Castle Street, Bridgwater
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Castle Street in
Bridgwater Bridgwater is a historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. The town had a population of 41,276 at the 2021 census. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies along both sid ...
,
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
, England was built in the 1720s, on a site previously occupied by Bridgwater Castle, by Benjamin Holloway or Fort and Shepherd, the Duke's London surveyors for
James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, (6 January 16739 August 1744) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the English House of Commons, English and House of Commons of Great Britain, British House of Commons from 1698 until 1714, wh ...
. It was originally called Chandos Street. Many of the buildings have been designated as Grade I
Listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
s. The buildings are made of red and yellow Flemish-bond brick, with moulded stone coping to the parapet, and follow very similar lines. They form an important group, unusual for their scale and ambition outside London's West End. The buildings close to the quay on the
River Parrett The River Parrett is a river that flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the So ...
were built for the merchants who managed trade through the port, with the first bridge having been constructed in 1200 AD.Dunning (1992), page 193.
Quay A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
s were built in 1424; with another quay, the ''Langport slip'', being built in 1488 upstream of the town bridge. The river was navigable, with care, to Bridgwater town bridge by 400–500 tonne vessels.Fitzhugh (1993). pp. 6-7. By trans-shipping into barges at the town bridge the Parrett was navigable as far as
Langport Langport is a town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England, west of Somerton, Somerset, Somerton. The parish, which covers only part of the town, has a population of 3,578. Langport is contiguous with Huish Episcopi, ...
and (via the River Yeo) to
Ilchester Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. Originally a Roman town, and later a market town, Ilchester has a rich medieval history and was a notable settleme ...
. Many of the buildings still have
undercroft An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and Vault (architecture), vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area whi ...
vaults, some of which were used by the Customs House which was once at the lower end of Castle Street and led to the naming of Bond Street which adjoins Castle Street. Castle Street was used as a location in the 1963 film ''
Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...
''. In 2008, during sewer renovation work under Castle Street, a section of the curtain wall of the castle and a tunnel used to transport goods from the port were discovered.


South side

Number 1 on the corner with West Quay and very close to the
River Parrett The River Parrett is a river that flows through the counties of Dorset and Somerset in South West England, from its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset. Flowing northwest through Somerset and the So ...
was built as the Harbour Master's house and is now used as offices. Number 3 and 5 were originally separate houses but have now been made into one building and are used as offices. Number 7 and 9 follow the same pattern. Numbers 11 and 13 have been used as Bridgwater Arts Centre since 1946. Many of the original interior of the building has been lost but the plaster ceiling mouldings and the fireplace are original, as are the wooden side cupboards, the window panels and window seats. It was the venue for the first post-war meeting of the Congres Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne in 1947. Number 9 was purchased by Bridgwater Borough Council in 1966, which then passed into the ownership of
Sedgemoor Sedgemoor is a low-lying area of land in Somerset, England. It lies close to sea level south of the Polden Hills, historically largely marsh (or "moor" in its older sense). The eastern part is known as King's Sedgemoor, and the western part We ...
District Council in 1974. Number eleven Castle Street was acquired as part of the arts centre in 1982. Number 15 is known as Legion House. It was originally built as a private house in the mid 18th century but is now used by the
British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British Charitable organization, charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants. ...
.


North side

Number 2 which is on the corner with West Quay has the same Flemish-bond brick but has been painted. Number 4 has a vertical joint to Number 1 Bond Street on the left. Numbers 6, 8, 10 and 12 were originally a merchants houses and was used as nursing home from 1920 to 1990. The district nurses home originally opened in 1902 at Number 2 King Square to commemorate
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
but was moved to Castle Street in 1926. Numbers 6 to 14 were also built as merchants houses and are now offices.


See also

*
List of Grade I listed buildings in Sedgemoor Sedgemoor is a former local government district in the English county of Somerset. In the United Kingdom, the term listed building refers to a building or other structure officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cul ...


References

{{reflist, 33em Grade I listed buildings in Sedgemoor Bridgwater Streets in Somerset Roads in Somerset