8, High Street

WELLS

ST5445 HIGH STREET 662-1/7/84 (North side) 12/11/53 No.8 (Formerly Listed as: HIGH STREET (North side) Nos.6 AND 8 King Charles Bar)

GV II*

Former house, now offices. C15, with mid C20 facade. Rubble, but brick facade, colourwashed, clay tiled gabled roof with ridge at right angles to road. A narrow frontage first-floor hall plan, with stair to the left, rear. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and basement, 2 bays. Shop front across whole of ground floor, with central pair of doors in recess, under medium depth fascia, the whole appears c1900 and earlier than work above. To first floor a 3-light transomd casement window, and to second floor two 2-light casements, all with rectangular leaded lights and set under brick soldier arches, brick dentilled cornice and stepped parapet. Projecting hanging sign to right of first-floor window. Facade continuous in detail with No.6 (qv). INTERIOR: ground and first floors modified, with no early features visible; early C19 winder stairs. Second floor has exposed C15 roof frame of 3 bays, with upper crucks to saddles, carried on arch-braced collars, the braces moulded and to central 'stop', one range of curved windbraces and square purlin. In the front bay are remains of a stone fireplace with octagonal chamfered jambs. Roof frame indicates that C20 facade extended building streetwards by about half a metre. The bland C20 facade conceals a structure of considerable historic interest.

Listing NGR: ST5494845753