Lions House | |
---|---|
General information | |
Architectural style | Baroque |
Town or city | Bridgwater |
Country | England |
Coordinates | 51°07′47″N3°00′04″W / 51.1297°N 3.0012°W Coordinates: 51°07′47″N3°00′04″W / 51.1297°N 3.0012°W |
Completed | c. 1727 |
Design and construction | |
Architect | Benjamin Holloway |
The Lions House on West Quay in Bridgwater, Somerset, England was built around 1725 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building. [1] [2]
It was built between 1720 and 1730 in a Baroque style by Benjamin Holloway, as his house and was later occupied by several Mayors of Bridgwater. Holloway was employed by the Duke of Chandos to build and possibly design the houses in nearby Castle Street. [1]
The two-storey house is of five bays with single storey wings on either side of front door which is approached via a flight of steps. [3] It is built of Flemish-bond brick of alternate red and yellow, beneath a double-pitched pantile roof. [2] [4] At the front of the house are 20th-century low panelled and corniced gatepiers which carry Chinese-style dogs (The Lions). [1]
The building is now known as Benjamin Holloway House. Parts of the building have been converted for commercial use and include a dentists and a professional services firm. [5] [6]
The Lion statues have been used as the inspiration for an exhibit by artist Rebecca Moss as part of Somerset Art Week. They are made in concrete to link to the local industrial heritage and the nearby Castle House, which was one of the first buildings to make extensive use of Portland cement for pre-cast concrete. [7]
Bridgwater is a large historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. Its population currently stands at around 35,886 as of 2011. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies along both sides of the River Parrett, and has been a major in-land port and trading centre since the industrial revolution. Most of its industrial bases still stand today. Its larger neighbour Taunton, is linked to Bridgwater via a canal, the M5 motorway and the GWR railway line.
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The Grade I listed buildings in Somerset, England, demonstrate the history and diversity of its architecture. The ceremonial county of Somerset consists of a non-metropolitan county, administered by Somerset County Council, which is divided into five districts, and two unitary authorities. The districts of Somerset are West Somerset, South Somerset, Taunton Deane, Mendip and Sedgemoor. The two administratively independent unitary authorities, which were established on 1 April 1996 following the breakup of the county of Avon, are North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. These unitary authorities include areas that were once part of Somerset before the creation of Avon in 1974.
Sedgemoor is a 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 cultural significance; Grade I structures are those considered to be "buildings of exceptional interest". Listing was begun by a provision in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Once listed, severe restrictions are imposed on the modifications allowed to a building's structure or its fittings. In England, the authority for listing under the Planning Act 1990 rests with Historic England, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; local authorities have a responsibility to regulate and enforce the planning regulations.
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Sedgemoor is a 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 cultural significance; Grade II* structures are those considered to be "particularly significant buildings of more than local interest". Listing was begun by a provision in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947. Once listed, severe restrictions are imposed on the modifications allowed to a building's structure or its fittings. In England, the authority for listing under the Planning Act 1990 rests with Historic England, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; local authorities have a responsibility to regulate and enforce the planning regulations.
There are over 670 scheduled monuments in the ceremonial county of Somerset in South West England. The county consists of a non-metropolitan county, administered by Somerset County Council, which is divided into five districts, and two unitary authorities. The districts of Somerset are West Somerset, South Somerset, Taunton Deane, Mendip and Sedgemoor. The two administratively independent unitary authorities, which were established on 1 April 1996 following the breakup of the county of Avon, are North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. These unitary authorities include areas that were once part of Somerset before the creation of Avon in 1974.
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