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Summary

29 Bear Street dates to the early 19th century with an elaborately carved shop front added in 1891. The crenellated parapet of the shop front is inscribed 'W YOUINGS AND SONS. MARBLE & STONE MASONS' and beneath the main range of windows is carved 'EST. 1857'.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1384994: PORTLAND HOUSE

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS53SE/80

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• WORKSHOP (XIX - 1801 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Bone, M., 1973, Barnstaple's Industrial Archaeology, 23 (Monograph). SDV78228.

Youings & Son, Masons. Established 1857. Notable elegant shop front.

Coffam, S., 2008, Portland House, 29 Bear Street, Barnstaple, North Devon. Results of Historic Building Recording (Report - non-specific). SDV347579.

Co-operative Funeral Home. Two and a half storey house with workshop and yard to rear. The house originally dates to the early 19th century with an ornate frontage added in 1891. The rear outbuilding/workshop was formerly used by a stone mason. On the rear internal wall of this workshop there are 17 stone carvings thought to have been made by apprentices. A survey of all the structures on the site established that much of the complex survives in its original form. The two buildings to the south had originally been separate, but were joined by an extension, probably during the 19th century. The rear workshop was originally a large, open workshop/storage area that was later enclosed.

Southwest Archaeology, 2013, Greater Barnstaple Area Project Database, BHBS Mapping Area 2010 (Un-published). SDV351581.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV350786.

English Heritage, 2013, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV350785.

Portland House, 29 Bear Street. House and shop. Early C19 with shop front dated 1891. Rendered, solid walls, probably of brick, except for shop front which is of limestone ashlar. House has asbestos-slated roofs with red ridge-tiles; shop has flat roof. No chimneys. 1 room wide, 2 rooms deep with gallery and back block at rear. Entrance passage on right hand side of ground storey, leading to staircase at rear. The shop stands on the original front garden. The gallery and back block are shown on Wood's map of 1843. House 2-storeyed with garret in front block; shop single-storeyed. House has 2-window range. Round-arched doorway to right of ground storey; 6-panelled door, the 2 lowest panels flush. Windows have 6-paned sashes. Gable-wall to right, facing Gaydon Street, has 2 blind windows in each storey; 6-paned sash window in garret. To right of gable wall is a tall, rendered courtyard wall, ramped up at each end. At left end is a doorway with pointed arch; door with 6 flush panels and lion-head knocker. 10-paned shop window at right hand end. Rear wall of front block has round-arched stair window to left; 6-paned sashes with radial glazing bars in head of upper sash. 2nd-storey window to right has 6-paned sashes. Gallery has no windows in upper storey. Side wall of back block has 6-paned sash window to left of upper storey; narrow, small-paned window, probably lighting a staircase, in centre. C20 wood casement window to right. Fine shop front has range of 4 tall, trefoil-headed windows under canted hoodmoulds. Between window-heads, 3 trefoil panels containing shields, the centre shield carved with date 1891. Return front to Gaydon Street has window with pointed arch to left and round-arched doorway to right, both with hoodmoulds; double doors with panel below and glazed, trefoil-headed panel above. Corner rounded, being carved with sunflower and inscribed scrolls. Crenellated parapet round both fronts with carved inscription: W YOUINGS AND SONS. MARBLE AND STONE MASONS. Beneath the main range of windows is carved: EST. 1857. INTERIOR: partly inspected. Entrance passage with moulded cornice; panelled, round-headed archway opening into stair compartment. Wooden open-well stair with balustrade of thin, square-section balusters, voluted at the foot. Ground-floor front room has white marble chimneypiece with incised decoration and date 1886; there are reported to be 2 similar chimneypieces in the house, all carved by Mr Youings. HISTORICAL NOTE: the Youings family, who still run the firm, have been in business on this site since the 1870s. Their work has always included architectural as well as monumental masonry. (Photograph of house before erection of shop front; John Wood's map of Barnstaple: 1843-; Barnstaple Castle records; Plans Committee Minute Book, 2.5.1891).

Department of Environment, 29/09/1988, Barnstaple Re-Survey (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV59491.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5175 - Building Recording at Portland House, 29 Bear Street

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