The Shakespeare is an historic

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

in Prince Street,

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, England. Built in 1725 by the Bristol builder John Strahan as a pair of attached Georgian-style houses, it was converted into a pub in 1777 at which time it supplied refreshment to dock workers at the adjoining port. It has been a grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

since 1959.

History

Prince Street in Bristol was named after

Prince George of Denmark Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland (; 2 April 165328 October 1708), was the husband of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. He was the consort of the British monarch from Anne's accession on 8 March 1702 until his death in 1708. ...

, who was the husband of Queen Anne and lived from 1653 to 1708. The public house takes its name from the nearby Theatre Royal home of the

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...

. The building dates from 1725 and was built by

John Strahan John Strahan was an architect working in Bristol and Bath, England, in the early 18th century. He died around 1740. List of works * Shakespeare Public House, Bristol (1725) * Combe Hay Manor Combe Hay 1728 to 1730 * Frampton Court, Frampton-on- ...

as a pair of attached Georgian houses that would have been occupied by merchants. No 68 Prince Street was commissioned by John Hobbs and bears a pediment carved with two falcons or 'hobbies' reminding posterity of the origin of the house. In 1777 it was converted into a

public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...

which was patronised by warehousemen and dockworkers at the nearby port.

The building

The Shakespeare was designated as a

Grade II* In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

-listed building on 8 January 1959, being an example of a pair of attached merchant's houses in the Georgian style. The construction is of limestone ashlar, with brick chimney stacks and party wall, and a

pantile A pantile is a type of fired roof tile, normally made from clay. It is S-shaped in profile and is single lap, meaning that the end of the tile laps only the course immediately below. Flat tiles normally lap two courses. A pantile-covered roo ...

-covered roof. The houses have symmetrical fronts and are two rooms deep. Each house has three storeys, the upper two each having four windows. The arched doors are on the outer edges of the lower storey, with three windows towards the centre of the building. The central two windows on the ground floor of each house have semi-circular arches and are pedimented and set forwards. There is a frieze, cornice and parapet. The interior of 68 Princes Street is well preserved and has a panelled entrance hall and an elliptical arch in a framed wall separating the other ground floor rooms, which are also panelled. There is a fine curved, mahogany staircase.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shakespeare, The Grade II* listed pubs in Bristol Houses completed in 1725 Georgian architecture in Bristol 1725 establishments in England