44, High Street

BARNSTAPLE

SS5533SE HIGH STREET 684-1/7/139 (East side) 31/08/88 No.44

II

Shop and offices. Early C19 or possibly older, with C20 additions at rear. Rendered, solid walls, probably of brick. Slated roof; C20 additions flat-roofed. Red brick chimney on right-hand gable. First-floor plan originally one room wide and 3 rooms deep, the middle section with stair compartment to right and a small room to left; stair lit from above, left hand room by a side window. Rear section narrow, its original plan uncertain; inserted C20 stair to ground floor at left hand end. Second-floor plan similar, except that there may have been 2 front rooms from the beginning. 3 storeys; C20 additions single storeyed. 3-window range. Ground storey altered in C20, although cornice and flanking consoles of late C19 shop front remain. Tall 2nd-storey windows have original sashes with 12 panes in the lower sashes and 8 in the upper; many panes of old glass survive. In the 3rd storey the 2 outer windows have C20 wood casements; centre window blind. Parapet above with raised band. In N side wall of 2nd storey is an early or mid C18 barred sash window, the glazing bars thick and ovolo-moulded; this may have been brought from elsewhere, but it could be evidence that parts of the building are C18 or earlier. INTERIOR: ground storey wholly altered in C20. Upper storeys retain original features of considerable interest, especially the stair compartment. Wooden geometric stair, which originally rose from the ground storey. It has treads with moulded thin, square-section balusters, lightly moulded, these continuing to the gallery-balustrade at the top. C20 newel-post at the bottom. Oval, coved skylight with moulded plaster surround. 2nd-storey landing has moulded cornice; doorways to left hand and rear rooms have moulded architraves with square panels in the top corners, the rear room also having its original 6-panelled door. 3rd-storey doorways to front and rear rooms have similar architraves, as does the original door to rear room. Blocked, segmental-headed opening with bead-moulding, formerly leading to left-hand room. 2nd-storey front room (sub-divided in C20), has moulded cornice; moulded architrave to door between front and left-hand middle rooms. In right-hand front room of 3rd storey the gable-wall has C19 wood chimneypiece with shaped wood brackets supporting the mantelshelf. Roof structure not accessible.

Listing NGR: SS5573933390