Fountain Inn

WELLS

ST5446 ST THOMAS STREET 662-1/6/267 (North side) 13/09/72 No.1 Fountain Inn

GV II

Inn, at end of short row. Some C17 work, but substantial rebuilding late C18 or early C19, and after fire in mid C20. Rendered and colourwashed rubble, roof flat, behind parapet, brick chimney stack. PLAN: a mainly rebuilt front range, but with low ceiling height to the ground floor, returns, left, to a long narrow wing (approx 3m span internally). EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 3 bays. Plinth, string course under first-floor window cills, heavy cornice, plain parapet with moulded coping. Plain casement windows to ground floor, set in simple segmental-arched openings, with 3 toplights each, left of bay 1, in a wider arch, is incorporated a 6-panel door with fanlight, in centre bay a pair of 3-panel doors in a segmental-arched opening. First and second floors have sash windows in plain openings, 12-pane to first and 9-pane to second, with mid C20 louvred shutters to each window. The gable end to the rear wing has a former 12-pane sash, modified to 6-pane, otherwise mid C20 fenestration. Painted signboard between first and second floors, and hanging sign with wrought-iron bracket to right at first floor level. INTERIOR: the front range retains little of special interest; the first-floor room runs the full width of the frontage. The rear wing is raised on 3 steps, and separated from the front by a transverse timber staircase, with carpenter's turned balusters and a twisted newel post, all painted. The low-ceilinged rear room has two late C17 chamfered and stopped beams, carried by very thick outer walls, and near the rear of the room is a beam made from a re-used member, formerly top rail to of a framed partition, with double ovolo-mould to one edge, but turned flat, with the tenons set horizontally. The inn is strategically placed at the junction of old roads from Bath and from Shepton Mallet.

Listing NGR: ST5527746011