Midsomer Norton Bath and North East Somerset Council Offices

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ST 6654 4/14

Midsomer Norton HIGH STREET (north side) The Hollies Midsomer Norton Bath and North East Somerset Council

(Formerly listed as No 19 (Council Offices))

19.5.50

GV II* A house, now offices, of mid-late C18 date, in the Palladian style.

MATERIALS: the building is of ashlar construction with a slate roof, it has ashlar chimney stacks with moulded caps at the gable ends.

EXTERIOR: the building comprises of three storeys and a basement. It is five windows wide and has glazing bar sash windows in rusticated surrounds; those to ground and first floor are six-over-six panes and those to the second floor have three-over-three panes.

To the centre is a square-headed doorway, with a Gibbs surround and a moulded open pediment on brackets; it has four steps which lead up to a later half-glazed six-panel door.

The front elevation has a plinth, rusticated angle pilasters (French quoins), a moulded cornice and a plain parapet. There is a lead rain-water pipe with a conical rain-water head to the left hand (west) gable.

There is a top-lit, single- storey, library wing, to the left which dates to around 1900, this has four pairs of arched windows.

The rear of the building has a central stair gable (this is a late survival) and a long two storey rendered and tiled outer wing to the left. There is a large 1980s extension connected to the rear.

There are local stone quadrant walls to the High Street which have a wrought iron overthrow with the lettering "Norton-Radstock Urban District Council".

INTERIOR: the interior of the building retains a number of original features including cornices and moulded plaster panels. There is a fine mid-C18 staircase and a good early C18 doorcase (now enclosed by a later lobby to the rear) with an architrave surround, carved brackets and an enriched Vitruvian scroll frieze.

HISTORY: this building was originally called the 'Mansion House' or the 'Grey House' and was a private residence set in 10 acres of park land. In 1937 it was sold it to Norton Radstock Urban District Council. It is similar to work by the Patys (architect/builders in Bristol).

Listing NGR: ST6647254206