During the 1890s three houses at the northern end of Friar Street were demolished along with one house from the adjoining New Street. This was to make way for an extension to Charles Street. Effectively it created the cross-roads with New Street, Pump Street and Friar Street we have today. Courts number 7 and 8 were lost at the same time. No pictures of the lost houses have so far been located despite our best endeavours. However, eminent local historian Pat Hughes described them as being:
slightly built in brick, tile and plaster, probably a jettied building. A projecting timber in adjacent no.5 is almost certainly the remnants of the jetty…all these Friar Street properties were very old and dilapidated
For many years the Fish Inn (also known as the Crispin) was situated off an entry behind the frontages. The last recorded licensee was Francis Howe in 1892. He took over the pub’s license in March 1897 from a John Izon.
This photograph, courtesy of the Worcester Life Stories project, comes from about 50 years after the building of Charles Street. It reflects what replaced that which was lost. Although slightly truncated it does show the 2 complete properties numbers 1 and 3. Note that the entrance to number 1 (on the left) spanned the corner of Friar Street and Charles Street.
It’s not too bad an edifice and fits in well with Wall’s bakery next door. Witness its ornately crowned mock columns and glazed tile frontages. Sadly, its most redeeming features are either now lost or covered over with the 1970s frontage. Both houses are at this time occupied as a single unit by a gentleman’s hairdressers.
Potato Queue
As previously stated number 1 continues around the corner into Charles Street. We are fortunate to have a 1916 photograph of that, which better shows the entrance with its decorative features. Here too it is doubtful whether these features still exists under the modern entrance. Taken during World War I it shows a large queue outside Thompson’s fruit and veg store. The Changing Face of Worcester website from whence this came states that they are queuing for potatoes.
References
Images taken from the Changing Face of Worcester website. Publican license transfer details taken from Worcester Journal of 19th March 1897.