Kingdon House, formerly the premises of the Tavistock Printing Company

A purpose-built former print works and newspaper office in Arts and Crafts style, built in 1906, by Arthur Southcombe Parker, FRIBA (1865-1945), now (2015) an arts and community centre.

MATERIALS: random squared rubble with ashlar dressings, under slate roofs, with a stone stack.

PLAN: roughly square corner site with a curved corner to the junction of Pym Street and North Street.

EXTERIOR: the building is constructed on rising ground, with two full storeys to the North Street elevation and a higher rear section to Pym Street. The North Street elevation, of four bays, has a curved corner bay to the ground floor, canted above. The elevation has semi-circular arched, keyed openings to the ground floor, the three from the left with three-light timber casements, that to the right housing half-glazed double doors; all the arched sections have multi-paned glazing. The cast-iron rainwater goods have a moulded rectangular rainwater head. To the first floor, the three right-hand windows, with three lights of rectangular leaded glazing, are set high under a timber modillion cornice. The canted corner bay has a four-light stone-mullioned window turning the corner, with a string course and parapet above. The parapet continues around the corner onto the Pym Street elevation, which is of three irregular bays. The land rises from right to left; a narrow blind bay first, with a slightly projecting, tall stack to the next, stepping out over a Diocletian window in a keyed opening, its glazing matching that to the North Street elevation. The parapet terminates to the side of the final wide, gabled bay, which is of two storeys but rises a full storey higher than the North Street elevation. To the ground floor left is an elaborate classical timber doorcase with panelled reveals, a broken pediment and swags; to its right a two-light stone mullioned window, and to the centre of the gable to the first floor, a three-light stone-mullioned window, with the string course forming a cill band, and a plan hood mould with a visible relieving arch above. The remains of the former Art-Nouveau style lettering which formerly read “[Tavistock] PRINTING [Company] runs along the parapet.

INTERIOR: the former print hall was situated to the North Street side of the building, with the newspaper offices to the Pym Street side, behind their separate entrance. The floors are supported on steel beams. The roofs have timber king-post trusses, now obscured by suspended ceilings. The interior has been subdivided into a number of meeting rooms and offices, but retains some details such as wrought-iron window furniture and stained glass panels.