The Tolhouse
THE TOLHOUSE, TOLHOUSE STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1245560
- Date first listed:
- 27-Jun-1953
- List Entry Name:
- The Tolhouse
- Statutory Address:
- THE TOLHOUSE, TOLHOUSE STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-04-24
- Reference:
- IOE01/10002/02
- Rights:
- © Mr David N. Gifford. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1245560
- Date first listed:
- 27-Jun-1953
- List Entry Name:
- The Tolhouse
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE TOLHOUSE, TOLHOUSE STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- THE TOLHOUSE, TOLHOUSE STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Norfolk
- District:
- Great Yarmouth (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TG 52496 07253
Details
GREAT YARMOUTH
TG5207SW TOLHOUSE STREET 839-1/15/192 (South West side) 27/06/53 The Tolhouse
GV I
Formerly known as: The Tolhouse MIDDLEGATE STREET. A merchant's fortified house. Begun c1150 and altered c1250. Hired to the Borough in the C14 and purchased by them in 1552. Used for a variety of civic functions: prison (1261-1875), town hall (to 1882), police station, court house and toll office. Restored in 1883, when the rear wing was demolished, bombed April 1941 and restored 1960-1. Used as a museum and library from the 1880s. Fortified first-floor hall house illustrating early adaptation of military architecture to domestic purpose. Flint with some ashlar and ashlar dressings. Plain tiled roof. The north gable wall has been rebuilt C20, and the south gable wall largely rebuilt. EXTERIOR: the east front is of 2 storeys. 3-window range in all. To the left is a 4-light transomed casement of 1960 copying one inserted in 1622. To its right is a flat buttress with a statue of Justice on the top and a cartouche with Yarmouth's coat of arms (3 Royal lions dimidiated with herring tails) and the name of the Mayor in 1781, William Fisher. Right again is a forebuilding added c1250 in front of a blocked arch of c1150. The forebuilding has a staircase rising to the entrance door of the first-floor hall. It has a pointed arched grille opened in 1883 and a corbel table of trefoiled machicolations beneath a pair of arched unglazed cinquefoiled windows. The main hall is lit through two 2-light Geometric windows with encircled quatrefoils. They are of 1883 replacing 2 wide transomed casements. To the extreme right is an added C14 or C15 bay lit through 2 slit vents and a C20 2-light leaded casement. INTERIOR: the first-floor hall is entered through a pointed arched doorway with 2 orders of colonnettes with dog-tooth decoration in the jambs. The hall has a further doorway leading to the former south-west wing and 2 window embrasures. Crown-post roof of 1960. The basement is divided into 2 rooms. The north room has 4 detention cells protected by an iron screen of circular-section verticals. 4 oak cell doors with heavy gate latches. The cells are oak-lined and each has an air vent in its barrel vault. The cells were proposed in 1796 and erected soon after. The added north bay has the remains of a winder staircase. Scheduled Ancient Monument. (Great Yarmouth Gaol: Norwich).
Listing NGR: TG5249607253
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 468650
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 18:37:45.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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