The original HQ of the Stroudwater Navigation

I  spent a lot of time yesterday afternoon and early today finalising the details of the poster with Camilla and the designer, who did a brilliant job and worked late into the night.  I got it printed at the office and then met Camilla for coffee in the newest lounge bar, which opened a few weeks ago.  We spent time discussing the origins of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam which Camilla knows a great deal about.

Having sorted that out, we headed off on our task for the day of delivering the information about the Neighbourhood Plan public events which will happen over nine days starting tomorrow week.  We needed to make sure all the businesses in the town centre have the right information and the post card invitations.  Sow we walked around the outer areas firstly which meant dropping into a range of small and larger premises and briefly explaining to whomever we met what we were delivering.

I had my camera with just a nifty 50mm prime lens, and whenever I found my self somewhere I hadn't been before I took a snap or two.  After visiting the old Masonic Hall on a small hillock in a tiny woodland right at the heart of town we walked down to the canal to the businesses in the old canal buildings there.  

I couldn't resist the=is view of the original headquarters of the first canal that came to Stroud from the River Severn to service the industries that were beginning to boom.  It is a Listed building, which I didn't know much about, so I have dug out the following details from the Listed Building website.  Camilla and I are trustees of the Stroud Preservation Trust so double-checking on the state of local buildings is what we do, with that hat on.

This was the widest shot I could get with the fixed lens as I was backing into a hedge to get this.

Listed Building details:
No. 13 Bath Road, Wallbridge is the Stroudwater Canal company headquarters formerly incorporating a board room, offices and a clerk's residence, built 1795/6, by William Franklin for the Company of Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation, with later adaptations.  It marks the connection between the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal and is one of the few remaining canal buildings on these waterways.

Reasons for Listing
* Architectural interest:  the building is a relatively uncommon surviving example of a canal company headquarters, retaining a quality ashlar façade and dressings and adjoining wrought iron railings;
* Historic interest:  as part of the development of the nationally-significant interchange between the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal.

History
The Stroudwater Navigation, built in 1775-9, was designed to link the River Severn at Framilode to Stroud, allowing coal to be brought from Shropshire, Staffordshire and the Forest of Dean to the textile mills of the Stroud valleys. The Thames and Severn Canal, constructed in 1783-9, links with the Stroudwater at Wallbridge, and was designed to run eastwards from Stroud, eventually linking the River Severn to the River Thames at Inglesham, near Lechlade.  The Cotswold Canals, as they are also known, were generally successful, though the Thames and Severn in particular suffered serious technical failings which compromised its profitability; despite this, both canals continued in use well into the C20.
An earlier building is shown on a Thames and Severn Canal map of circa 1789 standing close to the site, to the north-east of Wallbridge Basin. The foundations and timberwork were constructed by Company workers under the direction of Franklin. The building was used for the administration of the canal until its closure in the mid-C20. In the later C20, the offices were converted to other business use, and were internally subdivided for this purpose.


Details
MATERIALS: the building is constructed from coursed local limestone, with an ashlar façade, quoins and dressings. The north-west flank wall is of red brick. The main roof is covered in clay tile.
PLAN: the building is largely rectangular on plan, with the north corner shortened in line with the adjacent canal towpath, and a projecting wing to the south corner.
EXTERIOR: the building is of two storeys plus attic below a pitched roof. The five-bay façade has a central three-bay section that breaks forward under a steep pediment with an oval window in the typanum.
The rear of the building is rubble stone and the window openings have stone mullions and architraves. The north-west elevation is mainly constructed of brick with sash windows facing the canal, with stone keystones and voussoirs. Late-C18 iron railings line the canal towpath, with urn finials at intervals, set in a low cement wall.