David & Jenny Carter Nimrod Research Docton Court 2 Myrtle Street Appledore Bideford North Devon EX39 1PH www.nimrodresearch.co.uk enquiries@nimrodresearch.co.uk May 2012 Building History (Statement of Significance) No.4 Bridge Street Wiltshire s Nimrod Indexes founded in 1969 by Dr Barbara J Carter J.P., Ph.D., B.Sc., F.S.G.
N.B. This is a SPECIFIC report on the history of number 4 Bridge Street, Bideford. For the general history of Bridge Street, and the complete row of buildings which comprise numbers 1 to 5 see the separate GENERAL report. These reports have been separated to keep file sizes as small as possible. Contents: Listing Description - - - - 3 Planning History - - - - 4 Census Records - - - - 5 Property Description - - - - 7 Internal & external photographs - - 8 Summary & Conclusion - - - 10 2
Listing Description 4 Bridge Street: 4 Bridge Street, Bideford Grade: II Date Listed: 19 March 1973 English Heritage Building ID: 375729 OS Grid Reference: SS4538626466 OS Grid Coordinates: 245386, 126466 Latitude/Longitude: 51.0167, -4.2056 Location: Bridge Street, Bideford, Devon EX39 2BU SS4526 BRIDGE STREET 842-1/6/16 (South side) 19/03/73 No.4 Listing NGR: SS4538626466 Photograph of No.4 Bridge Street taken at the time of listing in 1973, when trading as Burrows Electrical. House with shop. Mid C19. Solid rendered walls. Slated roof. Red-brick chimney on right gable-end. 2 storeys; 1-window range. Mid/late C20 shop front. Second-storey window with shaped surround; mid/late C20 metal casement. Whole front has raised quoins. Moulded eaves cornice. INTERIOR not inspected. 3
Former Planning History: 4 & 5 Bridge Street September 1996 Advertisement Application for the display of externally illuminated sign for the Royal Mail Public House. 4 & 5 Bridge Street Application for alternations to conversion of shop and club to part Royal Mail Public House. 4 & 5 Bridge Street January 1997 Planning Application for change of use from Electrical Retail shop, and Internal alterations for the Royal Mail Public House. 4 & 5 Bridge Street February 1999 Planning Application for a Restaurant Arboretum. 4 & 5 Bridge Street June 1999 Planning Application for a Restaurant Arboretum extension. 4 & 5 Bridge Street January 2001 Planning Application for stud wall between bar and lounge. Sale Notice: A sale notice was found in the North Devon Journal for 1887, which gives us a detailed description of the accommodation in this property at the time: Executors of William Sussex deceased, selling by Public Auction at Brownscombe s Coffee Rooms, High Street Bideford, on Wednesday 27 th July 1887 at 6 for 7 p.m. Lot 1: All that Messuage or Dwelling House, situate and being No.4 Bridge Street, Bideford, containing on the Ground Floor: Parlour, Breakfast Room, Kitchen, Back Kitchen, Washhouse (with pumps for hard and soft water) W.C., and a convenient Yard, and on the First Floor: Four good Bedrooms, with a store Room over the Washhouse. This House was occupied for many years by the late Owner, and is now in the occupation of Miss Sussex. It is well suited for private residence or business purposes. Immediate possession will be given on completion of the purchase. House in a thoroughly good state of repair, and offers a very favourable opportunity for investment. (The other property being sold at the same time was a house at 17 Milton Place, Bideford). [ref: North Devon Journal: 1887 July 21 st, page 1, col.f]. 4
Census Records: 1911 census Property unable to be found in 1911, as full searchable records are not yet available. 1901 census 5 Bridge Street, Bideford [this property identified as No.4] Walter J CRANG, head, 34, farmer, born: Bideford Minnie CRANG, wife, 33, born: Morchard Bishop James W CRANG, son, 10, born: Bideford Olive E CRANG, dau, 9, born: Bideford Charles H CRANG, son, 7, born: Bideford Gladys CRANG, dau, 6, born: Bideford Frederick H CRANG, son, 2, born: Bideford (taken from Class: RG13; Piece: 2160; Folio: 58; Page: 9) 1891 census 4 Bridge Street, Bideford. James CRANG, head, 49, maltster & brewer, employer, born: Georgham Rose CRANG, wife, 30, born: Bideford Arthur CRANG, son, 2, born: Bideford Lydia PROUSE, servant, 21, born: Woolfardisworthy (taken from Class: RG12; Piece: 1786; Folio 136; Page 14) 5
1881 census 4 Bridge Street, Bideford. William SUSSEX, head, 66, mason, born: Huntshaw Elizabeth SUSSEX, wife, 64, born: Clovelly Thirza SUSSEX, dau, 25, dressmaker, born: Bideford Helen SUSSEX, dau, 23, vest maker, born: Bideford William H SUSSEX, son, 21, mason, born: Bideford Helena SQUIRE, boarder, 18, vest maker, born: London, Middx. (taken from Class: RG11; Piece: 2259; Folio: 46; Page: 9) 1871 census 4 Bridge Street, Bideford. William SUSSEX, head, 54, mason employing 2 men & 3 boys, born: Huntshaw Elizabeth SUSSEX, wife, 52, born: Clovelly Lydia SUSSEX, dau, 23, milliner & straw bonnet maker, born: Bideford Elizabeth SUSSEX, dau, 21, assistant to mistress at British School, born: Bideford Thirza SUSSEX, dau, 16, dressmaker s apprentice, born: Bideford Helen SUSSEX, dau, 14, scholar, born: Bideford William H SUSSEX, son, 11, scholar, born: Bideford (taken from Class: RG10; Piece: 2201; Folio: 43; Page: 6) 1861 census Bridge Street, Bideford John HARDING, head, 45, master gardener, born: Ireland Rebecca HARDING, wife, 41, born: Bideford William HARRIS, nephew, 4, born: Bideford John HARRIS, nephew, 2, born: Bideford Elizabeth HORN, border, 19, charwoman, born: Milton Damerel Mary J PETHERIDGE, border, 27, butlers wife, born: Hatherleigh William H PETHERIDGE, border, 6, born: Newton St Petherick Charles E PETHERIDGE, border, 1, born: Bath, Gloucestershire (taken from Class: RG9; Piece: 1502; Folio: 141; Page: 5) 1851 census Property unable to be identified with certainty. 1841 census Bridge Street contained about 22 properties at this time, but it is not possible to identify the exact buildings being investigated in this report. As can be seen from these Census records, the inhabitants of this house were fairly unremarkable families, with reasonable occupations. It suggests that this property was not itself used commercially, which is strange, given the large enclosed space contained at ground floor Level. The detailed map from 1884 (included earlier in this report) shows that this space was in existence at this time. 6
Property Description: Ground Floor: Floor: Ceramic tiles (recent). In one area, these have been removed exposing a concrete floor underneath. Walls: Plastered/plasterboard, some dado paneling. Ceiling: Plasterboard & skim, between beams (encased) running across the width of the property. Beams: Most of the beams in this building have been encased, so are unable to be seen. However, their encased visible sizes, width x height (working front to back) are as follows: 300mm x 340mm. 600mm x 180mm (assumed to be a pair of steel channels) 320mm x 70mm. 140mm x 90mm (exposed timber beam) 600mm x 170mm (exposed pair of steel channels) Staircase: modern, with dado paneling matching the ground floor area. First Floor: Front room (former Bar, linked to upper floor of No.5). Floor: Sheet carpet and vinyl, the underlying structure was unable to be viewed. Roof: Exposed roof structure to ridge, with braced roof trusses. French windows leading to flat roof terrace. The large rear room contains 2 brick-lined fireplace openings, one still has a cast-iron grate. The exposed floor-boards to this room (all 300mm wide) are notched across the centre of the room, where a former partition obviously stood. 7
Internal Photographs: Ground floor area, exposed beams to rear, and paneled staircase. First floor roof structure. Staircase leading down to frontage. 8
First floor flat roof First floor rear room Rear corrugated-asbestos roof to extension at rear of No.4 Chimney stack serving the rear extension of No.4. 9
Summary 4 Bridge Street: The large extension to the rear of No.4 does not appear on the detailed town map of 1842, and at this time this land was owned by a Mr W Ellis. By 1884 the detailed town map does show this rear extension, so we can assume a builddate of the mid-19 th century for this part of the building. However, the Sale-notice description of 1887 describes largely domestic accommodation, and says that is had a convenient yard, although quite where this was sited given the apparent full use of the plot of land at this time, is unclear. The ground-floor beams are of mixed type, including modern steel. Apart from one section where an area of timber joists and beams are visible, it was felt that these were unlikely to be of little historical significance. No timbers worthy of dendro-sampling were able to be identified. Although the Listing Description suggests the age of the building as being mid 19 th century, it is felt that the origins of this building probably lie in the 18 th century, when it could have served as a storage warehouse, similar to its neighbour at No.5. At first floor level, the roof is relatively modern, and has no apparent historic significance. Conclusion: = = = = = = = = In its current empty and stripped-out state, there are few signs of this buildings former layout and purpose. Indeed it could be argued that if this building were not already listed, there would now be few merits in arranging for it to be listed. Any attempt to isolate it from its neighbours and return it to its former self-contained form should be welcomed. = = = = = = = = 10