North Warehouse

GLOUCESTER

SO8218SE THE DOCKS 844-1/11/356 North Warehouse 12/03/73

GV II

Bonded warehouse, now local authority offices. 1826-7. By Barton Haigh, architect, of Liverpool, and William Rees and Son, builder, for the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal Company and leased to various corn merchants; converted to offices by and for Gloucester City Council, 1985-6. Brick, stone lintels and sills to openings, internally the timber floors originally supported by cast-iron columns, slate roof. A large, rectangular end gabled block, originally two semi-detached units of equal size; late C20 canopied entrances added in the centre of the north side and at the west end. EXTERIOR: four storeys, basement and attic; stone copings to gables and moulded stone eaves cornice grooved to house a lead-lined gutter on each side; in both side walls four former loading door openings all infilled with late C20 fenestration, above each opening a restored timber, gabled, cat-head hoist canopy at eaves level. A stone tablet below the cornice is inscribed "The Gloucester and Berkeley Canal Company's Warehouses Erected by W. Rees and Son Ano. Dom. 1826". On the ground floor in the centre of the south side two doorways now partly infilled as windows; otherwise on each floor original window openings between and flanking the loading door openings in 2x3x4x3x2 sequence; in each end wall four similar windows and two windows in the west gable; all windows have late C20 side-hung sashes; the basement windows, indicated by stone lintels, were bricked up during construction to comply with HM Customs Regulations for bonded stores. C20 entrance doors on north side. INTERIOR: brick-vaulted basement; generally substantially altered in conversion to offices. HISTORY: the earliest surviving warehouse within the docks. and built in anticipation of increased trade as the Canal neared completion. The original design for a range of three units of five storeys was reduced to two units in the contract and the height reduced by one storey during construction. (Conway-Jones H: Gloucester Docks An Illustrated History: Gloucester: 1984-: 164; Original Drawings in Gloucestershire Records Office: D2460 Drawings 1-F).

Listing NGR: SO8274018427