High Street Section 1
51 - 64(a) High Street
This block of buildings runs from the west side of St Thomas Street to the east side of Southgate Street and consists of 51 - 64(a) High Street. Below is a thumbnail of the architectural elevation of the complete block. Each building is then discussed. Clicking on the thumbnail will produce a larger image.
panoramic view click to enlarge
51, 52 High Street
51 (The Dolphin) and 52
The corner building is a Victorian inn of 1882, designed by Thomas Stopher, the younger who also rebuilt No. 52 in the same year. The Dolphin had been an ancient hostelry, distinctive as one of Winchester's few stone-built houses, and Stopher re-used its oak chimney piece in the house called Chilcombe Chine on Sleeper's Hill. On the St Thomas Street frontage, the classical columns carry the initials R.M. for Richard Moss, a wealthy brewer, Freeman of the city and M.P., whose firm then managed the Dolphin ; the Lamb and Flag are ancient heraldic insignia associated with St John's Hospital, the ground landlords of No. 51 and 52.
53, 54 High Street
For hundreds of years much of central Winchester has formed part of the endowment of St John's Hospital. 53 and 54 were rebuilt for the Hospital to the design of Mr W. Coles. the City Engineer, as plain Victorian architecture, replacing two ancient gable fronted houses; for 53, 54, 55 and 56 in 1838, before rebuilding, see Mudie's History of Hampshire, vol. I, p.75.
55, 56 High Street
This was two properties until about 1912, when both were purchased by Schomberg and Company, pulled down, and turned into a ‘cinematograph palace' in 1913. This was designed by Greenwood of Southampton, and for many years this was the High Street's only cinema, the Picture House. During the war of 1939-45 it was used as a shop by a departmental store from Southampton. Next to the building is Hammond's Passage.
57 High Street
Hampshire Chronicle
A very good façade, with the only bow windows at ground floor level left in the High Street: the first floor is severe, but embellished with well-tended window boxes, not always the right accompaniment to an old building, but forming here a most attractive feature of the High Street. The building has good original doors, central (shop) and west (private).
Nos. 57-58/59 and 60/61, are a most important group: observe how the rising steps of their roof lines follows the upwards 'flow' of the High Street.
58 High Street
Midland Bank
This building was designed by H. Carey Brown and rebuilt by him in c.1850 for Whitrow and Gadd. It was previously two separate shops. The present ground floor is modern, the bank having bought the premises in 1915.
60, 61 High Street
One of the best sets of bow windows left in the street, though the glazing bars have gone; probably dating from April 1792, and the work of the then owner, William Goater. He was a plumber and glazier, whose original ground floor shop had a series of arched ‘Gothick’ windows and a side door at the East end of the façade, marking perhaps the entry to St Nicolas' Lane incorporated in the site. A good modern shop front, by the Winchester architects, The Sawyer Partnership.
62 High Street
This building is early 19th century, with a stucco front, very good cornice on first floor, and glazing bars still in the elegant bow windows. One of the best looking small shops in Winchester. Formerly and for over fifty years this was a leading saddler and harness-maker's premises.
63 High Street
This building has one of the best fronts in the street, with tall, high windows, and one of the few surviving iron balustrades. (cf. No. 108). Note too, the iron frame from which used to swing a hanging sign.
64 High Street
The house was for many years the home of Miss B. Corfe, whose water colour views of Winchester are greatly appreciated, and now it is a small shop, with a roof that was recently carefully retiled. It is important for its restatement of Winchester's domestic scale after the Egyptian exhuberance of its westerly neighbour.
64(a) High Street
This building is still known as 'Hayward’s Corner’. It was built in 1838/9 as Trustees Savings Bank to a design by Owen Brown Carter (1806 - 1839), a pupil of William Garbett and teacher of G.E. Street. Only first and second floor remain to illustrate the effect his Egyptian travels had on his style. Shop front by Thomas Stopher, 1895. N.B. Carter’s Jewry Street Corn Exchange (now Library) which was built 1838. Next to the building is Southgate Street (formerly Gold Street).