Category: Buildings and Architecture

West Wiltshire District Council’s Warminster Town Centre Conservation Area Character Assessment, Informative Document, Consultation Draft/Cabinet Draft, of December 2006, includes the following notes:

MATERIALS
Locally quarried rubblestone roughly squared was a popular building material in the 18th century. The more affluent buildings used dressed stone, fenestration details such as door and window openings and quoins. Bath Stone was imported for use on some of the most prestigious buildings within the town such as Portway House, The Athenaeum and the Town Hall.

Brick as a building material began to be used in the mid 18th century. One of the earliest examples of brickwork is in the Weymouth Arms, Emwell Street. From this period onwards bricks were also used around doorways and windows.

In the 19th century many of the existing buildings were re-fronted or rendered in stucco, although buildings continued to be constructed with local rubble and brick dressings. Cambered arches were commonly used and details such as this should be accommodated in new buildings and extensions. Houses entirely of brick were uncommon during the early nineteenth century, but became more common towards the end of the century.

Originally famous for its thatched roofs, Warminster gradually adopted plain clay tiles, made from local clay, as a safer roof cladding due to concerns over fire. The roofscape today is recognised as being in the main an attractive assembly of traditional roof shapes and coverings, that can be fully appreciated from the top of St. Lawrence’s tower.

Traditional cast iron street nameplates are still common in the town. It is important that these street features are retained. Other features common to property are foot scrapers that still appear on the exterior of many period houses.