100, Church Street

TEWKESBURY

SO8932 CHURCH STREET 859-1/6/151 (North side) 04/03/52 No.100

GV II*

House in row, with shop. Dated B R R 1664 on door-head to left. Close-studded timber-frame with plaster infill to front, braced box framing elsewhere, tile roofs, brick stacks. PLAN: side-entry right-angle plan. EXTERIOR: a complete C17 structure, practically unaltered above ground floor, in 3 storeys with double jetty, including wide central canted oriels, all to hipped roof at front, and with 2 gabled wings to rear, that to left with staircase. At first and second floor are full-width windows with ovolo-mould mullions and transom, all leaded, in 14 lights. Poor C20 shop front, with glazed door incorporated, then to left, early wide plank door to carved cambered head with decorative work, and inscription BKR 1664 (Bartholomew and Katherine Read). Deep scrolled brackets at each floor, either end, to jetties. Wide overhanging eaves on brackets. Central brick stack, back. Panelled and part glazed door in throughway to right. At back is a gabled wing with dovecote incorporated, and to its left a deeper but lower wing, both in brick-nogged framing. INTERIOR: ground floor is much altered, but principal full-width front rooms at first and second floors have original boards, 3-compartment ceiling to heavy moulded or chamfered beams; at first floor a central turned 'baluster' prop to transverse beam. These rooms also have a projecting square rendered brick fireplace to moulded plaster cornice below ceiling level; at second floor with peaked wood bressumer, but modified at first floor. To right of fireplace a tight winder stair descends from second floor. Main (later) stair in back wing is an open well winder. Lower wing, with floor levels below those of main block, has 4-light early casement facing west. Roof space also with wide early boards, light propped framing to single purlin, and 2 cropped stacks adjacent to stair head, which rises to roof level. Basement not accessible for inspection. An exceptionally fine C17 timber-framed facade. Its proportions, with deep eaves and hipped roof, are clearly influenced by the Dutch-inspired classicism of the mid C17. This building empty and in very poor structural condition at time of survey (August 1991). SR Jones suggests that the rear wing is the surviving remnant of an earlier property, although no evidence for this was noted. (Victoria County History: Gloucestershire: London: 1968-: 130).

Listing NGR: SO8924032661