163 High Street

This is a beautifully orate red brick building built to function as a public house and the ground floor continues to do so with the first and second floors being currently used as rented flats. Presumably late 19th, early 20th century in date, possibly based upon an earlier building plot of the same plan. Brickwork is in stretcher coursing with occasional English Bond coursing, bonded with mortar. There has been noticeable re-pointing with modern cement restricted to the ground floor on all elevations except the rear. The plan of the building represents the direction and shape of the surrounding road system.

The elevation facing onto Bishopton Lane, from the left and beginning on the ground floor, a single entrance followed by one large paned window with white-painted wooden frames (with a decorative arched frame element), one thin arched window besides a central entrance and another large paned window with a prominent moulded brick lintel. The first floor has three vertical sash windows and the second floor has two small vertical sash windows either side of a protruding brick chimney stack. All these windows are separated by brick pilasters and brick voussoirs of mostly stretcher length bricks; some with moulded brick designs. There are decorative hoods over the two single entrances. There is a modern single storey brick extension to the rear, facing onto Bishopton Lane. It has three horizontal sash windows and one in-filled window with a vent in its centre.

The rear elevation  has no windows or entrances. The left more modern extension is brick with some grey render applied in places. The older extension to the right is presumably brick coated in white-painted render. The side elevation facing onto Smith Street comprises an extension and the main public house building itself. It is presumed that the “extension” was previously a separate residence before they were adapted as one building. There is one single entrance, a thin brick arched window, and a large paned window with similar decorative wooden framing. Both have been boarded up. The first floor of the extension has two small vertical sash windows. There is also a small rectangular chimney stack which ha been reduced in size.

The elevation on the main building is similar in format to the elevation facing Bishopton Lane. There is three large paned windows, two thin arched windows on the ground floor. The first floor there are four vertical sash windows and the second floor has two small vertical sash windows. The front elevation facing onto the High Street has three large paned windows on the ground floor. The first floor has three large wooden-framed bay windows with four lower casements and upper panes created out of coloured glass tiles within an arched design frame. There are three signs depicting “The Mulberry Tree” built into the surrounding brick moulding of the first floor.