Survey Data
Reg No
13309025
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Historical, Social
Original Use
Coach house
Historical Use
School
In Use As
Post office
Date
1800 - 1830
Coordinates
225993, 271695
Date Recorded
17/07/2005
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Formerly detached five-bay two-storey former gate lodge or coach house, built c. 1815, having central stepped-gabled breakfront to the main elevation (northwest). Also possibly formerly in use as a school. Now in use as a post office and shops. Hipped artificial slate roof. Painted lined-and-ruled rendered walls with rubble limestone walls to breakfront having dressed limestone quoins, capping and parapet. Carved limestone string course, clockface and Edgeworth coat of arms plaque to breakfront. Round-headed blind arch with dressed limestone surround and voussoirs to breakfront at ground floor level. Square-headed window openings at first floor level with painted stone sills and replacement windows. Segmental-headed opening to the northeast side at ground floor level having infilled modern shopfront. Modern shopfront to the southwest end of the main façade having square-headed openings. Road-fronted to the southeast end of Main Street.
Appraisal
This interesting and prominently sited building was probably originally constructed as a coach house, although there is some confusion as to its original function. Although much altered, it retains much of its early character and form. Of particular note is the well-detailed central breakfront, which gives this otherwise utilitarian building a formal architectural quality. The blind arch and the Edgeworth coat of arms plaque show evidence of fine stone craftsmanship. It once formed part of the Edgeworth estate and coach houses were once located to either site of the central arch. Maria Edgeworth (1767 – 1849) taught school in a room upstairs. This building forms part of a group of structures associated with the Edgeworth family and is a worthy addition to the built heritage of the town. According to local sources, this building may have been used by Bianconi as a staging post on one of his many transport routes (from c. 1815). Some sources suggest that this was originally built as a market house in 1829 (to designs by James Bell (1794 – 1872), a local architect). However, the market house was more likely to be sited further to the north of Main Street, at the site now occupied by a supermarket.