18 and 20, Fore Street

Two houses, 18 and 20 Fore Street, were built in 1685 in Bradninch following a major fire. They were later altered and enlarged in the 19th century and again in the 1920s. The houses are constructed of cob and stone, plastered, and have a dry-slate roof. Originally, the plan was a three-room, cross-passage configuration; number 18 occupied the inner room and number 20 the others, with the lower end to the right. The front facade has three window bays, featuring tripartite sash windows with horns on both floors, each sash containing a single pane of glass. Each house has a front entrance sheltered by a moulded canopy supported by console brackets. There are end and axial stacks. The rear of the houses has been significantly extended, particularly in the mid-1920s, with two wings each having two single-light horned sash windows. A late 19th-century glazed timber workshop, formerly detached, is also present. Inside number 20, in the room originally used as the hall (the left-hand room), some 17th-century features remain, including a cross beam with run-out stops and a bar. In the ground floor room of number 18, an axial beam with run-out stops is also visible. The Hall fireplace has been blocked and previously featured plaster panels, one bearing the letters “CR.” The houses were rebuilt following a fire during the winter of 1684-5 and are believed to date from the winter months of 1685, coinciding with the death of Charles II in February 1685.