17 And 19, Meddon Street

BIDEFORD

SS4526 MEDDON STREET 842-1/6/173 (South side) 01/12/88 Nos.17 AND 19

GV II

House, the left-hand end (No 17) now converted into a shop. Mid or late C17 with minor early C19 alterations. Solid rendered walls, mostly brick; top of right-hand gable-wall is of red brick, partly painted. Slate roof. 2 brick chimneys; 1 just behind centre of ridge rebuilt in C20, the other on right-hand end wall of original red brick, heightened in C20. Double-depth plan, 3 rooms wide; the middle room probably extended to left in late C18 or early C19 to replace original entrance-passage; short early C19 rear wing to centre; longer late C19 rear wing to left; right-hand section of front range converted into a separate house (No 19) in C19. 2 storeys with garret; rear wings single-storeyed. 6-window range. Broad bandcourse above ground storey. Bracketed eaves cornice, the front concealed by a later fascia-board. The ground storey shop to left has 2 display windows and a doorway, all C20. House part (No 19) has segmental-headed doorway to left; early or mid C19 four-panelled door with old knocker. Triple-sashed window to right. Upper-storey windows have 3-paned sashes with 2 upright glazing-bars per sash. In gable to right, partly blocked by the adjoining house, is an unmoulded 2-light wood-mullioned window. INTERIOR: principal feature is the wooden staircase, probably of the 1660s or 1670s, which has closed moulded and pulvinated strings, square newels, treads with moulded nosings, stout turned 'urn' balusters, broad flat handrail. The stair now rises to second storey, but formerly continued to garret; latter section would have blocked a window and was therefore probably not original. Ground-floor left front room has large fireplace with bead-moulded wood surround, probably late C18 or early C19. Middle front room has cupboard with panelled doors of similar date. Fine cast-iron grate and surround upstairs, now detached from the chimney. Roof-trusses mostly C17, the principals with short curved feet resting on tie-beams; butt-purlins and ridge. The left-hand truss has been replaced and the second from left has lost most of its tie-beam. Centre rear wing has small-paned wood casement window with an iron hinge, perhaps of early C19. Cast-iron grate with round-arched surround. Left-hand rear wing has kingpost-and-ridge roof trusses. C19 half-glazed door to main range, the glazed part with margin-panes. No 19 not inspected. This is important as one of a group of C17 houses (including Nos 3-15) illustrating the early date of Meddon Street, the character of which is now predominantly C19. It has probably the earliest framed staircase surviving in the old town centre.

Listing NGR: SS4527526309