45 And 47, Friarn Street

Two houses, dating from the early 19th century, are located on Friarn Street in Bridgwater. The buildings are constructed of Flemish-bond brick with a pantile roof, stone coping, and brick stacks to the gable ends. They follow a double-depth plan and have a 5-window frontage.

Number 45, on the left, features a gauged brick semicircular arch forming a full-height recess. Within this recess, at first-floor level, is a fixed window with a smaller, similar arch, thin glazing bars, and small panes. A larger gauged brick semicircular arch below likely marks a former carriage entrance, now bricked up and containing a 6/6-pane sash window. To the right is another gauged brick semicircular arch over a 20th-century door and large fanlight with mostly square panes; above is a flat arch to a 6/6-pane sash window.

The three first-floor windows to the right originally resembled the others, but the central one has been bricked up with a small 20th-century window inserted. The sill of the window to the right has been lowered to create a tall 9/9-pane sash stair window for Number 47. The window furthest to the right is a horned 6/6-pane sash with a blind window below. A plate-glass shop window occupies the centre of the ground floor, featuring two square panes at the base and two horizontal panes at the top, beneath a painted-over full-width overlight with glazing bars mirroring those above the door. A simple fascia with a moulded cornice spans the top of the ground floor. The rear return of the building has a 20th-century pedimented doorcase and door to the left. The interior of the buildings has not been inspected. Group value is demonstrated by their contribution to the streetscape.