Fish House At Heald Farm

The Fish House at Heald Farm is a draft net fish house dating from the late 18th century or early 19th century. It is constructed of red brick in irregular bond, with some stack extensions not bonded into the main structure, and features a part sandstone rubble plinth and a plain tile roof. The building is small and rectangular with simple gabled ends and a loft floor. At the west end, there is an external gable stack that rises from a broad base through offsets, likely added to the original structure.

The south front has an upper opening that is now blocked in brick and a central opening where the lintel or arch has been broken out, leaving it without a door. The east end features a small two-light wooden casement window at loft level, while the north front has a central door with a cambered head. Inside, the ground floor is cobbled, and there is an iron stair leading to the loft floor, which has five openings at both levels.

Although modest in appearance, this building is one of the few remaining examples of the former salmon fishing industry on the River Severn, making it historically significant. Similar fish houses can be found at Newnham and Minsterworth, located between the A48 and the river. It is said that the lofts were occupied by fishermen who worked at all hours to take advantage of the river's tides.