Listed Building record MDO6828 - The Town Cellars, Paradise Street, Poole

A very rare and historically important surviving example of a medieval warehouse. Documentary evidence indicates it was a wool-house and was probably had a manorial origin. Excavation and building analysis has suggested two major periods of construction. It was built probably in about 1300 and modified in the fifteenth century with the construction of a new south wall and a new roof comprising arched collar beam trusses and arched wind-braces. It was cut in half in about 1788 by the creation of Thames Street. It is constructed of coursed stone rubble with ashlar dressings and a tiled roof.

The 'Town Cellar', Poole, is one of the best preserved examples of a wool-house still existing in England. The building was originally 120 feet long but has been severed into two unequal portions by the cutting-through of Thames Street in the early 19th century. <2>

The remains consist of two portions:

a) East of Thames Street. This is the most easily observed portion in which two possibly 15th century bricked-up windows and doorways are visible and outer buttresses may be seen.

The stonework appears to be original with modern facing in places. The roof and west walls are modern; roofing timbers appear to be original. See ground photographs.

b) West of Thames Street. This portion has no visible ancient exterior, being entirely surrounded by modern property. Within, possible original roofing timbers and walling are visible. The outer roof and east wall are both modern.

Both portions of the building are now in use as stores by Oakley & Sons, Poole. <3>

The Town Cellar, Grade 1. Formerly the Woolhouse, it is of one storey, built of coursed rubble with a tiled roof. It was built in the 15th century, but was divided into two inequal parts in the late 18th century by the creation of Thames Street.

Scheduled. <4-6>

The Town Cellars was excavated before its conversion to a Maritime Museum. Although most of the present structure dates from the first half of the 15th century, the archaeological evidence provided an initial construction date of about 1300. The foundations of the building were cut into a massive deposit of oyster shells having a probable east-west extent of over 100.0m. The shells, definitely the product of cultivation, have yielded a carbon - 14 date of about 690 AD. There is no other evidence of settlement at this period in Poole. <7>

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1937 (Map). SWX1197.

(SZ 00859030) Town Cellar (NR)

<2> Smith, H P, 1948, History of the Borough and County of the Town of Poole. Origins and Early Development (vol. 1), 189-191 photo (Monograph). SWX3200.

<3> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F1 FDC 07-DEC-51 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 204 (Monograph). SDO149.

<5> 1978, List of ancient monuments in England: Southern England, 83 (Monograph). SWX1558.

<6> DOE (HRR), 30 June 1980, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of Poole 1980 (Scheduling record). SWX3744.

C15. Formerly the Woolhouse a warehouse used in connection with the Quay. In the C18 was divided into 2 parts by the creation of Thames Street (qv). Coursed stone rubble with buttresses and steeply pitched, old tile roof with stone coped eastern gable end with finial. Corbelled stonework on façade to take a, now vanished, archway. One storey, one bricked up window with tracery and mullion. Two Gothic arched doorways, one double, one single, bricked up. Additional doorway, top of arch blocked by blank plate but spandrels visible. Elevation to Sarum Street has 2 bricked up windows, one with tracery and mullions, othe other with remnants of tracery. Inside, braced collar beam roof of 10 bays. Victorian gaol attached to this wall at east end (qv).

<7> Schofield, J, and Palliser, D
David Palliser with
Charlotte Harding, 1981, Recent archaeological research in English towns, 84 (Monograph). SWX3571.

<8> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Records, SZ 09 SW 14 (Index). SDO131.

(SZ 00859030) Town Cellar (NR) (1)

The 'Town Cellar', Poole, is one of the best preserved examples of a wool-house still existing in England. The building was originally 120 feet long but has been severed into two unequal portions by the cutting-through of Thames Street in the early 19th century. (2)

The remains consist of two portions:

a) East of Thames Street. This is the most easily observed portion in which two possibly 15th century bricked-up windows and doorways are visible and outer buttresses may be seen.

The stonework appears to be original with modern facing in places. The roof and west walls are modern; roofing timbers appear to be original. See ground photographs.

b) West of Thames Street. This portion has no visible ancient exterior, being entirely surrounded by modern property. Within,possible original roofing timbers and walling are visible. Theouter roof and east wall are both modern.

Both portions of the building are now in use as stores by Oakley & Sons, Poole. (3)

The Town Cellar, Grade 1. Formerly the Woolhouse, it is of one storey, built of coursed rubble with a tiled roof. It was built in the 15th century, but was divided into two inequal parts in the late 18th century by the creation of Thames Street.

Scheduled. (4-6)

The Town Cellars was excavated before its conversion to a Maritime Museum. Although most of the present structure dates from the first half of the 15th century, the archaeological evidence provided an initial construction date of about 1300. The foundations of the building were cut into a massive deposit of oyster shells having a probable east-west extent of over 100.0m. The shells, definitely the product of cultivation, have yielded a carbon - 14 date of about 690 AD. There is no other evidence of settlement at this period in Poole. (7)

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date) OS 1:2500 1937
( 2) General reference Hist of Poole 1 1948 189-191 photo (H P Smith)
( 3) Field Investigators Comments F1 FDC 07-DEC-51
( 4) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1970 An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Volume two : south-east [in three parts] Page(s)204
( 5) by Department of the Environment, Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings London 1978 List of ancient monuments in England: Volume 1, Northern England; Volume 2, Southern England; Volume 3, East Anglia and the Midlands Vol 2 Page(s)83
( 6) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest DOE (HHR) Boro' of Poole 30.6.80 50
( 7) edited by John Schofield and David Palliser; with Charlotte Harding 1981 Recent archaeological research in English towns Page(s)84

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BF083268 (Index). SDO14738.

TOWN CELLARS, POOLE: File of material relating to a site or building. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458226 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 25 2024 3:22PM