8, Westgate Street

GLOUCESTER

SO8318NW WESTGATE STREET 844-1/8/377 (North side) 23/01/52 No.8

GV II

Shop and dwelling, now offices, linked with Nos 6 & 10 Westgate Street (qqv) as part of an integrated block of office suites. Early C19 with early C16 structure encapsulated in rear wing, later C19 and C20 alterations. Brick, the front faced in ashlar, timber-framing in rear wing, slate roof (artificial to rear), brick stacks. The front block double-depth block, rear wing to left behind stairwell. EXTERIOR: four storeys and cellar; the wing two storeys and attic. On the front the ground floor remodelled in mid C20 with a large window flanked by doorway on right to ground floor office and similar doorway on left to lobby entrance to upper floors, all framed by stone pilasters and entablature continued across the front of No.6 Westgate Street (qv) to right; on the ashlar front to the upper floors a progressive reduction in the height of each storey and its windows, with continuous projecting bands at the sill levels and a crowning cornice with blocking course; on each floor three sashes with slender glazing bars (3x4 panes on the first and second floors, 3x3 panes on the third floor) all in openings with moulded stone architraves. INTERIOR: the ground floor altered and refitted in C20; from first to third floors an open well cantilevered stone staircase with decorative cast-iron balustrade with reglazed skylight above; some rooms on upper floors in the front block retain early C19 cornices and joinery; rooms in rear wing relined but in the attic office suite the exposed lower parts of the timber trusses for an originally open C16 timber roof of five bays, the trusses with slightly cambered and chamfered collar ties, some timbers with mortices indicating reuse. HISTORY: the rear wing may be part of the house built c1530 for Thomas Payne which included the rear wing of No.6 (qv) Westgate Street.

Listing NGR: SO8314918595