Fry's House of Mercy, Bristol, City of Bristol

Entry Name: Fry's House of Mercy

Listing Date: 4 March 1977

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1052244

English Heritage Legacy ID: 379343

ID on this website: 101052244

Location: Box Makers Yard, Bristol, BS1

County: City of Bristol

Electoral Ward/Division: Central

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Bristol

Traditional County: Somerset

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Bristol

Church of England Parish: St Mary Redcliffe with Temple, Bristol and St John the Baptist, Bedminster

Church of England Diocese: Bristol

Tagged with: Building

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Description

BRISTOL

901-1/42/1672 COLSTON PARADE
04-MAR-1977 REDCLIFFE
(South side)
FRY'S HOUSE OF MERCY

Almshouse, 1784 with C20 internal alterations, endowed by William Fry.

MATERIALS: Coarse roughcast walls, limestone parapet, brick chimneys behind the ridge of the pantile roof.

PLAN: Two storied, double-depth plan, with a long range to rear.

EXTERIOR: Symmetrical three-bay elevation in the Gothick style. The central two-leaf door has strap hinges (a modern replacement), and scrolled ends and sits within a four-centred moulded arch on uncarved imposts and moulded jambs. The lancet windows to both floors have Y-tracery with two leaded casements with interlacing heads. The elevation is surmounted with a crenellated parapet with cornice beneath. An oval panel above the doorway reads FRY'S/ HOUSE OF MERCY/ 1784.

INTERIOR: Not inspected but rebuilt behind the façade in after 1945.

HISTORY: The almshouse was founded in 1778 and completed in 1784. It was endowed by William Fry, a local distiller, and built to house twelve widows; the almshouse was connected to the parish of St. Mary Redcliffe, which no doubt explains its choice of Gothick. Following bomb damage during WWII the almshouses were partly rebuilt behind the façade.

SOURCES: Folyle, Andrew. Bristol Pevsner Architectural Guide (2004), 181.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Fry's House of Mercy, an almshouse of 1784, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural interest: in particular for its gothick design
* Historic interest: one of a number of surviving C18 philanthropic buildings within the city and one that continues to be used for its original purpose
* Group value: with St Mary Redcliffe church (Grade I listed) opposite and the C18 and C19 houses adjacent to it on Colston Parade (all listed Grade II)

External Links

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