Fish Market

PLYMOUTH

SX4854SW THE BARBICAN, Barbican 740-1/62/85 (East side) 30/07/90 Fish Market

GV II

Fish market. 1896. By Sir James Inglis, engineer to GWR. Cast-iron and steel structure, slate or lead covered roofs; former clearstorey now closed by asbestos cement sheeting; rainwater discharged down the cast-iron columns which support the canopy. PLAN: rectangular plan with central solid and glazed structure incorporating office and refrigeration unit, this is fronted to all sides by open canopied shelters projecting 2.5 metres from their supporting columns. EXTERIOR: single storey; each long side with 6 pairs of cast-iron columns and decorative floral spandrel brackets. The round columns, cast by MILLBAY COY LIMITED, PLYMOUTH, are on octagonal bases and with stiff-leaf capitals, these carry cambered latticed steel wallplate/purlins which girdle the perimeter of the building behind the projecting canopy. Under the canopy on the street side are some original granite setts, otherwise concrete floors. The gable ends have bracket-moulded and pierced barge boards and central finials and pendants; the outer edge of the lower canopy has a continuous fretted valance of "railway station" type, with broad swept curves, inflected to the column positions at the short ends of the building. A flat-roofed white brick structure with granite dressings is built into 3 bays of the street side. There are iron gates to a central throughway. To the central building on the street side are 3-light transomed casements, and on the harbour side is a row of single-light casements to cambered voussoir heads, and a series of doors. INTERIOR: softwood boards as lining under the roof. HISTORY: Sutton Harbour Improvement Company widened the quay and built the Fish Market on reclaimed land above new sewage tanks. This is a good complete example of a characteristic Victorian fish market, prominently sited in an important historic area. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1989-: 663).

Listing NGR: SX4829954112