Listed Building record MWX955 - The Mansion House, Thames Street, Poole

House, now club, probably built for Benjamin Lester by John Stretland, Poole builder, in about 1776. Brick with stone dressings, brick gable stacks and a slate valley roof in mid Georgian style.

The Mansion House, No 11, Thames Street, Grade 2*. (sited from location plan at SZ 00819037). Of red brick with a slate roof, probably built by Benjamin Lester in 1776. HHR <2> says it is of three storeys, RCHM <1> says two storeys and basement. <1-2>

From the late 17th century until its decline in the mid-19th century, Poole was considered one of the busiest ports in England, establishing strong trade links with Europe, the Baltic and North America. The Hotel du Vin is a former merchant's house that was constructed in the second half of the 18th century and is one of the largest houses in Poole. Sources indicate that it was built for Isaac Lester whose family was prominent in the Newfoundland trade, trading mainly in (cod liver) oil; the source of much of its wealth. Following Isaac's death in 1776, his brother, Benjamin (1724-1802) returned from North America to live in the Thames Street house, becoming Mayor in 1779 and a leading spokesman for the Poole merchants. He served as Member of Parliament from 1791 to 1796, and died in 1802.

Since the current list description was compiled, this former merchant's house has undergone further refurbishment prior to its opening as a hotel. The Principles of Selection for Listing Buildings (March 2010), state that buildings dating from before 1840 which survive close to their original condition are generally good candidates for listing. The general principles used are that before 1700, all buildings that contain a significant proportion of their original fabric are listed; from 1700 to 1840, most buildings are listed; and after 1840, because of the greatly increased number of buildings erected and the much larger numbers that have survived, progressively greater selection is necessary.

The special architectural and historic interest of this late-18th century house was recognised by its inclusion on the list at Grade II* in 1954. Since that time, although there have been alterations and extensive refurbishment, these appear to have been carried out sympathetically, and have not compromised the building's claims to special interest. However, its name has changed (2008) to the Hotel du Vin, and the list entry requires amendment to reflect this change. The list description has also been up-dated to reflect more accurately the building's special interest and to help inform its future management. <3>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 234 (Monograph). SDO150.

<2> DOE (HRR), 30 June 1980, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of Poole 1980, p70-1 (Scheduling record). SWX3744.

<3> English Heritage, English Heritage Listing File, Case 169918, in file 412615/002 (Scheduling record). SDO17502.

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 458283 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 29 2024 3:38PM