Yeovil's Virtual Museum

80 south street

A small Georgian Town House

 

80 South Street is a small Georgian town house, built around 1820. It was constructed with Ham stone ashlar under a Welsh slated roof. It is of two storeys with three bays to the street elevation. It originally had a short flight of steps to the front door and a small garden flanked by stone walls - as seen in the first photograph, below. These were removed with the widening of South Street in the 1960s.

It is difficult to tell who occupied the house from the early census records. By 1861 it was occupied by 45-year-old glove manufacturer Richard Ewens with his wife Mary and daughter Juliana, together with a domestic servant. He gave his occupation as 'Leather Glove Manufacturer employing 20 men and 112 boys'. Also living at the house, presumably in separate accommodation, was cheese dealer George Raymond and his wife Mary, both in their 60s.

The 1871 census recorded that the house was empty at this time. By the time of the 1881 census, the house was occupied by manager of a glove manufactory, John Lily Masters, his wife Anna and a domestic servant. The situation was the same in 1891, except that now 60-year-old John gave his occupation as an accountant. By the time of the 1891 census John and Anna were still in residence (but no live-in servant) but John was now working as a solicitor's clerk.

At the time of the 1901 census, 70-year-old solicitor's clerk John Masters and his 72-year-old wife Anna were living at 80 South Street. In 1911, it appears that horse dealer William Bailey, his wife Ellen and their four children were in residence.

(Many thanks to Barry Rawlings for the following) - The building was a doctor’s surgery during the 1950s and into the 1970s. The GPs during the 1950s were:

• Dr D G Gower practised in Yeovil from the early 1930s, though not in South Street at that time. He trained at the Westminster Hospital Medical School, London and was an Army Medical Officer during the war. His wife, Dr M Gower, took over the practice while he was away.

• Dr F G Parker trained at Guy's Hospital Medical School. He originally practised in Folkestone, Kent, and came to Yeovil after the war.

• Dr J W G Weddle trained at Durham and came to Yeovil after the war. He was Medical Officer at RAF Scampton during the war.

• Dr E Steiner was a native of Vienna, where he trained. He came to Yeovil around 1941/2 and worked at Yeovil General Hospital. He joined the South Street practice at around the time the NHS began (1948). He also acted as one of the hospital’s anesthetists.

There is no information on occupiers after this date, but from 1988 until 2005, the Yeovil Community Arts Association managed and ran 80 South Street  as a small arts centre and café.

The property is now flats. 

 

 

A colourised photograph of 1958, with 80 South Street at the right. Note what would have been a small garden between the house and the footpath, flanked with stone walls.

 

Looking back to Hendford this photograph shows just how narrow South Street was at its junction with Hendford before Moffat Marine and Chudleigh's Seed Merchant on the corner opposite the Choughs were demolished - and it's even two-way traffic! The Oxford Inn is seen straight ahead with the Three Choughs Hotel at right. In the lower left corner of the photograph is the stone wall and pier of 80 South Street that disappeared with the street widening.

 

Dr Ptolemy Colmer's house and surgery at 79 South Street. The site is now occupied by the entrance to Petters Way and the Petters Way car park adjoining South Street. The railings at left belong to the Baptist Church and at the time of this photograph a narrow lane ran between Dr Colmer's house and the church, leading originally to extensive orchards. Beyond, with the car outside, is 80 South Street.

 

80 South Street photographed in 1983. By this time South Street had been widened, the original footpath in front of No 80 had gone and the new footpath replaced the small garden area, flanking walls and piers and the steps to the house with the double-sloped ramp that is now the pavement. Note that the market stalls are where 79 had been and Chudleigh's seed merchants premises on the corner of South Street and Hendford has also gone.

 

From 1988 until 2005, the Yeovil Community Arts Association managed and ran 80 South Street  as a small arts centre and café.

 

80 South Street photographed in 2016.

 

The central 6-panelled entrance door with a rectangular fanlight over, all within a plain raised door surround capped with a plain pediment. Note that there are now just two steps - previously six (see first photo above), but four within the garden space reduced by street widening.

 

80 South Street, seen in its streetscape setting. Photographed in 2020.