Contrasting styles of architecture

The church of St Francis Xavier (Roman Catholic) and the former Post Office, both on Broad Street, Hereford, make odd but striking neighbours. The church is by Charles Day, dates from 1837-9 and is in the Greek style with a portico featuring two giant Doric columns in antis. It is finished in a bright yellow stucco. The adoption of a pagan Greek style for a Christian church was not universally accepted at the time it was built. The adjacent Post Office of 1880-1 is by E.G. Rivers in the Jacobean style. It is faced with Portland ashlar and has the characteristic Gothic and Renaissance details, though leaning rather heavily to the former. Such building juxtapositions don't please everyone but I quite liked the pairing of the upper stories.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Broad Street, Hereford: a different view

Many towns in Britain have a street called Broad Street, a road that is noticeably wider than others in the location. Frequently they were used as the site of a weekly market and for that purpose they were closed to through traffic. I can find no evidence of such a use for Broad Street, Hereford. However, it does seem to have been used in the nineteenth century as the site of cattle sales. This is the second photograph I have posted of the street. The first can be seen here. Today's is taken from near the other end. I liked the contrast between the overcast October day after rain with the bright and sunny April day of earlier in the year.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Broad Street, Hereford

Broad Street, Hereford, features a number of interesting and distinctive buildings. Prominent in the view above is the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery housed in a Venetian Gothic building of 1872-4 by F.R. Kempson. The adjacent buildings, with the exception of that on left, share nothing in common except the same gutter height which is enough to hold the composition together. The modern building with blue tinted glass is faced with a brown stone that helps it to sit fairly comfortably next to its venerable neighbour. Thereafter it is the pale colour that links a sequence of new and old buildings before the street view is "closed" by the medieval tower and spire of All Saints on the High Street.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300