135-139, FORE STREET

135-139 Fore Street is a terrace of four buildings, all featuring shops on the ground floor with living accommodation above. Nos 136 and 137 form a single house from the late 17th or early 18th century, which was reglazed in the 19th century. Nos 138 and 139 may also have early structural elements but are likely early 19th century with facades that match those of Nos 136 and 137. The buildings are constructed with mass wall techniques, stuccoed and blocked out, and have a slate roof on Nos 136 and 137, while the roofs of Nos 138 and 139 are not visible. Rainwater goods are concealed.

The terrace steps down along Fore Street Hill. Nos 136 and 137, located at the lower end of the row, have a deep rectangular plan that has been altered at ground floor level for shop use, although there may be evidence of the original layout on the upper floors. Nos 138 and 139 also have deep rectangular plans with ground floor modifications for shops.

In terms of exterior appearance, Nos 136 and 137 are three storeys high, while Nos 138 and 139 are four storeys. The facade is asymmetrical but follows a regular pattern of four windows for Nos 136 and 137 and two windows each for Nos 138 and 139. The historic house at Nos 136 and 137 is symmetrical above the ground floor and features a hipped slate roof behind a parapet with a moulded cornice and a modillion frieze. There are platbands at the first and second floor levels, and the windows are likely early 19th-century recessed 12-pane hornless sashes in earlier openings. The ground floor has two 20th-century shop fronts with a recessed entrance between them. Nos 138 and 139 each have two-window fronts and are four storeys high, with similar parapets and platbands, and also feature 20th-century shop fronts on the ground floor. The first and second floors have 12-pane horned sashes, and each building has a central single 3/6 pane horned sash at the third floor level.

Inside, No. 136 retains a late 17th-century moulded plaster cornice at the ground floor level. The interiors of Nos 135 and 137 have not been inspected but are likely to contain features of interest, including original roof construction.