37 St George's Road

37 St George's Road

A former mid-17th century house, altered to become a brew house in the late 18th century. The building was extended forward in the 19th century with single-storey and two-storey additions. An early 20th century two-storey pub frontage now conceals much of the original structure. A mid- to late 20th century two-storey addition was attached to the south elevation but is not listed.

The building is constructed of rubble stone that has been rendered, with rendered rubble stone gable-end chimney stacks featuring brick shafts. The roof has been recovered in clay pantiles, and the windows are 20th century replacements.

The original plan is a single-pile, two-room arrangement with a central rear stair tower flanked by smaller rooms. Additions made to the front in the 19th century have filled the former courtyard, now concealed from the street behind the early 20th century pub frontage. The ground level of the rear courtyard has been raised with the creation of first-floor cellars beneath.

The three-storey 17th century house with raised parapet and gable-end stacks is largely hidden behind an early 20th century two-storey pub frontage of brick laid in Flemish bond with stone dressings, now rendered and painted. The pub frontage comprises a central doorway with flanking large windows featuring glazing bars to the upper section and plate glass below (original stained glass removed). The openings are flanked by Doric pilasters, with incised pilasters to the outer corners supporting the entablature above. The cornice has dentils, and the frieze displays the pub name 'THE PINEAPPLE'. Decorative scrollwork appears to either side. The right-hand upper storey has a pair of horned sash windows with shouldered stone architrave. The left-hand side is blind with an applied rectangular frame featuring concave corners, repeated to the shaped parapet above the eaves cornice, which incorporates the date '1907'. A mid- to late 20th century wrought iron bracket holds the pub sign.

The north elevation of the house has a 19th century gas lamp above an inserted first-floor doorway.

The rear courtyard has been raised, concealing the first-floor rear elevation of the 17th century house beneath the first-floor cellars. The rear elevation of the second storey has a blocked window and various stone build-outs of unknown function or date, beneath a catslide roof. The rear service range shows signs of rebuilding with a flat roof.

The interior of the 19th century additions behind the pub frontage has been opened up, with bar, fireplaces and seating removed. Mid- to late 20th century matchboarding exists to dado height. The central door and flanking window openings to the 17th century house remain readable in the surviving masonry piers. The partition wall dividing the two principal rooms has been removed, creating a single space into which a mid- to late 20th century bar has been inserted. This incorporates a relocated 17th century oak post with carved top. The 17th century ceiling beam features ogee mouldings and end stops; the break in the moulding indicates the former position of the partition wall between the two principal ground floor rooms. The original fireplace to the north room has been removed, and that to the south room appears boarded up. Toward the rear of the north room is a chamfered doorhead leading to the central rear stair tower with a dogleg staircase with winder to the half-landings. The service rooms either side are plain; the right-hand room leads to a barrel-vaulted room.

The parallel first-floor cellars to the rear, one with a brick barrel-vaulted ceiling, are probably mid- to late 18th century, and encase the rear wall of the 17th century house which retains a timber two-light mullion window with ovolo moulding.

The principal first-floor rooms have 17th century ogee-moulded ceiling beams with end stops, divided by a 17th century timber partition wall (the wall post is visible to the north room). The south room has a deep window recess indicative of a former canted bay or oriel window, now filled to accommodate a 20th century window. Two cupboards flank the chimney breast, featuring 18th century moulded architrave and 20th century doors; the right-hand cupboard retains 18th century H-hinges. The front wall of the north room has been removed to give access to the two-storey 19th century front addition. The rear wall of the north room has a 17th century door frame with decorative moulding and stops. Within a subdivided room beyond, to the north side of the stair tower, is a 17th century two-light mullion window. The first-floor balustrade has two mid-17th century pierced splat balusters. Further pierced splat balusters to the second-floor balustrade feature relief carving of Ionic capitals. The three second-floor door frames are 17th century with moulding and stops to the jambs; one retains a 17th century four-plank door with horizontal cross beams. The two principal second-floor rooms have cross-axial ceiling beams with ogee moulding and end stops, with deeply recessed window openings partially filled to accommodate 20th century windows. The staircase originally continued to the attic but has been blocked and truncated; evidence remains that it formed a stair tower with brick and stone walls and a truncated moulded newel post within the roof space.

The attic contains three 17th century collar roof trusses with wind braces to the east side. The ridge purlin has exposed oak staves suggesting the position of original common rafters. The two-room plan derives from a central partition wall of timber studs and lath and plaster. Timber studs on the east and west sides of the two rooms rise from the attic floor beams to the common rafters, forming vertical walls of lath and plaster, with fragments of lath and plaster ceilings. The south room has a timber door frame with an iron pintel on its inner face. Additional rafters above the west side of the 17th century roof carry the catslide roof over the truncated stair tower and flanking rooms.