The Green Dragon Public House

THE GREEN DRAGON PUBLIC HOUSE

A multi-phase vernacular dwelling of 17th-century origin, extended in the late 18th or early 19th century and converted to use as a public house. Further extensions followed in the 19th and 20th centuries to provide supplementary accommodation.

The building is constructed from local rubble stone in its early phases, with later additions in block or brickwork, all rendered. Principal roofs are covered in clay single-roman pantiles, with lean-tos finished in felt. Brick chimney stacks with clay pots are present throughout.

The building is orientated north-south, set back from Badminton Road. It is a multi-cellular structure, with the earliest phases to the south-east, a separate building to the north, and extensions connecting them. The early building rises to three storeys; the purpose-built pub extension has two storeys and a cellar. Ancillary accommodation comprises a long two-storey range with single-storey lean-tos.

The principal façade incorporates disparate stylistic elements. The south end features a prominent gable with symmetrical faux-Tudor mullioned windows—three at ground floor, one at first floor, and one blind window at second floor—all with chamfered stone surrounds, hood moulds, and a string course. A gabled stair tower abuts this range and adjoins the pitched, purpose-built pub range. Sash windows with plain reveals and projecting cills are present, along with a lobby featuring a quadrant entrance with faux-Tudor detailing matching the main gable. The northern range has a hipped pantiled roof with a large first-floor window.

Interior historic fabric directly associated with the public house function is limited. Bar features and fittings date from the 20th or 21st century. The barrel-vaulted cellar retains its loading door. Upper floors of the earliest phase preserve 17th-century door assemblages and a late-18th or early-19th-century cupboard. The roof structure of this phase is 17th-century extended collar-beam construction with chamfered, stripped beams. Fireplaces and staircases are 19th or 20th century. The 20th-century south-west addition contains a moulded cornice and ceiling rose. The north range has few historic interior features but shows evidence of extensive reordering with numerous blocked and inserted doorways.

Cartographic evidence indicates three main developmental phases: an initial three-storey dwelling, followed by a two-storey pub structure, and subsequently an ancillary building to the north that underwent extension and integration. A further range and lobby were added to the first phase in the early 20th century. The earliest section dates from the 17th century, confirmed by its roof structure and interior features. The adjoining two-storey range to the immediate north was constructed as a pub with a cellar featuring a loading hatch, predating the 1842 tithe map. The 1880 Ordnance Survey map shows the majority of the building as it currently stands, excluding a south-west range and minor lobbies and infilling present on the 1920 edition. The 1880 map is the first to mark the building as a public house. The function of rooms in the northern section remains unclear; the main two-storey range appears to have served as storage at ground level with a function room above, though it may once have been a cart house and hayloft.