| Summary: | 38 and 38A High Street are of considerable architectural and historic interest. They represent a complete survival of c17 house behind c19 exterior. The evidence is most clearly seen in late c17 roof structure which has seven or eight trusses with curved feet and trenched purlins. The collars are missing but the mortises for the collar joints have notched halvings. Carpenters' marks are also visible. C17 structure is also suggested by height of building, by floor levels and by evidence of plasterwork on ground floor. Fragmentary evidence (including plasterwork) is visible in petre glass shop. Access was not gained to interesting structure at rear. This is divided from glass shop by later stud wall with brick nogging but may be a post-medieval structure. Overall, the evidence suggests a c17 town house of very high quality (north devon dc). Vis=pair of shops, with storage-rooms and flat above; probably a single house originally. C16 or early c17, remodelled c18; rear wing of no 38a probably a c18 or early c19 addition. Rendered, solid walls. Right-hand gable is of stone rubble, left-hand gable (probably belonging structurally to no 39) of brick; rear wall of wing is of stone rubble with timber-bonded brick at the top. Slated roof; rear wing has lean-to roof.2 red-brick chimneys of c18 or early c19 on left wall of wing; large chimney at front end, smaller one at rear surmounted by a good c19 chimney-pot with pockets. Vis=single-depth front range, now 3 rooms wide on first floor; floor; rear wing, probably 2 rooms deep originally, on the left side. Vis=3 storeys.3-window front. Ground storey has c20 shop fronts. Upper storeys have sashes in recessed box-frames; mid or late c19 sashes with horns, each sash now having 2 upright glazing-bars. Wooden eaves-cornice; iron gutter decorated with lion-heads. Vis=interiors. Front part of shop at no 38a has ceiling with old moulded plasterwork; wreath in centre (probably early c18), rectangular reed moulding (of uncertain date) round the edge. Heavy plastered beam running from front to back; similar beams in first-floor rooms of both sections of the building. Remains of c18 moulded plaster cornice in first-floor front room of no 38a. Roof has 4 trusses (2 in each section) with short curved feet at the front; wall has been heightened so that these are now visible in second-floor rooms. Trusses have 2 tiers of through purlins and an angled ridge resting in a slot at the apex; housings remain for former halved collars with shaped ends. Gouged carpenter's marks. Rear feet of trusses buried in wall. It is reported (by mr j lomas) that no 38a formerly contained a stair with an 'acorn' newel post. Vis=roof-trusses with 'crucked' feet of this kind are rare. Fireplaces, beams and other features of interest are likely to be concealed under the plaster.(doe). |
|---|