Liberal Club

BARNSTAPLE

SS5533SE CROSS STREET 684-1/7/105 (North side) 31/08/88 No.9 Liberal Club

GV II

Post Office (1862-1902), now club and offices. Front rebuilt 1883; basic structure may be older. Later additions at rear. Rendered, solid walls. Slated mansard roof with 2 mid or late C19 red brick chimneys on the ridge. Double-depth plan with long rear wing (probably the post office sorting room) on right-hand side. 2 storeys with garret. 3-window range; strongly emphasised Classical design with particular prominence given to the right-hand, entrance bay. Ground storey rusticated and finished with an entablature. To left, 2 windows with moulded architraves and large triangular pedimentson consoles, the latter set against the entablature and overlapping the second storey windows. To right, doorway with panelled double doors flanked by Doric columns between antae. Upper storey has rusticated quoins to left, right-hand bay flanked by rusticated pilasters. Front finished with entablature having dentilled cornice and surmounted by a parapet. The 2 left-hand windows have moulded architraves. Plain sashes at front. Some original 6-pane sashes in rear walls of main range and wing. INTERIOR: (as in 1988 list description) contains no visible features of interest, but the front range could have early features hidden under plaster. This was the main Barnstaple Post Office before the building of No.10 Cross Street (qv). (Gardiner WF: Barnstaple, 1837-97: 1897-: 39-40).

Listing NGR: SS5571833176