Numbers 87 And 89 Including Front Area Railings

Numbers 87 and 89 are a town house, now a restaurant and flats (No. 87) and part of shop premises (No. 89), dated 1704. The building was sub-divided and altered in 1777, with 19th and 20th century alterations, 20th century extensions to the rear, and a large late 19th century extension to the front of No. 89. This extension occupies part of the original forecourt and covers four bays of the original seven-bay elevation.

Originally constructed of red brick in Flemish bond with flared headers and stone dressings, the front is now rendered. The building has a plain-tile hipped roof and brick gable stacks. It follows a double-depth plan and comprises three storeys and a cellar, with a seven-window range. Only three bays to the right of the centre are visible from the High Street, including the far-right bay of the three-bay centre, which projects slightly. A painted wood doorcase, likely dating from around 1777, is present in this bay. It contains a panelled door within a round-arched doorway featuring imposts, a fluted key block, and a fanlight, flanked by fluted Roman Doric columns supporting an open pediment. This part of the front is rendered. The windows are 6/6-pane sashes with molded stone surrounds. Rusticated quoins are present on the right, while the visible angle of the three-bay centre has quoins of even length. Further details include a first-floor storey band, a molded string course at the second-floor level, a scrolled console bracketed eaves cornice, and a stone-coped parapet. Within the front extension to No. 89, the ground- and first-floor front wall of the house appears to have been removed, although the second-floor front wall survives unrendered. The left-end stack has a swept up base with coping continued from the parapet. An original rainwater head is inscribed with "SW/1704."

The interior of No. 87 features an open-well staircase, likely re-located around 1775. It includes a mahogany ramped handrail with a scrolled end, three column-on-vase balusters per tread, column newels, carved tread ends, and a panelled dado. Early 18th century fireplaces, bolection-moulded panelling, and doorcases are present on the upper floors. A two-story former service building to the left side, situated behind the 19th-century extension, is probably from the mid-18th century and constructed of red brick with a hipped slate roof and sashes with flat-arched heads and rusticated quoins.

The wrought-iron railings and gates enclose the flagged front area. Numbers 87 and 89 represent the earliest of an important group of 18th century merchants’ town houses in Poole, reflecting the developing Newfoundland cod trade. No. 89 was separately listed on 14 August 1992.