LISTED BUILDING · NHLE 1270350
21 Broad Street
21 Broad Street
Pair of houses constructed during the mid-to late-C18, extended to the rear (west) during the C19. The ground floor was combined into a single retail unit by the late-C19 or early-C20, with the upper floors converted to flats.
Dates and uses reflect the source records and may not describe the building today.
Designation information
Inclusion in the National Heritage List for England confirms that this is a designated heritage asset of national special architectural or historic interest.
Historical development
The town of Leominster traces its origins to the establishment of a religious house there during the C7 or earlier. The Saxon settlement endured repeated Viking raids and is recorded as a sizeable town in the Domesday Book (1086), with 27 households. In the early C12, King Henry I established a Benedictine Priory in the town and granted a foundation charter for the town’s market. The town thrived throughout the later medieval period, despite periodic unrest due to its location in the border region. Leominster wool was prized across Europe and bestowed considerable wealth upon the town. The town centre retains many medieval and early-modern buildings; secular buildings are timber framed while surviving Priory buildings are constructed of local sandstone. The town centre retains an essentially medieval street pattern, with long, narrow burgage plots fronting the north-south spine road of Broad Street-High Street-South Street, and Corn Square (the historic market place) lying to the east of the High Street. The remains of the Priory, dissolved in 1539, lie to the north-east of the town centre. The town remained a prominent local centre into the C18 and C19. During this period, many timber-framed buildings replaced (or refronted) by brick buildings with Classical elevations. Many houses in the town centre were partially converted to commercial use and equipped with shopfronts during the later-C19 and C20. 21 Broad Street was constructed during the mid to late-C18, probably on the site of an earlier building. Originally built as a pair of houses, the ground floor was later combined as a single unit and by the mid-C20 the building was operating as The Blue Boar Public House. The ground floor shop window and fascia board would suggest the conversion had occurred by the late-C19 or early-C20. The building had been extended to the rear (west) along New Street by 1885. The greater part of this rear extension appears to survive much-altered today as a two-storey, pitch-roofed element. The principal building was refurbished sometime between 2009 and 2016, with a new roof covering and the renewal of two dormer windows in the rear (west) elevation including the removal of a timber pediment over one of them. The building is currently (2022) in use as a takeaway on the ground floor, with the upper floors converted to flats.
People and businesses through time
HISTORICAL ADDRESS RECORD
Through time, 21 Broad Street
1 of 5, Mid to late 18th century
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About these records
Directory entries can describe a workplace or premises use rather than a residence.
Mid to late 18th century
ConstructionBuilding construction
Estimated date recorded by the current NHLE building entry.
SourceNational Heritage List for England, NHLE 1270350
Estimated construction date drawn from the NHLE list summary.
Architectural evidence and features
These descriptions relate to particular parts of the building at the date of each source. They may not reflect its use or condition today. Unconfirmed features remain open questions.
Evidence reviewed 13 September 2026.
Documented type / function
- Pair of houses, later combined ground-floor retail; Blue Boar public house by mid 20th century; takeaway and flats in2022
Principal record; ancillary or mixed uses explicitly separated in text
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
Documented phases
- Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Building phases and source differences; not a single construction date
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
Cladding / finishes
- Smooth render
ground floor east/north and rear of principal
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
- Roughcast
upper east/north
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
External wall material
- Red brick
19th century rear extension
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
Structural system
- Timber frame
rear extension side return only
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
Roof covering
- Artificial slate
modern principal covering
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
Chimneys
- Brick
20th century rear axial stack
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
Other materials / details
- Timber
doorcases and sash windows
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
- Stucco
shop window architrave
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
- Stone or stucco
cills, alternative unresolved
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
- uPVC
replacement doors and rear casement
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
Architectural features
- Blocked fanlights; Open pediment door hoods; Fluted consoles; Panelled pilasters; Leaded clerestory casements; Fascia; Sash windows; Deep eaves; Reduced window opening; String course; Casement windows; Flat-roofed dormers; Shopfront
Only the named features in their NHLE-described elevations, openings and interior; retain every source qualifier
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment.
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1270350
Applies to the named part and historical phase. A recorded use may no longer continue today.
- Sash window; Applied quoin pattern; Open-pediment hood; Fluted console; Panelled pilaster; Leaded clerestory; Shop window; Deep eaves; Timber joinery
Visible subject frontage only; joinery identification is visual, species and construction date unverified
Catalogue capture date 2026-07-25; metadata not independently authenticated
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Leominster Heritage photograph LH-IMG-000080
Shows features visible when photographed. Concealed materials, timber species, age and survival today remain unconfirmed.
Dated observations
- Replacement window or door; Takeaway signage; Applied quoins
Visible subject elevation and specified components only
Catalogue capture date 2026-07-25; metadata not independently authenticated
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Leominster Heritage photograph LH-IMG-000080
Shows what was visible when photographed. It does not establish present condition, concealed construction or current use.
Research notes and uncertainties
Source, component and current-use restrictions: Generic town sandstone and medieval dates not subject. Natural slate filter incorrect. Removed dormer pediment not surviving. No definite stone cills. Current use/survival is not established as of September2026; source-date statements remain dated.
Mid to late 18th century principal; 19th century rear extension; late 19th century/early 20th century conversion; 20th century alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment. Explicit building phases, with alternatives preserved. Do not turn date alternatives into independently proven phases or use administrative/use dates as fabric. Generic town sandstone and medieval dates not subject. Natural slate filter incorrect. Removed dormer pediment not surviving. No definite stone cills.
Explore records with these reviewed features. Results may concern only part of a listed group and retain their source-date qualifications.
How this record is evidenced
The designation, listing date and statutory description are drawn from Historic England, NHLE 1270350.
Current survey photographs dated 25 July 2026 record the publicly visible fabric and features shown on this page.
The concise summary and searchable feature tags have been prepared by Leominster Heritage and are kept separate from the statutory wording.
Map location
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21 Broad Street
Grade II · Mid to late C18 principal; C19 rear extension; late C19/early C20 conversion; C20 alterations;2009–2016 roof/dormer refurbishment. · 21 Broad Street
Pair of houses constructed during the mid-to late-C18, extended to the rear (west) during the C19. The ground floor was combined into a single retail unit by the late-C19 or early-C20, with the upper floors converted to flats.
Current survey photographs
Documentary evidence
Historic England
Official list description
Pair of houses constructed during the mid to late-C18, extended to the rear (west) during the C19. The ground floor was combined into a single retail unit by the late-C19 or early-C20, with the upper floors converted to flats. MATERIALS: the building is rendered externally, with smooth render to the ground floor of the principal (east) and north elevations and the rear (west) elevation of the principal range, and roughcast to the upper floors of the east and north elevations. The later, rear extension is of red brick with a timber-framed side return. The roof covering is modern artificial slate. PLAN: the building occupies a rectangular plan, with the principal elevation onto Broad Street to the east and later extensions to the west. EXTERIOR: the principal, C18 range to the east is of three storeys across two bays under a pitched roof. The principal, east elevation is symmetrically arranged. On the ground floor are a matching pair of entrances with uPVC doors under blocked fanlights, set within timber doorcases with moulded, open-pediment hoods on fluted consoles and panelled pilasters. Between the two doors is a late-C19 or early-C20 window with leaded clerestory casements within a moulded stucco architrave. Above the doors is a simple fascia board terminating in simple console brackets. The first, second and third floors each contain two timber sash windows set within moulded surrounds set flush with the façade, with stone or stucco cills. The first-floor windows have three-over-six glazing, the second-floor windows have six-over-six glazing and the third-floor windows have three-over-three glazing. Above the third-floor windows, the roof pitch projects out to form a deep eaves. The north elevation onto New Street is blank aside from a very small window on the ground floor, set within the infilled area of a larger window, of which the cill remains. Above the window is a moulded string course at ground-floor ceiling height. The rear (west) elevation of the principal range contains a single, timber casement window on the first floor and a single, uPVC casement on the second floor. There are two, flat-roofed dormers containing casement windows on the western roof slope, and a C20, axial brick stack rising through the western roof slope. A C19, two-storey, pitch-roofed range extends to the west of the principal, east range. There is a uPVC casement window and brick scarring on its west elevation. History The town of Leominster traces its origins to the establishment of a religious house there during the C7 or earlier. The Saxon settlement endured repeated Viking raids and is recorded as a sizeable town in the Domesday Book (1086), with 27 households. In the early C12, King Henry I established a Benedictine Priory in the town and granted a foundation charter for the town’s market. The town thrived throughout the later medieval period, despite periodic unrest due to its location in the border region. Leominster wool was prized across Europe and bestowed considerable wealth upon the town. The town centre retains many medieval and early-modern buildings; secular buildings are timber framed while surviving Priory buildings are constructed of local sandstone. The town centre retains an essentially medieval street pattern, with long, narrow burgage plots fronting the north-south spine road of Broad Street-High Street-South Street, and Corn Square (the historic market place) lying to the east of the High Street. The remains of the Priory, dissolved in 1539, lie to the north-east of the town centre. The town remained a prominent local centre into the C18 and C19. During this period, many timber-framed buildings replaced (or refronted) by brick buildings with Classical elevations. Many houses in the town centre were partially converted to commercial use and equipped with shopfronts during the later-C19 and C20. 21 Broad Street was constructed during the mid to late-C18, probably on the site of an earlier building. Originally built as a pair of houses, the ground floor was later combined as a single unit and by the mid-C20 the building was operating as The Blue Boar Public House. The ground floor shop window and fascia board would suggest the conversion had occurred by the late-C19 or early-C20. The building had been extended to the rear (west) along New Street by 1885. The greater part of this rear extension appears to survive much-altered today as a two-storey, pitch-roofed element. The principal building was refurbished sometime between 2009 and 2016, with a new roof covering and the renewal of two dormer windows in the rear (west) elevation including the removal of a timber pediment over one of them. The building is currently (2022) in use as a takeaway on the ground floor, with the upper floors converted to flats.
Sources and further reading
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