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Summary

The garage dates mainly to the 1930s - the Queen Street Façade, but some earlier structures area retained to the rear. Only the shells of these buildings have survived as the interiors have been removed to accommodate the existing usage. Most of these structures are shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1885.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• GARAGE (Early 20th Century to XXI - 1930 AD to 2009 AD)

Full description

Weddell, P. J., 1993, Archaeological Assessment of a Development Site at Mill Street/Queen Street, Bideford, 6 (Report - Assessment). SDV18954.

The garage dates mainly to the 1930s- the Queen Street Façade, but some earlier structures area retained to the rear. Only the shells of these buildings have survived as the interiors have been removed to accommodate the existing usage. Most of these structures are shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1885.

Green, T. + Walls, S. + Wapshott, E., 2012, Land to the Rear of 28 Bridgeland Street & 5 Queen Street Bideford. Results of a Desk-Based Study & Historic Building Recording, 41-44; Figs 28-30 (Report - non-specific). SDV349405.

Heard's Garage is a large open warehouse-style space, created out of the covered empty plot between numbers 5 and 7 Queen Street - the site of a late 17th century house. A steel girder and timber beam structure covers this area with plastic skylights inserted into the corrugated sheeting roof; this roof spans between the stone historic walls of the adjacent properties. The east wall of this building fronts onto Queen Street; this is constructed of stone rubble, rendered to the exterior, painted to the interior. This stonework has had five large square openings forced into it at what would be first floor equivalent height. These openings are filled by large modern late 20th century metal framed casement windows, with what appear to be concrete lintels and sills. Below this, to the ground floor, the whole southern end of the wall has been forced, creating a wide double height entranceway, with sliding modern timber doors and a long iron or steel girder lintel, which provide access to the main garage floor working area. To the north there are two pairs of tall narrow modern fixed pane single light windows which provide light to a small brick room built up against the interior face of the wall next to the large opening. To the north end of the elevation, on the ground floor is a blocked doorway. It is not clear how much of the stonework of this elevation comprises the remains of the front walls of the house which stood on the site or whether this represents a complete 20th century rebuild.
The north wall of the garage comprises the south wall of the adjacent building, the roof structure of the garage merely abutting the earlier structure. The wall here is of three storeys height, the top of the wall has been lifted to this level in modern brick. To the east end of the wall there are some large rounded stone built pillars (see Figure 29) which appear to support some of the larger timber trusses which span the eastern end of the building; these pillars rise to the full height of the building and the brickwork appears to be built between them. The stonework to the lower two storeys of wall is of rubble construction with some attempt at coursing visible in areas; the stone blocks used to the base of the wall are significantly larger than those used higher up and the wall appears to taper inwards as it rises. At roughly first floor level the wall appears to drop back, creating a ridge or step, upon which joists may have been braced or carried. The lower sections of wall are often rendered or lined in brick in places, associated with the use of the space as a garage. To the east end there is a large chimney stack which projects from the wall; this stack is of stone rubble, it reduces in width considerably at second floor level rising to the east side again with a narrow brick upper stack.
There is a further chimney stack to the west of the first, this is capped to the top but appears to be stone all the way up, although it is stepped and reduces in width as it rises to each floor. This stack has a small square opening at roughly first floor level which appears to be partially rebuilt to the sides with brick. The brickwork above and around this stack at second storey level appears to have several phases, either of repair or rebuild. There is a further stack to the west at the end of the stone section of wall. Between these two stacks the stonework of the lower sections of wall appears to have been repaired in brick in places. There is a large ground floor opening between these two stacks, this appears to be built into the stonework, it is rendered to the interior sides and is used as shelving. At first floor level there is a window, with deep straight reveals which appear to be built in brick, with an outer timber bead. There is a timber two light window, with an opening casement to the east side. There is some timber lacing to the opening, which is a typical form of construction during the 19th century. The stack to the west is wider than the rest, of stone rubble, with stone quoins, this rises to two storeys, to the east side the stack appears to continue to the third storey where it is capped; the stack to the west here is capped at the second storey level. A brick pillar is built up and around the stack at third storey level to support the roof timbers and the stack is abutted to the east and west by brick wall at it upper level. The wall here drops back considerably but continues in stone up to the top of the second storey where again it has been raised in brick. Again the stonework is of random rubble, dropping back in width as it rises, with a sloping top. There is a projecting brick pillar which rises to the full height of the wall to support the roof timbers. Beyond this pillar the wall seems much disturbed with a ragged possible projecting chimney stack which is part rendered at first floor level with neat chamfered sides but appears possibly hacked away to the base. The wall drops back twice beyond this and the stonework is far rougher and of a poorer quality construction. The wall is then abutted by a brick partition, creating a separate work space to the west end of the garage. There is a patch of heavy render at this point in a rough square shape which appears to be recessed from the rest of the wall and may be a further blocked opening. The south wall of the garage is largely obscured to the western end by a ground floor timber and glass structure which forms a glazed entrance area to the offices of the garage which have been forced into the back of 5 Queen Street, into the former service areas. The wall above this ground floor structure are of rubble stone construction, of a poorer quality than to the north wall; much patched and possibly of several phases. There is a large blocked opening, a loading door at first floor level; this appears to have a concrete lintel. The wall drops back just above this, with a shallow shelf, narrowing considerably to the top near the eaves. This poorer quality stonework abuts an earlier stone wall which projects from the wall line; this has stone quoins to the corner and is semi-coursed. This wall is largely rendered to the ground floor level, with patches and areas of render obscuring much of the first and second floors as well. There are projecting brick buttresses at first floor level which rise to support the roof timbers of the garage. There is a tall blocked doorway at first floor level to the western end of this section of wall, this is too tall for a loading door and suggests that. 5 and 6 Queen Street may have been connected at some stage. Above this doorway to the east is a second floor jettisoned second floor chimneystack which projects supported on stepped corbelled section of wall. The second floor can be seen to be of a different form of stonework, using smaller stones and the stonework has a rougher exterior appearance in comparison to the stonework below which when exposed from the render in places can be seen to use more regularly shaped blocks; areas of the upper portion of the first floor level of wall have been repaired in brickwork, the bricks appear large and possibly handmade. A further brick buttress projects from the wall to the centre and the wall at its eastern end is abutted by the stonework of the front (east) wall of the garage building. Beyond this second brick buttress the stonework of the first floor level appears much disturbed and has been heavily rendered in sections. There is a possible blocked opening against the abutting east wall of the garage and a second projecting second floor chimney stack. On the ground floor there is a forced doorway in the wall, with a planked timber door, leading presumably into the front room of number 5. There are two unnecessarily large brick and concrete buttresses either side of this door. The area of wall above this doorway has been patched with
bricks.

Ordnance Survey, 2012, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV348725.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5862 - Assessment and Building Recording

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