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Summary

Centre part of a large 17th century house, originally including numbers 30 and 32, now divided in to shops, offices and a flat.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1025001: 31, BRIDGELAND STREET

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS42NE/228
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 375759

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (XVII to XIX - 1692 AD to 1850 AD (Between))

Full description

Timms, S. C., 1977-1981, Bideford Development Control Consultations, 27/9 (Un-published). SDV346164.

Visited 1st December 1978 by Simon Timms. Proposed conversion of first floor offices to two flats. Photo reference 332.

Department of Environment, 1992, Bideford (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV19514.

Number 31, Bridgeland Street. Centre part of a large house, originally including numbers 30 and 32, now divided in to shops, offices and a flat.1692, front remodelled early 19th century, minor 19th century and 20th century additions at rear. Slate roof, chimney on each side wall: red brick to right, rendered to left. Double-fronted, double depth plan: 2 rooms at front with central entrance passage to staircase compartment in centre of rear part. 3 storeys: 3 window range. Detailed description (also of interior) in listing. This was part of a larger Bideford Bridge Trust property. The first lease of 1692 was to Thomas Power of Bideford, merchant; the site was then 92 foot wide with a little land on the east. It appears to have been a U shaped house.

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

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

Centre part of a large house, originally including Numbers 30 and 32; now divided into shops, offices and flat. 1692, front remodelled early 19th century, minor 19th century and 20th century additions at rear. Solid rendered walls (probably of brick underneath). Slate roof. chimney on each side-wall: red brick to right, rendered to left. Double-fronted, double-depth plan: 2 rooms at front with central entrance passage to staircase compartment in centre of rear part. 3 storeys; 3-window range. Top storey is an early 19th century heightening, concealing original garret (right-hand side of rear wall has not been heightened). Front is entirely early 19th century, with giant reeded pilaster-strip at left-hand end; a matching pilaster-strip has probably been removed at the right-hand end, since the eaves-cornice breaks forward at that point. Centre doorway with wooden doorcase; attached columns supporting entablature with modillioned cornice. Round-arched doorway with moulded archivolt springing from moulded imposts; panelled reveals. 6-panelled door, the 4 upper panels raised and fielded, the 2 lowest panels flush; rear plate of old knocker, the striker itself missing. Flanking the doorway a pair of projecting, mirrored shop fronts, probably late 19th century or early 20th century. Each has a canted display window with shop door adjoining the house-door. Left-hand shop has panelled and fluted pilaster-strips at either side of shop-door and at left-hand end of display window with cornice across whole front; original half-glazed shop door; right-hand shop altered, but shop door still has 2 fluted pilaster-strips. Upper storeys have sash windows, the older ones with recessed box-frames; all have small panes, except for the lower sashes in the second storey. Outer second-storey windows have been enlarged (probably in early C19) and have 8-paned sashes. Other windows have 6-paned sashes. Moulded eaves-cornice. INTERIOR: has 3 ceilings with shaped panels formed by plaster bolection-mouldings. Entrance-passage has ceiling with oblong panels; moulded cornice. Several boarded-in doors with moulded architraves. Main staircase (rising to third storey) is a wooden dog-leg with heavily-moulded closed strings and square newels, heavy turned balusters (boarded in; between ground and second storeys) broad flat handrail sweeping up to the newels at the landings; oblong bolection-moulded panels on underside of the flights. At rear of second-storey landing an early 19th century six-panelled door. Shop to left of ground storey has in front room raised-and-fielded, 1-fillet ovolo-moulded panelling (probably early 18th century) with box-cornice. Later doorway cut through rear wall. 6-panelled door (probably 18th century or early 19th century) to entrance-passage. Display window has early 19th century reeded surround with carved flower in top right-hand corner. 2 round-headed, semi-circular niches flanking chimneybreast to left. Rear room has moulded cornice. Right-hand shop has in front room a foliated cornice; early 19th century 6-panelled door to entrance-passage. Rear room not inspected. Second storey sub-divided by late 20th century partitions, but original arrangement easily distinguishable. Right-hand front room has ceiling with shaped panels and coved foliated cornice; foliated boss in centre panel. Mid or late 19th century chimneypiece (now painted) to right; mantelshelf with carved brackets; Rear room has remains of moulded cornice. Back stairs plain, without balustrade. Left-hand front room has moulded cornice. Rear room has ceiling with shaped panels and box-cornice; in left side-wall a wooden chimneypiece (probably early 18th century) with panelled pilasters and entablature; to left of chimneybreast is an original cupboard with panelled bolection-moulded doors having shaped H-hinges; inside, old wooden coat-pegs. Third storey has 3 original 2-panelled, bolection-moulded doors leading to left-hand front room and middle and right-hand rear rooms. 2 early 18th century doors with 6 raised-and-fielded panels; a third, plainer 6-panelled door to rear closet, possibly remodelled. Front right-hand room has, to left of chimneybreast, an early 18th century round-headed cupboard with moulded architrave; double plank doors underneath with H-hinges. This was part of a larger Bideford Bridge Trust property originally comprising Numbers 30-32. The first lease of 1692 was to Thomas Power of Bideford, merchant; the site was then 92 foot wide with a little lane (now Queen Street) on the east. It appears to have been a U-shaped house; the remains of the rear wings now lie behind Numbers 30 and 32.

Wapshott, E., 2014, 31 Bridgeland Street, Bideford, Devon: Results of a Historic Building Assessment (Report - Assessment). SDV356986.

The building was constructed towards the end of the 17th century as a two storey merchant house in the newly developed part of the town as a result of the increase in trade with America. No 31 is the central part of the building that formerly included 30 and 32. Much of the interior is of a 17th century date however the front was remodelled when the building was subdivided in the 19th century.
The first floor consists of five 17th century rooms and a stair landing. Late 20th century work removed some of the original fabric and subdivided the rooms in an inappropriate manner. The proposals are to re-establish the 17th century layout removing most of the 20th century alterations; this work is not seen to have any detrimental effect on the historic fabric of the building. See report for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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