Davis & Son, Dorchester

At first sight it didn't look as if I would stumble upon a ghost sign in South Walks Road. But as we made our way towards St Georges Church in Fordington I spotted a puzzling one at the end of a row of houses built in 1886 (to the right of the pole with all the wires).

The building firm R. Davis & Son is mentioned in several journals, such as The Builder or The Architect, published between 1872 and 1900. It must have been a reliable and relatively large company as they were awarded some important contracts, including the construction of Dorchester Grammar School, of the Methodist Church in South Street, Dorchester, or of baths and wash houses in Bristol. Over time Davis & Son worked with several well-known architects such as George Edmund Street. The firm's offices were in Trinity Street, in the centre of Dorchester. The house where the ghost sign can be seen, half a mile to the east, may have been R. Davis's home or that of his son.

R. Davis & Son
Builders & Contractors Brick & Tile Makers
Offices ...8 Trinity St. Dorchester

What makes this sign slightly puzzling is the two lowest rows of bricks, above the passageway. Click on the picture below for a closer look to see what I mean!

Part of the wall has obviously been rebuilt, using the original bricks. However they haven't been placed in the same order, and some have been turned upside down while other have their previously hidden side exposed and vice versa. As a result, whatever was written in the lower part of the ghost sign is now a bit of a jigsaw!

The picture below shows those bricks on which something was written.

Below I tried to reconstitute whatever could have been written. The only word I am sure of is the first one, 'Yards.'

Yards
...d Maynard ?
...d Mard... ?
Blanford ?

...

At B...

If you can think of other combinations, please let me know through the comments box. And in case you wondered, this is not the only example of a ghost sign jigsaw.

Location: South Walks Road, Dorchester, Dorset / Pictures taken in May 2011

Stroud, Dorchester

This ghost sign in the centre of Dorchester was relatively easy to read: it appears in a much better condition on a picture taken c 1950. However I haven't been able to establish when visitors to the county town of Dorset could enjoy some food at Stroud's dining rooms.

Stroud
Confectioner
Restaurateur
Dining
Rooms
Although "Confectioner" appears on many ghost signs, "Restaurateur" is rather unusual.

On a more recent visit I noticed that the last two lines of this sign are now partly covered by an advert for The Thomas Hardy Explorer Tour.

Location: South Stret, Dorchester, Dorset / Picture taken on: 16/08/2009

The Forum Centre and Napper's Court, Dorchester

It's good to see some modern painted signs. Still in this case I think it would have looked better without the horrible temple on top. With its chunky columns it just reminds me too much of some of the worst, uninspired examples of post-modernist architecture.

The Forum Centre
Supermarket
&
Shopping Mall
Speciality Shops
Beauty Salon & Coffee House
----->
Napper's Court
Coffe Tavern
Shops & Offices
<-----
Contrary to the temple, the coat of arms is a welcome addition. Napper's Court is located in the former almshouses founded by Sir Robert Napper in 1615. They were built to house “ten aged men” following a fire that destroyed around 300 houses.


Location: South Street, Dorchester, Dorset / Picture taken on: 16/08/2009

Jackman's, Dorchester

A simple mosaic with a golden touch for a business that apparently hasn't left any other trace (see Caroline's comment for an update).


Location: High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset / Picture taken on: 16/08/2009

The Stores, Dorchester

Here is a lovely Victorian doorstep mosaic in the largely Georgian county town of Dorset. Actually the building itself dates from 1820-1830 but the shopfront was later remodelled. I particularly like the floral pattern with its different shades of brown, green and blue.




Location: 24 High East Street, Dorchester / All pictures taken on: 16/08/2009