155 and 157, Southgate Street

A pair of semi-detached houses, dating to approximately 1835, located on Southgate Street in Gloucester. Number 155 is currently a post office, and Number 157 a cafe. The buildings are constructed of brick with stuccoed frontages, topped with a slate roof and brick stacks. They represent a double-depth block with wings projecting at the rear.

Originally designed with a continuous facade of six bays, the exterior retains its original appearance in the three bays of Number 155. Number 157 has a later shop inserted on the ground floor, spanning the three bays. The bays are demarcated by slender, full-height pilasters with moulded capitals and a crowning entablature and parapet. On the ground floor of Number 155, horizontal rustication is punctuated by raised bands, and the central entrance features a semicircular fanlight with radiating glazing bars and a six-panel door. Sashes with 4x5 panes of glazing are found in the adjacent bays. Number 157’s ground floor incorporates a 20th-century shopfront, framed by 19th-century pilasters with console brackets supporting the fascia. The first floor has sashes with 4x4 panes of glazing in each bay of both properties. A portion of the crowning cornice was replaced with fibre glass in 1990. The interior was not inspected during the listing assessment.