Gather, Batheaston
Since opening its doors in 2015, Gather cafe has developed as a focal point for the village community of Batheaston.
In 2020 its owners hoped to grow into that role by moving down the hill to
occupy a vacant public house. The prominent corner site holds a collection of
buildings with the original public house constructed in the 1830s.
With an aim to refurbish the ensemble as both
pub and café, the new publicans briefed Brisco Loran to draw up proposals that
would make sense of the site’s two centuries of built accretions.
The practice obtained
planning permission and listed building consent for the proposed alterations in
December 2020 and construction work began on site in the new year.
The works proposed create a new sheltered
accessible entrance connecting passing pedestrians directly to the heart of the
premises, whilst new openings around an internal courtyard bring daylight to the
same central areas.
The scheme preserves the distinctive plan form of the site’s
long diamond-tipped skittle alley whilst a new large window seat connects the café’s
users to the narrow brook passing along the same façade.