Description

BIDEFORD

SS4526 MEDDON STREET
842-1/6/173 (South side)
01/12/88 Nos.17 AND 19

GV II

House, the left-hand end (No 17) now converted into a shop.
Mid or late C17 with minor early C19 alterations.
Solid rendered walls, mostly brick; top of right-hand
gable-wall is of red brick, partly painted. Slate roof. 2
brick chimneys; 1 just behind centre of ridge rebuilt in C20,
the other on right-hand end wall of original red brick,
heightened in C20.
Double-depth plan, 3 rooms wide; the middle room probably
extended to left in late C18 or early C19 to replace original
entrance-passage; short early C19 rear wing to centre; longer
late C19 rear wing to left; right-hand section of front range
converted into a separate house (No 19) in C19.
2 storeys with garret; rear wings single-storeyed. 6-window
range. Broad bandcourse above ground storey. Bracketed eaves
cornice, the front concealed by a later fascia-board. The
ground storey shop to left has 2 display windows and a
doorway, all C20. House part (No 19) has segmental-headed
doorway to left; early or mid C19 four-panelled door with old
knocker. Triple-sashed window to right. Upper-storey windows
have 3-paned sashes with 2 upright glazing-bars per sash. In
gable to right, partly blocked by the adjoining house, is an
unmoulded 2-light wood-mullioned window.
INTERIOR: principal feature is the wooden staircase, probably
of the 1660s or 1670s, which has closed moulded and pulvinated
strings, square newels, treads with moulded nosings, stout
turned 'urn' balusters, broad flat handrail. The stair now
rises to second storey, but formerly continued to garret;
latter section would have blocked a window and was therefore
probably not original. Ground-floor left front room has large
fireplace with bead-moulded wood surround, probably late C18
or early C19. Middle front room has cupboard with panelled
doors of similar date. Fine cast-iron grate and surround
upstairs, now detached from the chimney.
Roof-trusses mostly C17, the principals with short curved feet
resting on tie-beams; butt-purlins and ridge. The left-hand
truss has been replaced and the second from left has lost most
of its tie-beam.
Centre rear wing has small-paned wood casement window with an
iron hinge, perhaps of early C19. Cast-iron grate with
round-arched surround. Left-hand rear wing has
kingpost-and-ridge roof trusses. C19 half-glazed door to main
range, the glazed part with margin-panes.
No 19 not inspected. This is important as one of a group of
C17 houses (including Nos 3-15) illustrating the early date of
Meddon Street, the character of which is now predominantly
C19. It has probably the earliest framed staircase surviving
in the old town centre.

Listing NGR: SS4527526309

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26504702

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper