The Cherub

DARTMOUTH

SX874510 HIGHER STREET 673-1/8/152 (East side) 14/09/49 No.13 The Cherub

GV II*

Merchant's house, now a restaurant. Probably second half of the C15, restored c1958 for Cresswell Mullet by Blamey and Co. Mixed construction; rear and right (southern) party walls and cellar walls of stone rubble, and exposed walls timber-framed; stone rubble stack in right party wall with C19 red brick chimneyshaft and old pots; slate roof. PLAN: One-room plan with newel stair against right party wall towards the front. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and cellar. Main front to Higher Street has a 2-window front, all are C20 replacements and contain C20 diamond panes of leaded glass. 2 ground-floor doorways, both contain Tudor-style panelled doors, one at right end and another in centre. 4-light mullioned window between doorways and another to left. First-floor windows are copies of C15 originals in the side wall. Similar 2-window front to Hornhill but steps here go down to cellar which has another Tudor-style panelled door through stone wall. On this side both first-floor windows are original 2-lights with depressed trefoil heads under an external ogee arch moulding. Timber-framing is restored but contains a great deal of original timber; large framing with large curving tension braces. Jetties carried on the projecting ends of the floor joists with extra support from curved brackets set into the corner posts and king studs. Some of the carpenter's assembly marks in Latin numerals can be seen. Low pitch roof is hipped to left. INTERIOR: Cellar has plastered walls and plain axial (north-south) beam with replacement joists. Ground- and first-floor structures are exposed with main axial beams and dragon beams. Although the ground-floor dragon beams and joists have been repositioned on top of the main beam (to achieve practical headroom) most are thought to be original, and mortises in the sides of the beam show a similar original joist pattern. Original second-floor arrangement is more complete and appears to include an original stair hatch towards the north end, west of the axial beam. The newel stair is probably C17. The fireplaces, one to each floor, are small with plain oak lintels. Roof structure not inspected but probably C19. No.13 Higher Street is the oldest complete house still standing in Dartmouth and one of the oldest town houses in the south-west, forming part of a fine group. (Transactions of the Devonshire Association: Russell P: The Old House known as Number Thirteen, Higher Street, Dartmouth: 1959-: P.107-111).

Listing NGR: SX8778751249