13, Sadler Street

WELLS

ST5445 SADLER STREET 662-1/7/224 (West side) 12/11/53 No.13

GV II

Shop and offices, former house. Early C19. Ashlar stonework facade, rendered rubble to side gable, Welsh slate roof behind parapet, brick chimney stack. PLAN: double-depth, with through passage to the left, and straight flight principal staircase to its right; at the rear are various large extensions, mainly mid or late C20. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys with attic and basement, single wide bay. Late C19 shop front across whole of ground floor, in 4 large vertical panes with very thin deep mullions, and narrow curved returns at the ends, with small fascia and very shallow cornice, continued over the 6-panel door under rectangular fanlight with margin-panes. First floor has a very large tripartite sash window, of 6+24+6 panes, the outer sashes with margin panes, and two 16-pane sash windows to second floor, over which is band course and parapet; 2 flat-roofed dormer windows are just visible behind the parapet. INTERIOR: there is a series of large rooms, with high ceilings, especially at first floor, and generally very sparse detail. The property was evidently completely rebuilt, and no earlier fabric or detail could be found. The stone-flagged throughway has an inner lobby with panelled door and transom-light similar to the outer detail. The broad straight-flight stair is well set back, with open string to scrolled ends, stick balustrade and mahogany handrail, carried through 2 floors, but reducing in scale to the top floor; at the first landing is a very large 16-pane sash to the left party wall. The principal first-floor room has a central ceiling rose and moulded cornice, and a dado and frieze in embossed varnished paper. The front top-floor room has a coved ceiling. The basement is very extensive, with rubble walls and stone flagged floor, approached by a straight flight of stone stairs. At the rear a wide opening, with a pair of doors in a fluted surround, has been blocked with concrete blockwork. HISTORICAL NOTE: the very large first-floor window suggests former use as an assembly room or similar, possibly as an extension to the adjacent Swan Hotel (qv).

Listing NGR: ST5491545806