Governor'S House

Governor's House, now flats, is a building dating from approximately 1842, designed by G.P. Manners. It represents all that remains of Twerton Gaol, the first municipal gaol constructed following the 1835 Prisons Act. The building is constructed of fine limestone ashlar with slate roofs.

The architectural style is Classical, with a compact single block featuring a wide, five-bay symmetrical north front, and three-bay returns. The central three bays of the front are projected forward. The building has three storeys plus a basement. Original glazing bar sashes, six-over-twelve panes, remain, set within raised plat surrounds with eared lintels and projecting keystones; end bays are blank except at ground floor level. Brackets support the sills of the second floor, while jamb platbands extend straight down from the ground and first floors. The basement has sixteen-pane sashes either side of a central plain ashlar walling section, and two twelve-pane sashes to the right. A tripartite recessed entrance is centrally positioned, featuring a panelled door with transom light and side lights, supported by four heavy block consoles, and accessed by four stone steps across the basement area. The ground floor displays deep V-joint channelling, moving to square channelling on the first and second floors, punctuated by paired giant square Roman Doric pilasters. Small single lights have been inserted at each level between the pilasters. The detailing includes a base mould to the pilasters, threaded sill bands, a cornice with heavy block modillions, and a plain blocking course. A deep ashlar stack is located to the left of centre. The east return features a basement door. The rear (south) front is simpler, constructed in plain ashlar with three, one, and three bays, with glazing bar sashes in raised plat surrounds, but without keystones; these sashes are six-over-twelve pane. A ground floor string course is present, with pilaster returns at the ends. Ground floor windows consist of three windows on each side of a central pair of panelled doors.

The interior, which was not inspected, previously comprised a chapel, chaplain's room, reception rooms, magistrates’ rooms, a laundry, and a kitchen, serving the cell block to the rear.

The building’s setting was deliberately chosen to take advantage of good ventilation, adhering to central government directives. Originally it contained 122 individual cells. The severe external appearance, in a heavy Palladian style, was intended as 'architecture parlante'. The prison closed in 1878.