Gloucester boasts a rich tapestry of historic buildings, but few are as captivating as the striking Medieval townhouse nestled just around the corner from Gloucester Cathedral. Known as 26 Westgate and also referred to as the Old Judges' House or the Merchant’s House, this Grade I-listed building dates back to the late 16th century and has a fascinating history of near loss and remarkable preservation.
Sporting its characteristic yellow and timber exterior, 26 Westgate holds the distinction of being the largest surviving timber-framed townhouse in the country. However, by 2012, its condition had deteriorated so badly that Historic England added it to their Heritage at Risk Register.
Thanks to a substantial grant of £314,163 from Historic England, the building has undergone extensive restoration work and now serves as an antiques centre. A Historic England video on YouTube details the painstaking efforts involved in its rescue.
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Andrew Malone, the building’s owner, described the urgent need for repairs: “We just had to do it, had to make it work. There was water pouring in through many parts of this roof-valleys leaking, slates missing, leadwork gone, rotten wood. The sides of the building were falling apart and decaying. Pigeons had even taken up residence. Nobody wanted it.”
He remarked on the building’s remarkable survival: “This building shouldn’t still exist. The man who built it was a tycoon, said to have aimed to create in Gloucester a shop matching the scale and style fashionable in London at the time. It’s a Tudor skyscraper.”
Mr Malone reflected on discoveries during the restoration: “Everywhere you look, there’s history. We found a gargoyled face that had been there for hundreds of years, marbles in one room and the floor. At times when render came off, the timber underneath was often in surprisingly good condition. The only way to repair a building like this is sympathetically, with love, using traditional techniques and respecting how it was originally constructed.”
Christopher Miners, an architect and surveyor with Historic England, commented on the building’s fortunate survival: “It’s incredibly lucky to have lasted these 400 years. It survived mostly by accident through what we call benign neglect when a neighbour’s building encroached on its side elevation early on. The building remained unchanged because altering it was difficult, preserving its historic timber frame and features like original glass dating back to 1622.”
He noted that restoration efforts focused on preserving as much of the original fabric as possible, including old plaster, floorboard cracks, and holes. “We love that, and visitors to the antiques centre truly value these authentic details. It’s part of the city’s heritage, and we’re delighted to help conserve it.”
Earlier research revealed traces of purplish-red paint on the timbers, suggesting the 17th-century frame was once vibrantly coloured. The building comprises two main sections: a front part from around 1620 and a rear section dating to about 1590.
The rear portion was constructed by John Browne Senior, a prominent mercer or cloth merchant in Gloucester, while his son John Browne Junior, a brewer and thrice mayor of the city, added the front section.
During medieval times, the building faced Westgate Street’s main market area and was known as ‘the mercery’ due to the concentration of cloth merchants there. The original medieval cellar survives beneath the building and likely offered direct access to Westgate Street.
In the early 19th century, 26 Westgate served as Judges’ Lodgings, though it was reportedly disfavoured by visiting judges, who dubbed it a ‘foetid dog-hole’. The building later functioned as an antiques shop and became known as ‘Winfields’ after the G. Winfield & Co. seed merchant occupied the premises from 1893 until 2015.