244, Southtown Road

839-1/18/235 SOUTHTOWN ROAD 05-AUG-74 SOUTHTOWN AND GORLESTON (East side) 244

GV II Storekeeper's house to naval arsenal of 1806 by James Wyatt, forming south lodge to the complex. Now commercial offices. Red brick under a roof of graded Cumberland slate. 2 storeys; 2-window range. 2 bays to west, 3 to east facades. The west front has 2 tripartite sashes with 6/6 and 2/2 unhorned sashes under segmental relieving arches. Above are two 3/6 unhorned Sashes under gauged skewback arches. Gault brick eaves courses beneath a deep projecting cornice with modillions which is continuous round the building and is elaborated at the north and south gables into pediments. Gabled roof with internal gable-end stacks, each with multiple flues with star tops. East side with a half-glazed door under a plain fanlight flanked by a C20 6/6 horned sash right and left with gauged skewback arches. First floor with three 3/6 sashes, that to left with horns, under gauged skewback arches. North gable with 3 blind windows to each floor. INTERIOR: two principal rooms on W front with two smaller rear rooms flanking central entrance and stair hall. Original joinery including panelled doors and moulded architraves. Closed-string staircase with stick balusters and column newel. HISTORY: Shown as a storekeeper's house on plan of 1810. The Lodges, Barrack Block, Armoury and Workshop survive from the original Board of Ordnance store of 1806-c1815, built to serve the fleet anchored in Yarmouth Roads during the war with France from 1793 to 1815. This was originally planned with parallel ranges of storehouses extending westwards from a quay on the River Yare to enclose a working area which included a small magazine. The probable designer was James Wyatt (1746-1813), Architect to the Board of Ordnance from 1782. One of two barrack blocks survive from its conversion into Militia Barracks in the 1850s, and further alterations to the site were made after its purchase by Coleman's (the food manufacturers) in the 1890s. Some of the Napoleonic buildings, including the storehouses and magazine, were destroyed by bombing during the Second World War. There are no proposed additions or upgradings on this site, but the list descriptions need revision.

(Adam Menuge and Andrew Williams, The Royal Ordnance Store, Great Yarmouth, RCHME, 1999 (NBR No. 44260)