17, Litchdon Street

BARNSTAPLE

SS5632 LITCHDON STREET 684-1/5/191 (North East side) 31/08/88 No.17

GV II

Formerly known as: Litchdon Terrace LITCHDON STREET. House, now offices. 1821, with minor alterations later in C19 and in 1925. Solid, rendered walls. Slated roof with low parapets on gable-ends; latter have red brick chimneys with projecting brick-course and moulded cap forming an entablature. Double-fronted. 2 rooms deep, with central entrance-passage leading to rear staircase. 3 storeys. 3-window range. Windows flat-headed with moulded architraves and cills; later sashes with horns, having 2 upright glazing bars forming margin-panes. Round-arched doorway recessed within a larger round arch having moulded architrave. 6-panelled door with knocker, flanked by pilasters; plain fanlight. Pilaster at each end of front, that on right shared with No.18 (qv). Moulded eaves cornice. Several barred sashes in rear wall. INTERIOR: in 1985 had rooms with moulded cornices, some enriched, on ground floor. Original wooden chimneypiece in right-hand front room. Large segmental-arched opening (then blocked) with moulded architrave, between left-hand front and back rooms. Entrance lobby had ceiling with groined plaster vault, the latter with small flower in centre. Passage had moulded cornice and 2 doors with 6 ovolo-moulded panels. Staircase rebuilt in 1925 by Mr Thorne of Bear Street; turned balusters in early Georgian style with Jacobean turned newels. On left-hand side of back garden was an old cob wall, probably pre-dating the house. HISTORICAL NOTE: in 1821 the Corporation leased the sites of Nos 17 & 18 (qv) to Nicholas Glass, who had 'erected and built 2 good and substantial dwelling houses on the premises .... on a certain plan and elevation approved of by them.' No.19 had been 'lately erected' by Philip Hodge of Barnstaple, builder, who may have built the whole terrace. The lease includes a plan of the house as existing (allowing for obvious alterations). The Corporation sold the freehold in 1925. Part of a formerly uniform terrace including Nos 18, 19 & 20 (qv). (Barnstaple Borough Records: BOX 19/4; Title Deed).

Listing NGR: SS5608232829