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Summary

Good example of a mid 19th century terraced townhouse with some architectural pretension. It was built by local building company, Berry & Vincent, as the Berry family home.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1209812: 1, WESTERN ROAD

Other References/Statuses

• Old Listed Building Ref (II)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (Built, XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Mid Devon District Council, 2003, Crediton Conservation Area Appraisal (Report - non-specific). SDV345978.

Built by Berry and Vincent. Other details: 2.

English Heritage, 2010, Historic Houses Register (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV154869.

1 Western Road. House. Circa 1850, with possible earlier origins. Flemish bond brick with some slate-hung cob to the rear wing; slate roof; stacks with brick shafts.
Plan: L-plan. Single depth main block, 2 rooms wide, with a rear left service wing.
Exterior: 2 storeys and basement. Symmetrical 3-bay front; deep eaves on moulded, paired eaves brackets. Steps up to a central recessed 5-panel door, the upper panels glazed. Doorcase with pilasters, entablature and panelled reveals. Steps down to basement from the street. Original 12-pane sashes throughout, the windows with segmental brick arches. The inner return of the rear service wing is partly slate-hung.
Interior: Plain chamfered cross beam to ground floor left. Both the front rooms have marble chimney-pieces. Good, steep newel stick baluster stair with ramped mahogany handrail.
Roof: Said to contain earlier roof construction, steep enough for thatch, below the present roof. Said to be documented as the home of Mr Berry (deeds in the possession of the owner), the founder of Berry and Vincent, local builders and developers in the 19th century (see also. Grove Terrace and No 1 Church Street). The treatment of the eaves canopy matches that on one of buildings in the Berry and Vincent yard in Union Road. (not included).

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Historic England, 2018, 1 Western Road, Crediton (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV362734.

Notification that Historic England have received an application to amend the entry for 1 Western Road and are now beginning their assessment of the building.

Historic England, 2019, 1 Western Road, Crediton (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV362995.

Notification of completetion initial assessment of the above building to consider whether its entry on the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest should be revised, in particular that the reference to two marble fireplaces be removed as they have not been there since the house was listed.
History
The core of the town of Crediton was laid out in the mid C13 with a main street running east to west with burgage plots at right-angles to the street frontage. The wide central section of High Street was used as a market well into the C20. The town’s main industry was the manufacture of a woollen cloth called serge and it was upon this that Crediton made its wealth. However this declined from the late-C17 and was replaced with other industries including tanning, confectionery making, and boot and shoe manufacture. Disastrous fires in the town in the C18 saw the rebuilding of much of High Street, and in the early-C19 the market was relocated. This made High Street a major transport route, connecting with Western Road and Landscore at its west end. The east end of Western Road was developed by the early C20, including the Queen Elizabeth Higher School (1859) and the houses Astolat and Wistaria. It was not until the post-war period that the area was fully-developed, including Crediton High School for girls on the north side of the road.
1 Western Road is first shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey Town Plan of 1889 (1:500) and its footprint does not appear to have changed over the following editions of the 1:2500-scale OS maps. The Town Plan clearly shows the L-shape plan of the house. At the front (north) of the house basement light-wells are depicted.
It is thought that the house was the home of William Berry, a firm of local builders and developers founded in the late C18 of which William became the head in around 1850. The firm later became Berry & Vincent and their business continued in the town until the 1970s.
Details
The house, thought to date from the 1850s, but with possible earlier origins, is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond, with some slate-hung cob to the rear service wing. The roof is hipped at its west end, but is otherwise pitched, slate covered, with a single stack at the east end of the ridge, with deep eaves with moulded, paired eaves brackets. The buildings form an L-plan created by the two-storey plus basement and attic, three-bay house and a service wing to the rear. The front (north) of the house is symmetrical, with stone steps up to a central recessed five-panel door; the upper panels are glazed. It is set within a doorcase with pilasters, an entablature and panelled reveals. The windows are 12-panes sashes within segmental brick arches. Steps lead down to the basement from the street.
Internally the house is entered into a small entrance hall leading to a hallway flanked by two rooms. There is a service wing to the rear left where the kitchen is located. On the ground floor there is a chamfered cross beam in the eastern room, and there is timber panelling beneath the front-facing windows. The staircase has a newel stick baluster and ramped mahogany handrail, and is located on the west side of the hallway. On the first floor are four bedrooms, two located above the rear service wing which have panelled, built-in cupboards. The basement and attic rooms are open plan. The basement stair has splat balusters.

Historic England, 2019, 1 Western Road, Crediton (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV363026.

Notification that the entry for 1 Western Road on the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest has been amended. The building is listed at Grade II.
The recent assessment has enabled a fuller description of the building and to clarify the features of special interest in the house.
The special architectural and historic interest of the mid C19 1 Western Road was recognised by its inclusion on the statutory List at Grade II in 1992. It is a good example of mid C19 cottage, built with some architectural pretension by a local building firm, Berry & Vincent, as the Berry family home. There is no evidence that the fireplaces described in the 1992 List entry have been present since the building was listed. 1 Western Road contributes to the group value of other listed buildings and features around the junction of Western Road, and continues to fulfil the criteria for listing and the List entry should be amended to clarify the features present.

Historic England, 2019, National Heritage List for England, 1209812 (National Heritage List for England). SDV362730.

1 Western Road.
Summary
End of terrace house, probably around 1850 but with possible earlier origins.
Reasons for Designation
1 Western Road, Crediton, dating from the mid C19, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a good example of a C19 terraced townhouse with some architectural pretension;
* for the survival of many historic features, including the elegant staircase. Historic interest:
* as part of the C19 development of the western end of Crediton following the relocation of the market;
* for the association with the Berry building firm who constructed several notable buildings in Crediton.
Group value:
* with several nearby Grade II listed buildings including Wystaria and Astolat, also built by the Berry building firm.
History
The core of the town of Crediton was laid out in the mid C13 with a main street running east to west with burgage plots at right-angles to the street frontage. The wide central section of High Street was used as a market well into the C20. The town’s main industry was the manufacture of a woollen cloth called serge and it was upon this that Crediton made its wealth. However this declined from the late C17 and was replaced with other industries including tanning, confectionery making, and boot and shoe manufacture. Disastrous fires in the town in the C18 saw the rebuilding of much of High Street, and in the early C19 the market was relocated. This made High Street a major transport route, connecting with Western Road and Landscore at its west end. The east end of Western Road was developed by the early C20, including the Queen Elizabeth Higher School (1859) and the houses Astolat and Wistaria. It was not until the post-war period that the area was fully developed, including Crediton High School for girls on the north side of the road.
1 Western Road is first shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey Town Plan of 1889 (1:500) and its footprint does not appear to have changed over the following editions of the 1:2500-scale OS maps. The Town Plan clearly shows the L-shape plan of the house. At the front (north) of the house basement light-wells are depicted.
It is thought that the house was the home of William Berry, who became the head of a firm of local builders and developers founded around 1850. The firm later became Berry & Vincent and their business continued in the town until the 1970s.
Details
The house, thought to date from the 1850s, but with possible earlier origins, is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond, with some slate-hung cob to the rear service wing. The roof is hipped at its west end, but is otherwise pitched, slate covered, with a single stack at the east end of the ridge, with deep eaves with moulded, paired eaves-brackets. The buildings form an L-plan created by the two-storey plus basement and attic, three-bay house and a service wing to the rear. The front (north) of the house is symmetrical, with stone steps up to a central recessed five-panel door; the upper panels are glazed. It is set within a doorcase with pilasters, an entablature and panelled reveals. The windows are 12-pane sashes within segmental brick arches. Steps lead down to the basement from the street.
Internally the house is entered into a small entrance hall leading to a hallway flanked by two rooms. There is a service wing to the rear left where the kitchen is located. On the ground floor there is a chamfered cross beam in the eastern room, and there is timber panelling beneath the front facing windows. The staircase has a newel stick baluster and ramped mahogany handrail, and is located on the west side of the hallway. On the first floor are four bedrooms, two located above the rear service wing which have panelled, built in cupboards. The basement and attic rooms are open plan. The basement stair has splat balusters.
Date first listed: 2nd October 1992.
Date of most recent amendment: 24th May 2019

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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