Black Bear Inn

Black Bear Inn

Inn, early 16th century. Timber-framed construction with painted brickwork or plaster panels, square-panelled with tension bracing to the first floor and close-studded to the ground floor. Tile roof with brick stacks. The building occupies a commanding position adjacent to King John's Bridge.

The plan forms an L-shape, with a short frontage to High Street and a longer return to Mythe Road in two parts. A central chimney breast is backed by the staircase in the internal angle, with a corridor along the back serving single-depth rooms. The slightly lower western end section, which contains large full-depth rooms, may have originally been a service unit with loading doors, later modified in the 17th century as an extension to the main premises.

The High Street frontage is two storeys with replacement framing. A formerly jettied first floor in braced box framing sits above a close-studded ground floor. Windows are replacement casements with wood mullions and leading: 5+5-lights at first floor and 3+4-light with transom to the ground floor. An early plank door on strap hinges stands on a sandstone step giving access to a throughway on the left. Deep eaves conceal the guttering.

The left return gable is plain and rendered, with an external brick stack. The longer Mythe Road frontage features a jettied section with a broad gable to the left in braced framing. This elevation is two storeys with a basement and former attic, containing a blocked opening in the gable and in the first floor below it. The jettied section has two paired 2-light casements set to a stud member, with a further 2-light casement and blocked opening beyond. The ground floor contains two 2-light casements with transom near the corner, a small 12-pane sash, a 3+2-light casement with horizontal bars, and a large 16-pane sash. To the left of this sash is an early plank door. Exposed jetty joists support a carved corner post with brattished top carrying a dragon beam. A large brick stack rises at the rear eaves of the front block, with a small stack at the gable junction with the lower unit. A rendered plinth runs across the whole frontage.

The end unit is two storeys, with a central pair of part-glazed doors flanked by 2-light casements at first floor. The ground floor has three 2-light casements with transom and a plank door under a replacement peaked head. The return gable is plain with a stack. Various additions exist at the rear.

Internally, the main front bar features an early 17th-century plastered ceiling with three rosettes, a dolphin, and a rosette in geometrical surround. A plastered dragon-beam displays a soffit of leaf and rosette ornament. A central chamfered beam remains unplastered. This room was originally heated, though the fireplace is now blocked. Behind the bar stands a fine 2-plank door giving access to the throughway. A winder stair backs the chimney breast. Along the corridor is a cellar access door under an iron-grilled transom-light. The cellar stairs are of the characteristic Tewkesbury type: brick with timber facing. The cellar ceiling has been rebuilt.

Two middle rooms contain chamfered transverse beams. The end room sits at a lower level and features a very large chamfered transverse beam on curved brackets with heavy box framing and a notably high plinth in the rear wall. It preserves a 17th-century carved overmantel and surround to a stone fireplace with a four-centred arch on moulded and stopped jambs. The kitchen contains a very broad chamfered beam. A recent straight-flight stair rises to the two-bay room above the end section, which has a plain stone surround to the fire and a central queen-post truss with wind-bracing to each slope; the space is ceiled above collar height.

The High Street front rooms at first floor include a larger room on the right with two heavy chamfered spine beams, one positioned very close to the back wall, and a blocked fireplace with chamfered and shaped wood bressumer on stone jambs. To the left of the stair is a lobby with exposed joists and a former doorway with peaked head to the stair. Various heavy chamfered beams are present throughout. In the upper corridor stands one large jowelled post without tie or other head member.

The inn is said to have been in existence by 1308, though it probably existed earlier given its vital position adjacent to King John's Bridge. Most of the existing fabric appears original, with restoration work particularly evident to the High Street front. Internally, floors have been replaced to the ground floor in part. The name derives from the Beauchamp crest, a black bear.