A full £300,000 restoration of the largest surviving historic timber-framed townhouse in England, home to Gloucester Antiques Centre on Westgate Street, has been completed this May 2025.
The Grade-I listed building at 26 Westgate had been on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register since 2012 due to its decaying structure, but after extensive repairs — retaining its 16th- and 17th-century features and transforming its Tudor facade into 'one of the finest in the country — the building is now set to be removed from the register this year.
Gloucester City Council says its restoration will have a positive impact on the character of Westgate and has set an example to other businesses in the area.
Works carried out by local specialist D.A Cook include repairs to its historic timber frame, wall panels and traditional oak windows, as well as its roof and rainwater system, with craft techniques like joinery and lime plastering used throughout the project.
Its exterior has been redecorated with pigmented limewash; and also features reproduced historic signage for the Gloucester Antiques Centre and an 'elaborate' gargoyle carving, which was discovered during the repairs.
It is now open to the public along with a door through to Maverdine Lane, from which people can view the redecorated facade.
The building dates back to the medieval period, when it fronted the city's main market area and was known as 'the mercery', due to its concentration of cloth merchants.
It was used as judges' lodgings in the 19th century and was then briefly an antiques store, before it was occupied by seed merchants G. Winfield and Co. for more than 100 years up to 2015.
The project was largely funded by a £314,163 grant from Historic England, as part of the organisation's ongoing regeneration of heritage buildings in the Westgate area.
Building owner Andrew Malone said: 'This repair work has been a long time coming but well worth the wait. The project has been extremely successful and we are so pleased with how it went.'
Kathy Williams, director at the Gloucester Antiques Centre, said the restoration will allow the centre to grow and offer more space to dealers.
Kate Biggs, principal conservation officer at Gloucester City Council, said the council is striving to set good examples to other businesses in Westgate in terms of signage; and that the 26 Westgate project achieves that.
She commented: 'The design and production of good quality and appropriate signage can
have a very positive impact on the character of a conservation area or listed
building – it helps to create a place where people want to linger.'
