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Summary

Merchant's house, now shops with house above, early to mid 17th century with 19th and 20th century alterations. The roof was badly damaged by fire in May 2010.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1292572: THE SHAMBLES

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85SE/28
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 387267

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOUSE (XVII - 1601 AD to 1700 AD (Between))

Full description

Russell, P. + Everett, A. W., 1959, The Old House Known as Number Thirteen Higher Street, Dartmouth, 109 (Article in Serial). SDV341032.

No.3, Higher Street, Dartmouth. Has been restored to show typical black and white work.

Ordnance Survey, 2008, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV340009.

Keystone Historic Buildings Consultants, 2011, The Listed Buildings in Dartmouth Affected by the Fire of 28th May 2010 (Report - Assessment). SDV351999.

House damaged by fire in May 2010.
17th century merchants house built end onto the street, two rooms deep and three storeys high with basement. Of mixed construction with oak-framed front and rear walls between local slatestone rubble side walls. It is now a corner building; the widening of Smith Street in the 1860s involved the demolition of the original corner house.
The internal layout is largely the product of mid 20th century rearrangement. The only surviving 17th century features are the newel stair set in an alcove near the front door, although the lower treads and risers are replacement pine and fireplaces on the first and second floor. On the ground floor is a 17th century doorway which now connects to an extension dating from the 1860s and on the second floor is an 8-panel door to the newel stair, although now fitted to a 20th century frame. The ground floor is now one large shop but originally probably only the front part was a shop with a second room behind. The principal domestic room was at the front of the first floor indicated by the oriel window overlooking the street. It is not clear how many chambers occupied the second floor although there were clearly two at the front. The attic level was demolished in the early 20th century.
The roof was mostly destroyed by fire in May 2010 but probably dated from the 1860s.
The basement is now divided off from the main house and presents a shop front to Smith Street. The north side was much rebuilt in the 1860s but the other walls appear to be largely original. See report for full details of building.

Bridge, M., 2012, 1, 3, and 5 Higher Street, Dartmouth Devon, Tree Ring Analysis of Timbers (Report - Scientific). SDV359239.

A total of sixteen timbers were sampled from various elements of the western side of the building complex fronting onto Higher Street, numbers 1, 3 and 5, including three major beams from the rear areas of these buildings. Two of the samples that had retained complete sapwood, matched with each other, and were found to have been from trees felled in the same year. One of these was from the northernmost rooms (1 HigherStreet) and one from 3 Higher Street, showing that these two ceilings were likely to havebeen constructed at the same time. However, neither these, nor any other of the eleven series with sufficient rings to make measurement worthwhile, could be dated.

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

Merchant's house, now shops with house above. Medieval site. Early/mid 17th century; various 19th and 20th century alterations, notably a major 19th century refurbishment and major repairs circa 1955. Mixed construction; stone rubble party walls (rear part of Smith Street party wall rebuilt and rendered), timber-framed front and back crosswalls; stone rubble stacks and chimneyshafts to side walls; slate roof. Plan: much altered, but originally 2 rooms deep with side passage to right and newel stair in alcove close to front of south party wall. Exterior: 3 storeys with attic in roofspace and cellar, now used as a shop off Smith Street. Jettied shop front to Higher Street between thick side walls, the ends of which corbel out at each floor level. Rendered ground-floor level contains 20th century timber shop window with glazing bars and, to right, a pair of doorways, both 20th century panelled doors with plain overlights (left one to shop and right one to house). First and second floors have circa 1955 mullioned casement windows in 17th century style, all containing diamond panes of leaded glass. First-floor oriel with 6 forward lights rebuilt on internal evidence for 17th century size. Each side 17th century framing of small scratch-moulded panels. Second floor has 17th century crudely-finished slender close-studding (probably slate-hung originally) and 2 casements in positions of small 17th century oriels. Roof at right angles to street and original front gable replaced by a hip in the 19th century. Mill Street elevation: Front section is blind and rendered stone rubble. Rear section is late 19th century rendered brick, presumably built when Smith Street was widened. Cellar is here onto the street as it descends to Lower Street. It has 19th century timber shop front - window with glazing bars and recessed doorway to left under fascia with shaped brackets each end. Central horned 4-pane sash to each floor, ground-floor one in centre of tripartite sash and narrow horned 2-pane sashes to ground and first floors. Interior: well-preserved. There is little evidence for original partitions suggesting that they were non-structural partitions. Each floor has large axial joists resting on the top of a massive plain chamfered crossbeam. Some apparently original joists are pine. Newel stair rising round mast-like pine post. Ground-floor fireplace is a 19th century insertion but those on first and second floors are 17th century, relatively small, hooded on shaped timber corbels with moulded oak lintels. Posts each side of front windows are richly moulded with elaborate stops. Rear wall at ground and first floor levels is of similar framing to second-floor front and parts of a wide blocked ovolo-mullioned window shows on each floor. 17th century moulded doorframe alongside ground-floor rear window contains contemporary panelled door on cockshead hinges. Another 17th century panelled door to attic stair. Roof of 19th century tie-beam trusses. The house before its renovation and the old house adjoining to north are shown on an old drawing by William Henley, reproduced by Freeman. (Freeman, Ray: Dartmouth and its Neighbours: Phillimore: 1990-: PL.28).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6847 - 1, 3, and 5 Higher Street, Dartmouth Devon, Tree Ring Analysis of Timbers (Ref: 20-2012)

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