Nos 22 And 22A And Wall Attached To North

Nos 22 and 22A and Wall Attached to North, Lostwithiel Fore Street (north side)

A house now converted to a shop with two houses, dating from around 1750 but incorporating earlier materials and possibly an earlier 17th-century structure that formed part of Edgcumbe House. The building has been substantially altered and extended in the mid-19th and 20th centuries.

The front is constructed of granite ashlar with a slate roof featuring deep eaves and gable ends, with a stack on the right side. The right side is also in granite ashlar. The rear wing comprises mixed slatestone and granite rubble with granite dressings and quoins, and a slate roof, with some brick also present. The service wing to the rear right may incorporate part of the original 17th-century buildings that were part of Edgcumbe House, and it certainly contains incorporated features from this earlier building.

The structure is of two storeys and attic on a moulded plinth, with three bays. The front arrangement comprises a single-depth range with central entrance, principal rooms to the right and left, and a stair hall to the rear right. The service wing lies to the rear right, while a rear wing addition extends to the rear left of the main range.

The building was divided in the mid-19th century, with a shop formed at ground floor level in the front range. A second entrance was created to the right side to give direct access to the stair hall, allowing the shop to operate separately from the living accommodation.

The ground floor features a central pair of double half-glazed doors with overlight, recessed with granite voussoirs, and large six-pane lights to the right and left with voussoirs, which were inserted in place of earlier sashes, with a band course above. The first floor has three 15-pane sashes with voussoirs, and the second floor has three 12-pane sashes, below a moulded wooden eaves cornice. The right side has no plinth and features a six-panelled fielded door with a six-pane overlight, possibly removed from the front entrance at the time of conversion to shop, with voussoirs over and fixings for a hood. At first floor right is a 15-pane sash with voussoirs, and at second floor right a 12-pane sash. A smaller window opening is blocked under the eaves to the left.

Slightly set back to the right is a two-storey range appearing to be of three separate phases of construction. To the left, the ground floor comprises roughly coursed granite rubble without plinth but with a string course above, featuring a wide mid-18th-century window with a three-light casement under a segmental arch and a single light to the right. At first floor are a 12-pane sash with sidelights and a cambered timber lintel, and a six-pane casement with granite lintel to the right. A straight joint marks the end bays to the right, constructed in random slatestone and granite rubble. Here stands a four-centred arched granite doorway with chamfering and step stops, containing a plain door with glazed panel, and to the right a 20th-century door with overlight set in a former window opening with chamfered granite jambs. At first floor is a four-pane sash in a brick surround.

The rear of the rear wing was formerly the gable end of an adjoining house, now removed, with a 20th-century light at ground floor to the right. The inner side of the wing shows much rebuilding. At the corner are granite quoins at upper level, and at first floor a four-pane sash in a brick surround, with a four-pane casement at ground floor right. Remains of limestone moulding at the base of the corner possibly form part of an earlier jamb. The rear of the main range, in slatestone and granite rubble likely dating to the 19th century, has a door with overlight, a six-pane light, and a 16-pane sash at first floor.

A wall of granite rubble approximately two metres high and about fourteen metres long is attached to the right, forming a boundary to Edgcumbe House and ending with a four-centred arched granite doorway, possibly the former outer doorway to a stair that may have been re-sited.

Interior

The stair hall in the front range contains a fine 18th-century open-well stair with turned vase balusters set two to each tread, a ramped and moulded wreathed handrail, and moulded string, with plain moulded plaster cornices to the stair well. In the rear wing, one room to the right appears to be a rebuilding of a 17th-century structure. The ground floor room retains a fireplace from the former rear lateral stack, with the site of a stair to the left and partition walls now removed.