Golden Key House

GOLDEN KEY HOUSE

A house in row on the west side of the High Street, Tewkesbury, dating from the 16th century and substantially remodelled and heightened in 1610. The building is constructed with close-stud timber-frame and plaster panels, a tile roof, and brick stacks.

The plan comprises a twin-gabled right-angle frontage in four jettied stages. The gables project substantially beyond the normal street-line and lean forward noticeably, probably as a result of injudicious cutting of roof timbers at an early stage. The street block rises to a cross-gabled top floor, with the staircase and main stack positioned to the right. Beyond this extends a long and narrow full-height wing with extensive fenestration on either side, facing narrow side alleys.

The exterior presents four storeys. The jettied gables above two oriels with 1:3:1 lights and transom sit on deep cyma-curve plastered brackets, contained at the canted ends by carved consoles. At first and second floors runs a continuous range of glazing with 2:1:5:1:2 lights, including a canted central oriel, all with transom and each jettied. All windows have ovolo-mould members and are leaded. The stud framing has moulded edges, and jetties are carried on decorative brackets at each level. The gables have moulded barge-boards and pendants. The ground floor is underbuilt with a 19th-century shop front featuring a splayed recess to the left with a heavily moulded jamb brought to a bold stop. A glazed 19th-century door with plain fascia sits under a weathered hood. A large golden key hangs from a wrought-iron bracket at second floor.

The interior retains much exposed timber framework as a result of extensive and careful conservation work. Behind the shop front is a large ovolo-mould transverse beam carried on posts with jetty brackets and a central cast-iron 'Batty Langley'-type quatrefoil cross-section column. A central well carried on pairs of posts and chamfered beams, with decorative splat baluster rail, opens to the first-floor gallery. Beyond the well is a further transverse beam supported at its centre by a cast-iron barley-twist column, fabricated at Coalbrookdale. The 17th-century lateral wide dogleg staircase is open to the whole ground floor space and has splat balusters with a small moulded handrail, square newels and ball finials. Lighting the landing is a large 3-light timber casement with transom. The wing beyond contains pairs of bold posts carrying chamfered beams with braces, and pairs of replacement casements.

At first floor, the galleried room has a 3-compartment ceiling with beams bearing plaster mouldings. Plaster decoration includes mermaids, vine leaves and acorns. A stone fire surround with flat 4-centred head and salt store to the top left is positioned here. The second-floor front room also has a square moulded stone fire surround. The top floor contains two transverse beams with plaster mouldings and double fleur-de-lis plaster enrichment, as well as a 6-panel 17th-century door.

The front roof is double cross-gabled. The long narrow wing comprises a series of heavy posts with beams at approximately 2.5-metre centres, floors complete with early boards, and paired casements in heavy framing on each side. The upper two floors were unused as of February 1992 because of difficulties of access. Wind-bracing remains in one bay of the wing roof, and in five bays the original collared principals remain.

According to the Victoria County History, the building was originally an early 16th-century three-storied house with a 2-storied rear wing, raised one storey in the 17th century. It was at one time the Old Coach Office. The Swan, one of the major coaching houses, stands immediately next door. Thomas Collins may have been involved in late 19th-century restorations. This is a remarkably fine and complete structure with good quality circa 1610 features, notably the plasterwork, and constitutes one of the finest town houses of the period anywhere in the country.