Old Ship Hotel

ST 8032-8132 MERE CASTLE STREET (north side)

6/13 Old Ship Hotel (formerly 6.1.65 listed as The Ship Inn, Free House)

GV II*

House, now hotel. 1711 by Henry Andrews of Woodlands (q.v.), replacing earlier house of C17; some later refenestration and extension. Coursed squared limestone, flush ashlar quoins and dressings; back mainly in rubble, some rendering. roof stone slate to front slope, mainly plain tile to back but with 5 courses stone slate at eaves; wing has concrete double roman tiles. A handsome wide frontage at street line with wide central carriage way; to right the principal rooms and main staircase, and deep wing projecting back from this side. Two storeys and attics, 7 bay symmetrical front; at ground floor are three 24-pane, sashes, then, right of throughway a 24-pane sash, an 8-pane above a disused door with 25-pane top glazed part and a C20 horizontal 15-light. First floor has 7 two-light stone cyma mullioned casements with transome and small-scale leading; numbers 3-6 seem to be careful replacements of originals; there are 5 roof-lights in the plane of the roof. Centrally is a wide through- way with chamfered arch to imposts and pilasters beneath a cyma-moulded string the full width of the front, above the sashes and raised over the arch; chamfered plinth dies to rise in pavement left; two-course stepped stone eaves cornice; two large brick stacks to hipped roof. Back has varied fenestration, including one wood cross-window with some leading. Inside the throughway, left and right are 6-panel doors in eaves moulded architraves and to broken segmental pediments with central base formerly supporting finials. A further panelled door on right side, and a 2-light Yorkshire sash and 3-light glazing bar casements. Interior has in right half, grand dog-leg stair through 2 floors, with heavy handrail, square newels and turned balusters. Ground floor front, right has a fireplace with heavy bolection mould surround and under Jacobean panelling; behind this, in bar, an early C18 bolection mould fire surround under heavy Jacobean overmantel to C20 mantel shelf; central painting of Charles II Some upper rooms with enriched plaster cornices. The external wrought iron sign probably by Kingston Avery in mid C18 is large and of great elaboration. Formerly on main London to West Country route (old A303) now by-passed.

Listing NGR: ST8121932404