No 9 Fore Street is part of a complex of buildings which date from 1580, comprising Nos 7 to 13. All Grade I listed and on the Heritage at Risk register for 20 years, No 9 was recently purchased by Somerset Council with a grant from Historic England, with Somerset Building Preservation Trust taking a lease with a view to repairing the building and finding a long term sustainable use.

This building is worthy of its Grade I listing, and the associated two-storey barrel-vaulted Courtroom to the rear with its decorated ceiling and religious iconography dating from 1630 never fails to impress those who visit. The building can be shown to have highly significant associations with Charles I, and the plasterwork in the Courtroom ranks amongst the finest in Somerset.

Chard’s High Street Heritage Action Zone was one of ten HSHAZs in the south west which in turn were part of a £95 million government-funded programme delivered by Historic England, unlocking the potential of more than 60 high streets across England. The HSHAZ programme ran between 2020 and 2024, and in Chard largely focused on Fore Street and Holyrood Street, delivering three strands: public realm improvements, building and shopfront repairs, and community engagement. The project was also able to provide some funding to 9 Fore Street to help inform its future. Total spend on the project was about £2.2m.

CPD: As well as the chance to network with fellow IHBC members from across the region, this visit will provide five hours of CPD offering invaluable insights into the regeneration of a small market town, the heritage skills involved, the work of voluntary and statutory bodies, and sources of funding.

BOOKINGS
COST £10 (this event is subsidised by the branch and IHBC Members pay for lunch alone)

TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE, please email IHBCSWtreas@gmail.com by 12 July. We will confirm a place and send you details of our bank account to transfer the delegate fee, along with details of the afternoon.