See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Row of late 18th or early 19th century cottages, all but number 5 are now partly below ground level with a narrow railed area in front.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1200872: NOS 5-9 (CONSECUTIVE) INCLUDING IRON RAILINGS ALONG INNER EDGE OF PAVEMENT

Other References/Statuses

• Old Listed Building Ref: 375730

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) TOBACCO WAREHOUSE (XVIII - 1701 AD (Between) to 1800 AD (Between))
• TERRACE (XVIII to XIX - 1750 AD to 1850 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

Rushton, N., 2006, River Torridge Pipeline, Bideford, Devon: Rapid Archaeological Appraisal (Report - Interim). SDV342463.

Arnold, A. J. + Howard, R. E., 2012, 1-5 Bridge Street, Bideford, Devon. Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers (Report - non-specific). SDV349550.

Timbers felled in 1706 were used for the main ground-floor ceiling beams of 5 Bridge Street.

Carter, D. + Carter, J., 2012, Building History (Statement of Significance) 5 Bridge Street (Report - non-specific). SDV350812.

The Victorian censuses show that number 5 was inhabited by labourers and tradesmen, confirming that this was more of a domestic property, than a commercial property.
The ancient ground-floor beams appear to be contemporary with the original building (there is no obvious evidence to suggest that they have been inserted later). They are of a completely different character to the beams found in nos. 1, 2 and 3 Bridge Street.
Number 5 is indicated on the 1717 Town Plan of Bideford, where a row of five buildings is shown in elevation. The beams are of a standard and style which we would expect to find in a building prior to this date, and the dendrochronological analysis has subsequently shown these to date from 1706.
The curious element of number 5 is that it extends back about twice as far as we would expect for a building of domestic origin. We know that there were many warehouses built in Bideford to store imported tobacco and other items, which were in continual use when the Port of Bideford was at its height of prosperity. This building would seem to conform to the size, nature and position of such a tobacco warehouse. When this trade diminished in the 1800s, the building was probably converted to domestic use.
In more recent years, half of the ground floor façade was removed, and a large vehicle-sized opening was inserted here. This has now been in-filled with a section of glazed doors.
Within the past 15 years, the side staircase was removed, the well in-filled and a new staircase inserted at the rear.
The roof at first floor runs lengthways, with a gable end being presented to the Bridge Street façade. This shows that the orientation of this structure has been end-on to Bridge Street for many years, and may always have been so. However, the roof structure is of later construction than the ground floor beams, so major alterations have obviously taken place.

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

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

5-9 Bridge Street, including iron railings along inner edge of pavement.
Row of cottages, number 5 with a shop; all but number 5 are now partly below ground level with a narrow railed area in front. Probably late 18th century or early 19th century. Solid rendered fronts. Slate roofs, that of number 5 hipped towards the street. Four irregularly-placed chimneys; 2 of old red brick on numbers 5-6, a rendered one on number 7, and a 20th century red-brick one on the party-wall between numbers 8-9. Two storeys. Number 5 of 2-window range; numbers 6-9 of 1-window range. Number 5 has 6-panelled centre door, the 2 bottom panels flush. Cart-entrance with shaped surround to left. Original small-paned bow window to right; entablature with modillioned cornice. Two upper-storey windows with shaped surrounds; mid/late 20th century wood frames. The other 4 cottages have 20th century doors. Plain ground-floor sash-windows to numbers 6-7. In upper storey number 6 has 2-light wood casement with 2 panes per light; number 7 has 6-paned sashes; number 8 has 2-light, 6-paned Yorkshire sashes; number 9 has 2-paned sashes with horns.
Interior not inspected.
Subsidiary Features: area-railing consists of 12 iron hoops carrying 2 sets of horizontal bars, the upper bars braced from behind where they run throught the hoops. Opposite numbers 8-9 a plainer railing along a flight of steps down to the area.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4517 - Archaeological Appraisal of River Torridge Pipeline Routes, Bideford, Devon
• EDV5884 - Dendrochronological Analysis, 1-5 Bridge Street, Bideford

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.