV II*

House, now offices. Mid-late C18 with later alterations. Red brick in Flemish bond. Hipped plain tile roof mostly concealed behind brick parapet and deep painted modillion eaves cornice; brick end-stacks. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and cellar. 3-window range with 2 wings to rear. Sill-bands. Central bay breaks forward slightly and has sash windows to each upper floor, of 3/3 panes to 2nd floor, 6/6 panes below, each with painted channelled voussoirs and keystone. To outer bays on 2nd floor, Diocletian windows with painted surrounds, central 3/3 sashes, and 2-pane side-lights. Below are 2-storey canted bay-windows with swept lead roofs, 4/4:6/6:4/4 sashes, and painted moulded cornices. At centre on ground floor, 2 small cambered-headed lights flank entrance which has Classical architrave with 3/4 Ionic columns and dentilled open pediment, round-arched door surround with panelled reveal, fanlight with radial glazing bars, 6-panel door, decorative wrought-iron handrails and 4 nosed stone steps. Painted brick plinth with blocked cellar openings. Clock on bracket projecting from centre of 1st floor. Rear: long right-hand (N) wing has timbers and render to left (S) side; left-hand (S) wing of part-chequered blue and red brick. INTERIOR: dog-leg staircase with stick balusters to rear right; moulded elliptical hall arch; some dado rails, shutters, and panelled reveals; in north wing, former later billiard room. HISTORICAL NOTE: originally built for a tanning family with tannery to rear. Records refer to rebuilding c1800. District Council occupation was from 1937-1990; some decoration and furnishings removed at that time were restored 1992. The design of the building is related to that of nearby Caldewell, near Pershore. (BoE: Pevsner N: Worcestershire: Harmondsworth: 1968-: 243; ).

Listing NGR: SO9494345876