Description

BARNSTAPLE

SS5633 BEAR STREET
684-1/3/15 (North side)
31/08/88 No.29
Portland House

GV II

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).

Listing NGR: SS5615933337

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26664802

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.

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