Custom House, Wharfinger'S House And Attached Warehouse

Custom House, Wharfinger's House and Attached Warehouse

Built 1680–1681 by Richard Allen, with the Wharfinger's House enlarged in 1711, this is the earliest purpose-built Custom House in England. The building stands on The Quay in Exeter and forms part of a significant group of heritage structures. It was constructed to accommodate the expansion of Exeter's port facilities following the rapid growth of the local wool trade after the Civil War.

The Custom House is constructed of orange-red brick, laid mostly in random bond with some English bond to the rear, and Flemish bond brick to the 1711 extension. It has Heavitree stone footings and Beer stone dressings, with a hipped slate roof and brick stacks. The building follows a double-depth plan with a central front entrance hall and rear stairhall, flanked by bonded cellars at ground floor and offices to the Wharfinger's House on the right.

The main facade is two storeys with a symmetrical five-window range. It displays raised semi-circular arched architraves with linking impost courses and keystones touching the plat band, rusticated quoins set within deep eaves and a cornice supported on giant modillions. A similar cornice runs around a central pediment, which originally displayed Georgian Royal Arms until 1989. Early 19th-century sash windows with 8/8 and 6/6 panes are set in raised stone architraves to the first floor.

The arcade to the ground floor was infilled in 1684–5 with segmental-arched stone architraves over 19th-century 6/6-pane sashes and a decorative fanlight above bolection-moulded plank double doors of that period, which retain original strap hinges, ferramanta, and an 18th-century knocker. The two left-hand (western) bays were infilled after 1830 with similar sashes and architraves. A mid-19th-century stair turret projects from the left side. The cornice continues over an original two-window range set back to the left, which has a brick plat band and basket arch over a doorway, probably originally a window. To the first floor is a flat brick arch over an inserted 19th-century 4/4-pane sash to the left and a timber lintel over an early 8/8-pane sash in a deepened opening.

The cornice also extends over the 1711 extension to the right (east), which comprises a two-window range with plat band and flat brick arches over 6/6-pane sashes, with a hipped dormer containing a 20th-century casement. The plat band and cornice continue to the right return wall, which has a late 19th-century first-floor casement, a late 18th-century or early 19th-century panelled door, and a horizontal-sliding sash.

The five-bay rear elevation has a hipped cross roof over each bay and a plat band throughout. The three-window range to the west has horned 6/6-pane first-floor sashes with mid-19th-century brick jambs and keyed segmental arches over three original iron-barred two-light wood-mullioned windows to the cellar and warehouse. Two tall semi-circular arched stair windows to the centre bay contain original two-light wooden cross windows with leaded lights. The three-window range to the east has similar cellar and warehouse windows with flat brick arches over similar cross windows, the left with 20th-century glazing and the centre using reset fragments.

The interior of exceptional quality. The West Arcade Office, created after c.1830, contains a mid-19th-century chimneypiece. The East Arcade Office, created after 1685, retains its original moulded box cornice, 19th-century cupboards, and some original and reset 18th-century panelling. Stone flag floors pave the entrance lobby and stairhall. The stairhall includes late 17th-century (probably 1684–5) plank doors with strap hinges and applied bolection mouldings to the bonded cellars. The cellar to the right has a stone flag and brick pavior floor, while that to the left has a cobbled floor, shutters, a 19th-century lead-lined sink with bottle rack, and a late 17th-century sump with a semi-barrel vault, probably used for the disposal of contraband wine.

A fine open-well stair represents an early example of its type, featuring heavy turned vase balusters on a closed string, carved pendentives, and bolection-panelled dado with an original cupboard under a window.

The first floor includes late 17th to 19th-century doors and architraves. Three exceptionally fine plaster ceilings by John Abbot of Frithelstock display enriched high-relief ornament with geometric-pattern ribs. The stairhall ceiling features elaborate work; the main room to the centre (The Long Room) ceiling is the finest, adorned with leaves, flowers, fruit and serpents on an oval, scrolled masks to cartouches, and an acanthus-leaf cornice to the ornamental frieze. The Long Room has an eared architrave and a 19th-century bracketed mantleshelf to its chimneypiece, with Royal Arms of Queen Anne above 19th-century cupboards. The Surveyor's Office to the right (east) has a similar eared architrave with a late 18th-century neo-classical frieze to its chimneypiece and 19th-century cupboards added to original panelling. A central office to the rear has an original beaded chimneypiece. Three offices to the west end include a front room with mid-19th-century chimneypiece and cupboards, a centre room with an original chimneypiece and mantleshelf flanked by 19th-century cupboards and pigeon holes, and a rear room with mid-19th-century chimneypiece and late 17th-century office cupboards (a rare survival).

The Wharfinger's House to the east follows a two-room plan and includes part of a winder stair with three turned balusters and ball finial, original plank screens, and a landing cupboard with butterfly hinges. Late 17th-century A-frame roof trusses with lap-jointed collars are present.

A late 17th-century two-storey warehouse stands to the left (west), constructed of similar materials with a hipped roof. It has a rectangular plan at right angles to the Custom House. The front bay has a three-light window above a timber lintel over the original doorway, with stone steps to a door in the right return wall. The interior, not inspected, is noted as having original trusses and other features of interest.

The Renaissance-inspired facade and magnificent plasterwork, amongst the finest in the south west of that date, the advanced joinery detail, the early use of brick, and the centralised double-depth plan are of first importance in illustrating the arrival of a national or court style to Devon. The office fittings and sump are significant survivals demonstrating the building's historic function.