No 49 And Outbuilding To Rear

House with Outbuilding to Rear, North Street, Bristol

No. 49 North Street is a house of late 17th-century origin with its principal elevation extended forward in the early to mid-19th century. It stands in Bedminster, a southern suburb of Bristol that was historically a separate town in Somerset until 1831.

The building is constructed of coursed stone rubble, now lime rendered, with brick stacks and a pantile roof. It comprises a two-storey double range, with the rear part dating to the late 17th century and featuring gable-end stacks, while the front part is of early to mid-19th century date.

The main elevation fronting North Street is the early to mid-19th century extension and comprises three bays. The ground floor to the right contains a double garage opening with a separate doorway providing access to the rear. The centre and left-hand bays contain an early to mid-19th century wooden shopfront, comprised of two plate windows with transom lights divided by a mullion, with a doorway to the right-hand side and a narrow fascia with cornice above, all framed by plain pilasters. The first floor has three window openings with 21st-century fenestration in stone surrounds. The elevation was lime rendered in 2009. The east gable, abutting an alleyway built to connect with a Methodist Chapel erected in 1886, is constructed from stone rubble and was also lime rendered in 2009.

At the rear, the late-17th century house rises to two storeys and attic with two gabled dormers.

The interior retains moulded beams with end stops to both floors, according to archaeological investigation. At the east end of the first floor is a fireplace with a chamfered Tudor-arched bressumer, above which is an oak panelled overmantle of 19th-century date. Above the overmantle is an armorial panel, probably made of plaster, with a central escutcheon and traces of a painted saltire cross flanked by lions rampant. The roof has principal rafters formed of large rough scantling, with pegged yoke, single purlins and pegged common rafters. The ground floor has been subdivided since construction, probably when the building was in use as an inn in the 18th century. Partially blocked windows surviving as internal features at first-floor level indicate that the original late-17th century principal elevation partly survives.

A detached outbuilding situated to the rear is constructed from coursed and random stone rubble. Although documented on a late-18th century estate plan of Bedminster, its exact date of construction is unclear, but it is believed to be contemporary with the house and possibly served as a kitchen. Of rectangular plan, the south and west elevations are rendered in concrete and clinker, while the north elevation and east gable wall are rendered with lime mortar. In the 19th century the outbuilding was converted to residential use and a brick stack was inserted into the west gable wall. The gabled roof, previously covered with pantiles, had collapsed by the time of inspection in June 2010.

Historically, No. 49 North Street was constructed in the late 17th century as a dwelling house and by 1720 was documented as the New Inn; by 1789 it was known as the Artichoke Inn. The house was extended forwards and re-fronted in the early 19th century. By 1874 it was documented as the Full Moon Public House, but by 1883 it was in residential and commercial use after the public house relocated to No. 51 North Street.