Avenue House With Boundary Walls

WELLS

ST5445 HIGH STREET 662-1/7/131 (North side) 12/11/53 No.64 Avenue House, with boundary walls

GV II

Former town house, now offices. c1800, but with some earlier fabric to the lower ground floor. Rendered over rubble; hipped Welsh slate roof behind parapet, brick chimney stacks. Double-depth plan. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 4 bays, of which that to the right may be of later date. Plinth, rusticated work to ground floor, end pilasters, band courses, coved cornice and coved coping to parapet. Ground floor has margin-paned french windows with matching toplights to bays 1 and 3, and a 6-panel door bay 2. In bay 4, set at a higher level, over a basement window, a pair of semicircular arched french doors. First floor has large 12-pane sash windows extending almost to floor level, set in architraves, with margin-paned french doors in matching opening to bay 2 and a small 12-pane sash window in bay 4, second floor has smaller 12-pane sash windows in architraves bays 1, 2 and 3 and a small 4-pane sash bay 4. Extending across bays 1 to 3 for ground and first floors is a cast-iron verandah/ balcony, highly ornamented, with bell-hip metal roof. Similar ironwork to raised balcony ground floor bay 4, and extending as a railing along the edge of the forecourt. The left-hand return is entirely plain, with 2 very tall eaves stacks; there is a further stack behind the ridge. to the right. Rear elevation relatively plain, but featuring a semicircular arched 21-pane stair window starting at mezzanine level and extending through two floors, and mostly 12-pane sash windows in architraves, small single storey extension in NW corner, in front of which is a sunken area with very early C19 cast-iron railings. At the lower ground level is a large tripartite sash with 18:18:18-panes and mullion boxes, under a moulded stone drip-course with dropped ends, probably from earlier fabric. INTERIOR: despite conversion to offices and loss of some fireplaces, most original features remain, such as ceiling cornice, some fine mahogany 6-panel doors and the doorcases, and the staircase which has a curled hardwood handrail base and cast-iron balustrading. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: extending from both corners of the front elevation boundary walls of 4m to 5m height, mostly stone but with brick top to west side, with sweeps up to second-floor band course level.

Listing NGR: ST5479445679