Wadebridge

Conservation Area

Character Appraisal

& Management plan

March 2013

This Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan was endorsed by Cornwall Council on 22 March 2013 as a material consideration for land use planning purposes. Recommended changes to the boundaries of the Conservation Area, as set out within this document, were authorised by Cornwall Council and also came into effect on 22 March 2013.

Acknowledgements This report was produced by Cornwall Council.

Maps The maps are based on Ordnance Survey material with the permission of the Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office (c) Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution and/or civil proceedings. The map data, derived from Ordnance Survey mapping, included within this publication is provided by Cornwall Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfil its public function to publicise local public services. Cornwall Council Licence No.100049047.

© Cornwall Council 2013 No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 Contents

Part One – Wadebridge Conservation Area Assessment

1 Introduction 1 2 Planning Policy Context 2 3 Location and setting 3 4 Designations 4 5 Historic and topographic development 6 Early Origins...... 6 Medieval ...... 6 Post-medieval and the Seventeenth Century...... 7 Eighteenth Century...... 7 Early Nineteenth century ...... 8 Late Nineteenth century ...... 10 Twentieth century ...... 13 Present Day Wadebridge ...... 14 6 Archaeological potential 15 7 Present settlement character 16 Topography and settlement form...... 16 Standing historic fabric - summary ...... 16 Views ...... 17 8 Character Areas 19 Egloshayle...... 19 The Riverside...... 29 Wadebridge Town...... 38 9 Problems and pressures 75 10 Recommendations 78 11 Sources 80

Part Two - Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan

Figure 1 Historic Development Map Figure 2 Surviving Historic Fabric Map Figure 3 Townscape Analysis Figure 4 Character Analysis Map

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 1 Introduction

The purpose of a Conservation Area Appraisal The purpose of this Conservation Area appraisal is to clearly define the special interest, character and appearance of the Conservation Area, and to suggest any possible amendments to its boundary. The appraisal should then inform development control decisions and policies and act as a foundation for further work on design guidance and enhancement schemes.

Scope and structure This appraisal describes and analyses the character of the Wadebridge Conservation Area and the immediate surrounding historic environment. The appraisal will look at the historic and topographical development of the settlement, analyse its present character, identify problems and pressures and make recommendations for its future management. More detailed advice on the management of the Conservation Area can be found in the Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan which is designed to stand alongside this appraisal.

General identity and character Wadebridge is a popular destination for tourists due to its proximity to the picturesque Camel estuary and the North Cornwall coast. Furthermore its riverside setting, historic buildings, wide range of commercial and community services and good connecting roads make it also a popular place to live. The main part of the town dates from the eighteenth century with significant development from the nineteenth century based around the railway. The small settlement around Egloshayle church has medieval origins. The town suffered from traffic congestion in the later part of the twentieth century, but this was resolved by the building of the A39 bypass and the interrelated A389 Egloshayle bypass in 1993. Wadebridge has a full range of facilities relating to education, health, shopping, leisure and recreation and there are daily bus services to many of the nearby towns including Padstow, Bodmin and Camelford.

Date of designation The Conservation Area was designated in 1992.

The Conservation Area within the wider settlement The Conservation Area as designated at present is based on the riverside corridor including the town centre and Egloshayle village.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 1 2 Planning Policy Context

What is a conservation area? A conservation area is ‘an area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’ [Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990].

What does Conservation Area status mean? Conservation Area status provides the opportunity to promote the protection and enhancement of the special character of the defined area. Designation confers a general control over development that could damage the area’s character with strengthened controls covering the demolition of buildings, minor development and the protection of trees. Change is inevitable in most conservation areas and it is not the intention of the designation to prevent the continued evolution of places. The challenge within conservation areas is to manage change in a way that maintains, reinforces and enhances the special qualities of the area. Under the current Act local planning authorities are required to designate conservation areas, to keep them under review and if appropriate to designate further areas. Designation remains the principal means by which local authorities can apply conservation policies to a particular area, as well as attract potential heritage-led regeneration funding. This appraisal should be read in conjunction with the wider national, regional and local planning policy and guidance:

National Policy • Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 • National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) March 2012. All the policies in the NPPF constitute Government’s view of what sustainable development in England means in practice. Development that fails to adhere to the historic environment policies, because it fails to give due weight to conservation for example, is not sustainable development. One of the key dimensions of sustainability is protecting and enhancing our historic environment. • PPS5: Planning for the Historic Environment: Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide March 2010. This practice guide has not yet been replaced and therefore the guidance contained therein is material to individual planning and heritage consent decisions. DCLG is currently reviewing this and similar guidance. • Localism Act 2011. This introduces the right for communities to shape their local areas by creating their own "Neighbourhood Development Plan" – NDP – with which development to some degree must conform.

Local Policy • The saved policies of the North Cornwall District Local Plan (adopted 1999) will remain part of the statutory development plan until replaced by the Cornwall Local Plan (in draft in March 2013). • The emerging (March 2013) Cornwall Council Design Guide, intended to be a handbook to assist householders, professionals, and developers in dealing with and submitting development proposals. • Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, World Heritage Site Management Plan 2005-2010 (and emerging Plan for 2013-2018).

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 2 3 Location and setting

Wadebridge stands at the head of the Camel estuary about 13 km (8 miles) from the coast and is the first inland crossing point of the river. It lies at the junction of the A39 and A389 and is some 48 km (30 miles) to the south west of Bude and 11 km (7 miles) to the north west of Bodmin. It lies within the parish of Wadebridge. The town is positioned in the valley of the River Camel at its lowest crossing point where the estuary becomes the river, and at the highest point to be reached by larger boats. There are significant areas of undeveloped flood plain either side of the river, which meanders through the settlement. The land rises either side of the river and a further hill runs at 90 degrees to the river to the north of Polmorla Road.

The wide river valley and river crossing point was an attractive site for early settlers

Wadebridge is surrounded by agricultural land much of which has been divided into rectangular fields which slope down to the river. The sea lies to the north west of the settlement and the higher ground of Bodmin Moor lies circa 10 miles away to the east.

Historic Landscape Characterisation The land to the south of the Trenant industrial estate, on the southern side of the river, and to the north and west of the settlement are characterised as medieval farmland. There is an area of post medieval farmland to the north of Egloshayle Road (Cornwall Historic Landscape Characterisation Survey 1994).

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 3 4 Designations

Scheduled Monuments There are three scheduled monuments – two wayside crosses in Egloshayle churchyard and the late medieval Wadebridge Bridge.

The fifteenth century bridge at Wadebridge is both Listed Grade II* and a scheduled monument

Historic Buildings There are 40 Listed Buildings in the Conservation Area all of which are listed Grade II apart from the Wadebridge Bridge which is Listed Grade II* (as well as being scheduled) and Egloshayle parish church which is Listed Grade I.

Egloshayle Church is Listed Grade I reflecting its fifteenth century origins and the quality of the architecture

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 4 Historic Area Designations The historic core of the settlement lies within a Conservation Area and the town is identified in existing local plans as an historic settlement with high archaeological potential.

Other Designations (All policy numbers refer to North Cornwall Local Plan adopted April 1999)

• The undeveloped land either side of the River Camel and the land between Foxdown and Little Bridge Park was designated as an Open Area of Local Significance (OALS) – (ENV 2) • The area around the foundry was designated an Historic Settlement – (ENV14) • The River Camel is designated a Cornwall Nature Conservation Site (CNC Site) – (ENV5) • The undeveloped land north of Egloshayle Road was identified as an area for housing allocation – (HSG1)

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 5 5 Historic and topographic development

See Figure 1 – Historic Development

Early Origins Evidence suggests there was a settlement in this area as early as the Bronze Age. Indicators of early occupation include a site to the east of Egloshayle church, above Higher Church Park, which could be a barrow and a dolerite axe discovered on land in the Trevanion Road area. The town we now know as Wadebridge has evolved from a number of separate small settlements. The oldest part was probably Egloshayle which is believed to have been a Bronze Age river port. The name Egloshayle is Cornish meaning church (eglos) on the estuary (heyl), the first recorded use of the name was in 1197. However, the settlement which developed around the river crossing was known as Wade, referring to a ford.

Medieval The first church in Egloshayle was built during the Norman Period. The raised oval shape of the churchyard suggests it might have been an early burial place or lann. The church was then rebuilt in the fifteenth century, but the original Norman font still survives. Some sources suggest the original dedication of the church was to St Conan, but Polsue in his Lake’s Parochial History of the County of Cornwall, Volume 1 of 1867 wrote that the church was named after Helie ‘one of the numerous sainted family of Brechan, the Welsh saint and king’. The church was later rededicated to St Petroc. Polsue also suggests Thomas Vyvyan, the Prior of Bodmin was responsible for the rebuilding. The west tower was constructed in circa 1470 with funds donated by the then vicar of Egloshayle John Lovybond. The medieval cross which now stands outside the church porch has been relocated from Dunmere Wood, Pencarrow. The church was sited above a quay from which tin, clay, wool, corn and vegetables were exported. The jetty at Egloshayle was constructed by the order of the Prior of Bodmin and one of the early exports included the wood for fittings at Bodmin church which were recorded as brought to ‘Wadebrygge with yn the parish of Egloshayle’ in 1491. The extent of the settlement of Egloshayle at this time most likely consisted of a quay with worker’s cottages grouped away from the water above the church. The area around the crossing point of the river west of Egloshayle also began to develop during this period. Two chapels were built either side of the river - St Michael’s to the west and King’s on the east. Prayers were said in the chapels for a safe crossing on one side and then thanks given for a safe arrival on the other side. In 1468 the same vicar John Lovybond, who went on to build the church tower, was so concerned at the loss of life crossing the river he financed a seventeen arched bridge. Described by Carew in his Survey of Cornwall of 1602 as ‘the longest strongest and fairest that the shire can muster’. The bridge was frequently described as being ‘built on wool’, suggesting Lovybond’s money came from the wool trade. Other known medieval development in the area includes a leper hospital in the Trevanion Road area mentioned in a document dated 1309. In 1312 a licence was granted for a market and two fairs. The market took place on The Platt an area of reclaimed land that had originally formed part of the salt marsh. By 1580 a house is recorded on the site of Pridham House, Molesworth Street – parts of this building could be incorporated in the present day structure. Early development took place in the Molesworth Street area as it lay on a line of rock above the marshland.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 6 Egloshayle was by this time a parish in its own right but the settlement by the bridge was included in the parish of St Breock a small churchtown which lay to the south west of the river crossing.

Post-medieval and the Seventeenth Century The immediate post medieval histories of both Egloshayle and the bridge area are somewhat sketchy. It can be assumed that the quays continued to operate throughout the period and both areas were inhabited by those involved in the river based activities. During the Civil War Wadebridge was considered such a key strategic site that in 1646 Cromwell brought 1,500 men to defend the bridge. By the late seventeenth century further development had taken place along the ridge of land that became Molesworth Street. A coaching inn, later the Molesworth Arms Hotel was built, and possibly used to collect farm rents for the Molesworth estate. Further along the road the early building on Molesworth Street had been further developed into a large house, which has been subsequently divided into The Elms and Pridham House. A further sizeable house Spring Gardens, Bradford Quay Road was built on the northern side of the bridge indicating a degree of wealth was being generated in the area at this point.

The Elms and Pridham House – originally one house dating from the seventeenth century

Eighteenth Century The 1722 church accounts record a school at around 108 Egloshayle Road, but its whereabouts are unknown. The Earl of St Vincent public house probably dates from this period and the number of eighteenth century tombchests and headstones in the churchyard suggests Egloshayle had become quite a significant community by this period. The 1809 Ordnance Survey map shows by the end of the eighteenth century development at Egloshayle stretched as far north as the present day Elm Cottage, with development as far east as Heather Cottage. Exporting continued to be an important factor in the development of both Egloshayle and the community at the bridge. The quays in the area were considered at this time amongst the principal exporters of corn in the county. Bradford Quay on the northern side of the River Camel close to Wadebridge Bridge was built during this period. Such was the interest in the area’s potential as a port in 1793 it was surveyed for a shipping canal linked to Fowey. This scheme however was never implemented. Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 7 The development around the bridge had by this period developed into a recognizable community and was mentioned by John Forbes in his Cornish Tour of 1794. He described a few houses comprising a small hamlet called Wadebridge on the western side of the bridge. This community included a number of houses and shops on Molesworth Road including nos. 27, 29, 31, 33, 39, 41 and 54. The 1809 Ordnance Survey map shows development either side of the bridge. On the western side the main development is on the northern side of Molesworth Street and on the eastern side buildings are grouped around the approach to the bridge and along the riverside to the north. One of these buildings, now known as The Manor House, could have been used for the collection of manorial rents.

The Manor House, Gonvena Hill – mid eighteenth century house, now offices

It was during this period the first development took place on the former salt marshes between Egloshayle and the bridge. In 1783 a Methodist chapel was built on an area of reclaimed land that later became part of Egloshayle Road.

Early Nineteenth century The early to mid nineteenth century was an important time in the development of Wadebridge. Apart from a typhus outbreak in 1835 – brought on by the rapid rise in population and unsatisfactory sanitary arrangements – the picture is one of a busy and prosperous town in expansion. The 1830 edition of Pigot’s Directory reveals a growing number of shopkeepers including three grocers and three boot and shoemakers, as well as a number of professional people - two attorneys, a surgeon and two physicians. The presence of a book seller, three tailors and three watchmakers indicates a certain amount of wealth in the community. There were also six public houses and two coaches leaving every day for London. Much of the wealth in the community came from the continued growth of the quayside traffic. At the beginning of the century corn was still the chief export, as the land owned by the Molesworth family of Pencarrow around the town was renowned for its wheat production. However, the rapid expansion of local industries led to the increasing export of granite, slate and iron ore, whilst timber and iron for use in the mines were imported. The granite used for Eddystone lighthouse was shaped by stonemasons at a stone works adjacent to Town Quay. Quarries were developed locally both for exporting stone and to meet the housing needs of the expanding population. A quarry known as Trenant Girt was excavated on the site of the present day Trenant Vale and a further quarry was sited to the south of the bend in the river at Guineaport.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 8 Due to the forward-thinking of the local landowner Sir William Molesworth, Wadebridge was one of the first communities in Cornwall to build a railway. A feasibility study was commissioned by Sir William in 1831 and by 1834 the railway linking the town with Bodmin was built. In its early years the railway took lime rich sand, brought up the river by barges, to the farms along the line for fertilizer. Granite from the DeLank quarry on Bodmin Moor arrived in Wadebridge by rail and was then shipped from Town Quay. The railway began as a goods service, but by the mid nineteenth century a station had been built to cater for the passengers. The raw materials passing in and out of the riverside quays encouraged the development of further local industries. The stone masons’ yard has already been mentioned, but other works developed at this time in the area included a malt house, built on the southern side of the bridge and a foundry built by the partners Oatey and Martyn in 1833 on land to the south east of the bridge. The growth in local industry led to a sharp rise in the population. In 1801 the number of people living in the parish of St Breock (which included the community based around the bridge) stood at 962. By 1841 the population had risen to 1,733. The expansion of the area is clearly to be seen on the 1840 tithe map. Development to the west along Egloshayle Road from the northern crossing point of the bridge was still somewhat sporadic. However, the area immediately adjacent to the northern crossing point was intensively developed on either side of the road. A further area of development existed to the north based around Gonvena House which was surrounded by woodland. On the southern side of the river the town had begun to expand along its main roads with a separate development at White Rock. The White Rock development included a terrace of houses and two detached houses. The new railway is marked on the Tithe map with its surrounding development. There are further workers’ cottages at Guineaport to the south east, but these are separated from the Wadebridge development by a sizeable field. The Polmorla River forms the eastern boundary to the development. In 1839 in order to provide extra land for grain, potatoes and pasture the Trevanson marshes were reclaimed. The area around the bridge was not developed solely for housing - new services were provided to cater for the expanding population. By 1812 a school had been set up in the room of an existing building, and in 1839 a literary institute and library were erected by public subscription (this later became a Temperance Hall). An independent chapel was built in 1830 at White Rock, followed by a Congregational Church built in 1836 in Fair Park Meadow. In 1833 a clink was built on Molesworth land, and at around the same time a poor house was built - its location is uncertain, possibly behind Foundry Terrace. In 1853 the widening of Wadebridge Bridge was completed in response to the increase in traffic. Egloshayle also saw a sizeable increase in its population at this time. In 1801 there were 781 persons living in the parish, but this figure had risen to 1,357 by 1841. The 1840 tithe map shows development to the east of the church and quite dense development either side of Higher Lane. A separate small area of buildings to the north is marked as Above Town and the area in between consisted of sporadic buildings that were probably smallholdings. A number of fields are shown covered in trees indicating orchards. By this date there was a blacksmith’s workshop on the eastern side of Tower Hill and a millpond opposite Mill Close. A sizeable house called Court Place had been built during the early nineteenth century to the north of the church. During this period the gate and gate piers were built at the southern entrance to Egloshayle churchyard and an unroofed lychgate at the northern entrance.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 9

Court Place, Egloshayle – built in the early nineteenth century as a gentleman’s country house

Egloshayle was still at this point a separate community from Wadebridge with its own distinct character. Despite its quay the settlement had more the character of a rural churchtown than a centre of industry. However, the land separating Egloshayle from Wadebridge began to be developed during this period. The 1840 tithe map shows the rows of cottages along the Trenant Valley probably built to house workers at the Trenant Girt quarry. Close to Egloshayle itself a small row of early nineteenth century houses (now 108, 110 and 111 Egloshayle Road) were built and to the west a new Methodist Wesleyan hall and chapel replaced the earlier eighteenth century chapel. For a period the rear parts of 108 were used as a school room.

108 Egloshayle Road – part of a row of early nineteenth century houses

Late Nineteenth century The second half of the nineteenth century saw the continued expansion of the settlement. Most significantly in 1898 the two parishes of St Breock and Egloshayle were united into Wadebridge Urban Council in recognition that the early discrete settlements had amalgamated into one. Following a further outbreak of typhus in 1895 the town’s five wells were replaced by a piped water system. The quays and docks were still hives of industry and ships as large as 150 tons sailed up the river on the spring tides to deliver coal from South Wales, limestone from Plymouth, cement, bricks, manure and grain. Other shipping included consignments of timber from the Baltic and groceries and other provisions from Bristol. Granite, slate, copper, tin and iron were exported from mines reaching from St Breward to Rock.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 10 The market which had been held on the same site on the Platt since the medieval period had developed to such a degree it obstructed access to the station. Consequently in 1898 a purpose built cattle market was provided on land made available by the diversion of the Polmorla River. In 1888 the Bodmin and Wadebridge railway was connected to the Great Western Railway, and in 1899 the line was extended to Padstow. At this point almost half the town’s working male population had work directly connected to the railway. Much development took place around the railway including the building of a goods shed in 1895.

The former railway goods shed built in 1895

The population figures for St Breock before the settlement became part of Wadebridge Urban Council show the numbers peak in 1871 when the population stood at 1,924 before falling to 1,787 in 1881. This rise in population appears to tally with a peak in production at the nearby Pawton mine. A number of the miners were peripatetic, and would have moved on to new sites or indeed new countries when production began to slacken. Despite the slight fall in population the area around the bridge and railway continued to develop during this period. The 1880 First Edition Ordnance Survey map shows the Mechanic’s Institute directly to the south of the bridge. Near the station are marked the Market House, Commercial Hotel and the Cornish Arms. An open area of land to the south of the station is described as the Fair Plot. The iron foundry is shown between Polmorla Road and the Polmorla River with the gas works nearby to the south west set into a former quarry. A limekiln is shown still extant on a bend of the Polmorla River, on the site of the later cinema, and to the south in this industrial area lies the Bible Christian Chapel. Bible Christian chapels, as was the case here, were frequently built in the more industrial parts of Cornish settlements. The stone works is shown adjacent to Town Quay connected to the station by a series of rails. To the south of Molesworth Street can be found the Town Hall built in 1888 and initially known as Molesworth Hall and the newly constructed Park Place. Other development on Molesworth Street included the police station built in the 1860s, the Congregational Chapel designed by Austin Stripp in 1874, and a school and school house designed by Silvanus Trevail in 1878. The mid nineteenth century shop 36 Molesworth Street, the Queen’s Head Inn and the garden walls to 74 Molesworth Street. Elsewhere in the area a large house on Polmorla Road was built, possibly for one of the owners of Oatey and Martyn’s foundry, a single arch bridge was constructed across The Platt and the former chapel in White Rock was converted into Chapel Terrace.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 11

Built in 1878 the school was designed by Silvanus Trevail

During this period the population of Egloshayle parish remained fairly consistent with a figure of 1,521 recorded in 1871 and 1,549 in 1881. The 1880 First Edition Ordnance Survey map shows Egloshayle similar in overall footprint to the tithe map of 1840. However, further additions to the village include a smithy on the eastern side of Tower Hill and a cemetery on the eastern side of the village. At that time the village was still quite heavily wooded with orchards and tree-lined roads. The other main developments in this period included a new Sunday school, village hall and walls to the churchyard. The church itself was restored in 1867 by J. P. St Aubyn. By 1880 further development had taken place along Egloshayle Road with only a field separating the village from Trenant Girt. In 1867 Polsue recorded ‘From the churchtown along the so-called Egloshayle Road, to and including that portion of the town of Wadebridge, situated at the north end of the bridge, is one continuous series of pretty villas and pleasant cottages’. In 1876 a board school for girls and infants was built behind the Wesleyan chapel on Egloshayle Road and a further chapel the Free United Methodist Chapel was built directly onto Egloshayle Road to the south of the existing Wesleyan Chapel.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 12

The Wesleyan Chapel, Egloshayle Road re-built during the late nineteenth century

Twentieth century By 1911 the population of Wadebridge Urban District had risen to 2,339. The town now had its own fire brigade and was expanding in all directions. The 1907 Ordnance Survey map shows how the railway had extended beyond Town Quay towards Padstow and the site around the station expanded to include a swing bridge and sizeable goods shed. There were row upon row of terraced houses particularly on the southern side of the town, close to the railway, which linked the bridge settlement to the early nineteenth century development at Guineaport. In 1904 a number of large houses were built at the western end of Molesworth Street and a number of banks and hotels were built at its eastern end. Whiterock was still divided from the growing town by a sizeable field. In 1930 a cinema was constructed close to the Bible Christian Chapel, on the site of the former lime kiln. During the 1950s the gasometers on Polmorla Road were demolished. In 1905 land was acquired from the Duchy of Cornwall for a playing field in Egloshayle. By the drawing of the second edition Ordnance Survey map in 1907 very little had changed within the village other than a new post office marked on the western side of Tower Hill and the loss of most of the orchards. The tree covered area was reduced to a square of land to the south of the cemetery. One of the major developments during this period was the final closing of the gap between the two settlements with houses built on the field which once divided Egloshayle from Trenant Girt. By this date the quarry at Trenant Girt had closed. At the western end of Egloshayle Road the Wills Memorial Hall was built adjacent to the Wesleyan Methodist church and Sunday School.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 13

Early twentieth century houses built on the field which formerly divided Egloshayle from the development at Trenant Girt

In 1960 Wadebridge became the permanent venue for the Royal Cornwall Show. In 1961 the population of the town stood at 2,998. Despite the closure of the railway during the 1960s Beeching cuts, Wadebridge continued to expand recording a population of 3,585 in 1971 to 5,335 in 1991. In 1981 new sewers were laid allowing for significant housing development to take place at Marshall Avenue, St Matthew’s Hill, Guineaport Parc, Southern Way, West Hill and Trevanion Road. A significant industrial area was developed centred at Trenant Vale. In 1989 a flood defence system was built following six floodings in ten years. In 1963 the historic Wadebridge Bridge was widened further to accommodate the increase in traffic and in 1993 the A39 and A389 bypasses were built, significantly easing the movement of traffic through the town.

Present Day Wadebridge In 2001 the population of Wadebridge had risen to 6,531. Today the town is an important centre of local commerce and light industry and local administration. The town has developed in recent years into a centre for tourism. The town forms part of the Camel Trail cycle route, the third largest attraction in Cornwall, and the former rail booking office has been redeveloped as the Betjeman centre. There is holiday accommodation throughout the town and a wide range of shops which not only cater for local people, but also for the increasing number of visitors.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 14 6 Archaeological potential

The National Planning Policy Framework and prior to this Planning Policy Statement 5 – Planning for the Historic Environment has brought into focus the vital importance of understanding the archaeological potential of a settlement, site or building. Desktop study research, Written Schemes of Investigation and, where required and proportionate to the proposed scheme, field evaluation by trenching or remote sensing, should accompany pre-application enquiries and Planning/Listed Building Applications.

The enlargement of the Conservation Area will highlight the importance of archaeology in Wadebridge.

There are two scheduled monuments in Wadebridge - the wayside cross in Egloshayle churchyard and the late medieval Wadebridge Bridge and archaeology is potentially a rich asset for the town. There is much about the town’s history that is obscure and archaeology is the only way in which certain key aspects of its historic development can be better understood.

Archaeology does not refer solely to buried remains. Information on the historical sequences embodied in standing buildings and other above ground features could be extremely valuable and a building survey of the town would be likely to yield significant new information.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 15 7 Present settlement character

Topography and settlement form The river had the greatest influence on the initial development of Wadebridge. The early settlement developed around the present bridge area as this was the lowest crossing point. A further development at Egloshayle was sited on land close to the river where early trade took place. Rather than building close to the river and risking flooding, the first communities were sited on the well drained slopes of the river valley along Tower Hill and Molesworth Street. By the Victorian period when the sides of the river were shored up by revetment walls development took place close to the river along Egloshayle Road, but the fields next to the river at possible risk of flooding have remained undeveloped.

The flood plain adjacent to the River Camel has remained undeveloped

The flat land to the south of the river proved an attractive site for the railway when it reached Wadebridge in the early nineteenth century. The cliffs at Trenant Girt and along Polmorla Road were chosen as sites for quarries during the nineteenth century. The resulting holes in the landscape provided sites for building on land that had previously been too steep for development. Proximity to the Polmorla River would have encouraged the building of the iron foundry, but its meandering form prevented further development to the south east. The diversion of the river in the late nineteenth century allowed for the development of the cattle market.

Standing historic fabric - summary See Figure 2 and Figure 3. Wadebridge has a delightful mix of historic buildings which greatly contribute to the character and quality of the town. There are a number of impressive high status buildings such as the Town Hall, the banks and the hotels. These are interspersed between a good survival of historic shops dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Sadly not many of the historic industrial buildings still survive, although there are a few warehouses and some of the ancillary railway buildings have been adapted for different uses. The magnificent bridge is the town’s iconic structure and is visible from all along the riverfront.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 16 Most of the historic chapels, built in the Gothic style, have survived and the church of St Petroc provides the focus of the smaller settlement at Egloshayle.

Wadebridge has a good stock of quality terraced housing

Wadebridge has a very good stock of terraced housing dating from the early nineteenth to the early twentieth century. These range from simple flat fronted structures to elaborate conjoined villas, three or four storeys high with bay windows, balconies and balustraded front gardens. There are a number of detached nineteenth century villas and, particularly in Egloshayle, small cottages and cottage rows. The commercial buildings display a mixture of Classical and Gothic detailing as do many of the higher status domestic buildings. The Gothic terraced villa is, however, the predominant architectural type. In the main the industrial buildings were built in the local vernacular as were the early cottages with simple unadorned slatestone walls often rendered and slate roofs.

Views (See Figure 3) The River Camel is an important part of many of the more striking vistas in the town. From the town bridge there are views north west to the road bridge and the estuary beyond. Looking south east there are beautiful rural views of the snaking river flanked by meadows and fields with the town rising on the slopes either side. Due to the sloping ground the town is built upon, the river is hidden from many parts of the urban landscape, but absolutely dominates the development along the river banks.

View of the church tower from Tower Hill, Egloshayle The church tower plays an important part in the vistas of Egloshayle. From within the village it terminates the view down Tower Hill. It is also clearly visible from the southern Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 17 banks of the river near the town centre. Due to the sloping and curving nature of the lanes there are few vistas within the village of Egloshayle; views tend to be more intimate with intriguing glimpses of buildings around corners. There is a fine linear vista along Egloshayle Road. The domestic line of houses and cottages on the northern side of the road contrast with the green open spaces of the playing fields and the wilder aspect of the riverside. The sloping valley side to the north of Egloshayle Road hides much of the further development, but at the eastern end the ranks of more recent housing are clearly visible. On the northern side of the bridge there are views towards the former settlement of Gonvena with its backdrop of steeply wooded slopes. On the southern side of the bridge one of the principal vistas starts at the base of Molesworth Street. Here, looking west, the wide street is flanked by tall commercial buildings in a variety of styles which climb the hill before curving away in the distance.

The view looking west along Molesworth Street

There are significant views across the town from the higher slopes of Molesworth Street and Trevanion Road. The cut-throughs and alleyways in the town give a number of intriguing small glimpses into backland areas and yards. Such glimpses include the view into Foundry Court and the view through the archway into Molesworth Court. Throughout the town various landmarks form important eye-catchers – in addition to the church tower already mentioned other key buildings include the bridge, the Town Hall, and the new footbridge. These could be described as the iconic buildings of Wadebridge and are an important component in the town’s views.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 18 8 Character Areas

(See Figures 2 and 3). In addition to the broad elements of settlement character identified in the previous chapter, Wadebridge can be divided into three distinct character areas (Figure 4). They are: • Egloshayle • The Riverfront • Wadebridge town These character areas are different from each other by their varied historic origins and functions which is apparent in the urban settlement we see today. The special interest of each character area will be defined in order to assess its value or significance both as an individual area and as part of the settlement as a whole. This understanding can then form the basis for maintaining and enhancing Wadebridge in the future – to ensure that its special character is sustained and enhanced.

Egloshayle

Statement of Significance Egloshayle is a small churchtown settlement that over the years has become attached to the much larger town of Wadebridge. The village itself still retains much of its historic identity with small cottages hugging the sides of the steep lanes. All the component elements of a village still exist in the form of the church, church hall, vicarage, post office, public house, smithy and cemetery, although some of the buildings have been converted to other uses. The early dates of some of the cottages add to the historic importance of the settlement. The screening of many of the new buildings within the historic core behind walls and hedges allows Egloshayle to retain its historic character whilst allowing for modern development. The road leading to Wadebridge to the west and the A389 to the east does, however, impact on the setting of the church, giving its southern side a somewhat urban feel.

Historic development – key events • Bronze Age – early river port established • Eleventh century – first church built – on the site of present day structure • Fifteenth century – church rebuilt. Tin, clay, wood, corn and vegetables exported from quay • Circa 1720s – first school built in village • Eighteenth century – Earl St Vincent public house built • Early nineteenth century – Court Place and churchyard gates built • 1867 – church restored by J.P. St Aubyn • Late nineteenth century – Sunday school and post office built • 1905 – land acquired for playing fields

Activity and use Away from the busy road at the southern end of Egloshayle the village is extremely quiet. The only traffic tends to be local people or visitors to the pub. The narrow roads are shared by both cars and pedestrians. The main hubs of activity in the village are the Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 19 pub, the village hall and the church. During the working day the village is extremely quiet, suggesting many of the residents are at work elsewhere. The former farms have now been developed for residential use, so there is no longer an agricultural presence within the village itself. On the eastern side of the village around the cemetery the noise of the A389 is constant.

Building types With the exception of the church, the public house and the village hall, all the buildings in Egloshayle now have a domestic use. Historically, however, the community had more of a mixed character with a number of both commercial and agricultural buildings. Over the years these buildings have been converted into houses and the nature of some of the domestic buildings has altered as well with some cottages being amalgamated to form larger dwellings and some larger buildings being subdivided.

The main building types now are as follows: • Large detached houses – The Old Vicarage, Court House

The Arts and Crafts style Old Vicarage

• Detached houses and villas – 1 and 2 Church Villas, originally a single detached house, Roseath, Boduel. • Cottage rows – 1-4 Westpark Road, 1 and 3 Trelinden Cottages (now a pair of cottages converted from a former row of four), Riverview Terrace, 1-4 The Retreat • Cottage pairs – Cottages south of Raydene, Radfords and Shadows Cottage, Hillside and Bretouron, Little Sark and Wits End, 1 and 2 Above Town Row, Coopers and Spring Cottage, 1 and 2 Molesworth Row

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A cottage pair in Egloshayle

• Single detached cottages – Raydene, Jasmine Cottage, Elm Cottage, Orpine Cottage, Rose Cottage, Lower Town, Molesworth, Wisteria Cottage • Ecclesiastical buildings – The Church of St Petroc • Former commercial buildings – Warrensbolt (formerly the post office), Alnut House (formerly the general store), The Ring o’ Bells (formerly an inn) • Commercial Buildings – The Earl of St Vincent public house • Converted outbuildings – the former coach house to the north of the Old Vicarage, The Old Smithy, former barn to the east of Boduel (part of a former farm complex called Above Town on the 1840 tithe map), former dairy to Court Place, The Cottage (former wing to Court Place) • Public buildings – the former Sunday School, now known as the Shuttleworth Memorial Hall

Architectural styles The majority of structures in the village are built in the local vernacular style. In the main the domestic buildings have simple, rendered unadorned façades with small sash or casement windows – these are irregularly placed in earlier buildings and more symmetrical in buildings from the nineteenth century onwards.

Typical vernacular style cottage in Egloshayle – the first

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 21 floor windows are modern replacements

Most have slate roofs – although the positioning of many first floor windows close to the eaves suggests a number were originally thatched. Most of the houses have brick chimneys, but a few earlier stone stacks still survive – including a number of side projecting stacks on the earlier buildings. The vernacular houses are two, or one-and–a- half storeys high with dormer windows in the roofs. The vernacular outbuildings and former agricultural structures tend to have exposed slatestone walls. Windows are small and other random openings such as large cart doors indicate their former use. There are, however, amongst the higher status buildings in the village examples of more polite forms of architecture. Gothic – • The church of St Petroc was mainly built in the fifteenth century in the Perpendicular Gothic style. It has a three stage tower with a battlemented parapet and crocketted finials, a five light east window and a gabled south porch. • The former Sunday School was built in the late nineteenth century in the Early English Gothic style with tall lancet windows grouped in pairs, with a three light window at the east end and a pair of gabled porches.

The former Sunday School built in the Gothic style Classical – • Court Place was designed in the Classical style with giant corner pilasters and two pilaster strips flanking a central bay on its main façade. The central entrance porch has two plain granite columns. The windows are symmetrically arranged and the panelled front door is surmounted by a fanlight. Arts and Crafts – • The Old Vicarage was originally built in the early nineteenth century, but remodelled in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century in the Arts and Crafts style. The building has stone mullion windows with leaded lights, a pointed arch front door, dormer windows, large chimneys, and a complicated roof arrangement of both hips and gables.

Key buildings and structures • The Church of St Petroc – Grade I, fifteenth century • Court Place – Grade II, circa early nineteenth century • The Earl of St Vincent – Grade II, eighteenth century

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 22 • The Old Vicarage – late nineteenth century with earlier parts

Other listed buildings (all Grade II) • 14 headstones in Egloshayle churchyard – all eighteenth or early nineteenth century • 5 tombchests in Egloshayle churchyard – all eighteenth or early nineteenth century • South entrance to Egloshayle churchyard – gate and gate piers, circa early nineteenth century • Unroofed lychgate at northern entrance to Egloshayle churchyard – pair of gate piers, gate and overthrow, early nineteenth century

Local details Roofs – Most roofs in the village have gable ends, but there are a significant number of hipped roofs including 1-2 Church Villas, Court Place, 1 and 3 Trelinden Cottages, The Old Smithy, 1 Above Town Row, Molesworth Cottage, The Earl of St Vincent and The Cottage. Most buildings have brick chimneys, but a few still have their original stone stacks including 1 and 3 Trelinden Cottages, Hillside and Raydene. There are a number of houses in the village where the upper storey is incorporated within the roof space. These rooms are lit by dormer windows in a variety of forms including half-gables – Radfords and Shadows, Bretourun, Elm Cottage, 1-4 The Retreat and raking half dormers – Rose Cottage. 1 and 2 Molesworth Row have more modern roof lights. There are a number of examples of terracotta ridge tiles on some of the later roofs in the village including crested ridge tiles on 1-2 Church Villas, The Cottage and on The Dairy.

Hipped roof on The Old Smithy

Windows – A good proportion of the buildings in the village still retain historic windows. The majority of these are sash windows and examples include four pane windows - Bretourun, Wits End, Little Sark, Elm Cottage, Pine Cottage, Spring Cottage and The Cottage; six pane windows – 1-2 Church Villas; twelve pane windows – The Earl of St Vincent; sixteen pane windows – Boduel and The Earl of St Vincent; eighteen pane windows – Court House. The sash windows at 1-4 The Retreat have decorative margin glass glazing bars. There are a few examples of casement windows including Alnut House and Coopers Cottage. Most of the buildings in the village have flat fronted facades, but there are a few examples of bay windows including Riverview Terrace, Alnut House and The Earl of St Vincent which has a nineteenth century canted bay window. The majority of windows are flat headed, but Boduel and Spring Cottage have segmental headed windows.

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Historic sash windows on the Earl of St Vincent

Joinery – There is a good survival of historic doors in the village including both vernacular plank doors and panel doors on the more high status buildings. Panel front doors can be found at 1-2 Church Villas (where the entranceway incorporates two lights above the door), 1 and 3 Trelinden Cottages (whose panel door is also surmounted by a two light arrangement), 1-4 The Retreat and Court Place where the panel front door has a fanlight above. A plank door can be found at Wits End. Porches – Single pieces of slate supported by iron brackets are a simple vernacular approach to protecting front doors from weather and can be found on Bretourun, Wits End and Little Sark.

Simple porch canopy formed from a slab of slate supported by iron brackets

Local and traditional building materials Although thatch may have been originally used as a roofing material on some of the earlier cottages in the village, all the historic structures now have slate roofs. Local slate has been used to form both rag and scantle slate roofs giving the village a visual homogeneity. One of the cottages along Riverview Terrace was slatehung, but the slate has been painted in recent years. Slate has also been used to form verges - Elm Cottage and for window cills – Pine Cottage.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 24

Slate window cills

Slatestone – The majority of buildings in the village are constructed from local slatestone. Many of the domestic buildings have been rendered such as Hillside, Wits End, Little Sark, 1 and 2 Above Town Row, Orpine Cottage, Boduel, Lower Town, Coopers Cottage, The Dairy, 1 and 2 Molesworth Row and Wisteria Cottage; or half rendered – Jessamine, Rose Cottage. The Court Place has some exposed slatestone walls, but its main façade has a stucco coating. Other buildings have slatestone walls that have been painted – 1-3 Trelinden Cottages, the cottage south of Raydene, Raydene, Riverview Terrace, Bretouron, Alnut House, Spring Cottage, Molesworth Cottage. There are a number of both domestic and formerly non-domestic buildings which have untreated rubblestone walls – Elm Cottage, The Old Smithy, the former barn to the east of Boduel and several examples of slatestone walled buildings with brick dressings - 1 and 2 Church Villas, The Old Sunday School, 1-4 The Retreat. Most of the slatestone walls are random rubblestone, but there are a few examples of walls where the stone has been laid in courses such as The Cottage which also has cream brick dressings. Slatestone ashlar can be found on some of the higher status buildings - The Old Vicarage and the Sunday School (which also has cream brick dressings). The church is a mixture of slatestone rubble and ashlar slatestone in addition to other stone (see below). The Earl of St Vincent is a combination of painted slatestone and cob.

Slatestone walls with brick dressings – 1-2 Church Villas

Other stone – Granite forms the plinth to the south aisle of the church and Catacleuse stone is used for the arched surround of the western door. Brick – There are no historic brick buildings in the village, but brick is used to form the majority of chimneys and for window and door surrounds.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 25 Public realm and streetscape (see Figure 3) Streets and lanes – The roads throughout the village are narrow and winding, and have the character of country lanes. This impression is strengthened by the survival of many hedgerows and trees, and the scarcity of visually intrusive road markings. The tall hedges and fine slatestone boundary walls give a great sense of enclosure throughout the settlement. Historically some buildings were constructed to address the street, whilst others have been built side-on. A number of cottages have small front gardens, but the majority of historic buildings, with the exception of Court Place and The Vicarage which were set within their own grounds, are close to or abut the road.

The lanes through Egloshayle have a very rural character

Boundary and garden walls – Local slatestone garden and boundary walls are an important part of the character of the village. Most of the walls are mortared rubblestone and include tall imposing boundaries – the wall opposite Orchard View, the wall opposite Bretourun, the boundary wall to the Court Place, the boundary wall to the Old Vicarage - whose slatestone blocks are laid in courses, the slatestone rubble churchyard walls, the slatestone arched gateway to 1 and 2 Church View, the retaining wall below Riverview Terrace. More modest low front garden walls can be found at – Bretourun, Roseath, Pine Cottage, Boduel, Spring Cottage - whose wall has quartz coping stones, Molesworth Cottage and Spring Cottage - partly rendered.

Slatestone boundary walls are an important part of the character of the village

Gates and gateways – There are a number of historic gateways in Egloshayle including the granite square piers with ball finials to the cemetery; iron gate piers with pyramidal caps to the Old Vicarage; slatestone square piers with granite pyramidal caps at the

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 26 southern entrance to the churchyard; square granite piers with pyramidal caps at the original entrance to Court Place; the slatestone half lychgate with stone and slate benches at the northern entrance to the churchyard and the granite gate piers to Boduel. There is a good survival of original gates including the cast iron double gates to the cemetery, the entrance gates to the Old Vicarage, the nineteenth century wrought iron gates with over throw at the southern and northern entrances to the churchyard, and the cast iron gate at the original entrance to Court Place.

The imposing entrance to the cemetery

Steps – Due to the village’s position on a hillside a number of the houses and cottages are reached by steps. These have been formed in a variety of materials including slate – Pine Cottage, Radfords, slatestone - Boduel and granite – Hillside. Slabs of slate are used throughout the village to form front door steps – Bretourun.

Slatestone steps with slate treads Street ephemera – The well on Tower Hill.

Greenery and green space (see Figure 3) The main areas of green open space in Egloshayle are the playing field and meadows bordering the river at the southern end of the village, the churchyard with its collection of fine mature trees and the cemetery with its formal avenues of yew. Many of the gardens in the village are hidden behind hedges and stone walls, but there are some charming examples of cottage front gardens and an area of green open space to the north of Pippins Cottage. The grounds of Court Place still retain a number of the mature trees illustrated on the 1880 Ordnance Survey Map.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 27 Loss, intrusion and damage The buildings and historic environment in Egloshayle are generally well maintained and cared for. Historic features such as windows, doors, natural slate roofs, garden walls, chimneys and rain water goods and historic render have in general been retained. There are a few examples of modern replacement windows and doors, modern slate roofs and cementitious renders, but these are in the minority. A few houses have been extended on their facades, resulting in a loss of original features and obscuring the historic nature of the original building. The street lighting throughout the village is somewhat overscale, of a very utilitarian design and not always sited in sympathy with the surrounding historic environment. There is a very complicated overhead wirescape which in places obscures significant views and vistas.

Neutral Areas (see Figure 3) The village notice board is looking a little tired, and the posters would benefit from being displayed behind glass.

General condition and Buildings at Risk Buildings in Egloshayle are generally in good condition and there are no Buildings at Risk.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 28 The Riverside

Statement of Significance This part of Wadebridge comprises mainly early to late nineteenth century terraced housing and cottage rows which linked the development around the bridge to the village of Egloshayle. Developmentally this area also includes the terraces of houses on the old Trenant Girt quarry site, but the degree of alteration of many of these buildings would make their inclusion within the conservation area boundary problematic. Despite the modest scale of most of the buildings the variety of their different forms and detailing coupled with their excellent site overlooking the river combine to make this an extremely attractive part of the town.

Historic development – key events • Eighteenth century – first development in area directly to the east of the village • Early nineteenth century – development of the Trenant Girt Valley around the quarry. 108-111 Egloshayle Road built • Late nineteenth century – large number of houses built along Egloshayle Road • 1905 playing field land bought

Activity and use This area is mainly residential, with the exception of the busy general stores. The road in front of the houses is very busy with people travelling into Wadebridge and out towards the A389. The area of land between the road and the river has been developed to provide tennis courts, a bowling green, playing fields, cricket pitch and a playground, making it a popular place for recreation. The riverside walk is well used by those walking into town and exercising their dogs.

The bowling green on Egloshayle Road

Building types At first glance the buildings in this area appear to be fairly uniform, comprising rows of cottages and small terraces of houses. However, closer inspection reveals that whilst all the buildings, apart from the general store at No. 61, are domestic they come in a variety of different forms (all buildings are on Egloshayle Road): • Early nineteenth century town house – 75, 108, 110, 111

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 29 • Early nineteenth century cottage – 46 (possibly former shop and incorporating 47), 50 • Early nineteenth century cottage pair – 48 and 49, 74 and 75, 76 and 77, 78 and 79 • Early nineteenth cottage row – 51-55, 57-60, 80-86 • Late nineteenth century villas – 42, 44 and 45 (Gillmore Villas, 1894), 106 • Late nineteenth century town houses – three houses to the west of Highview House, 62, 90, 91, 107, 109 • Late nineteenth century terrace – 64-68, 87-89, 124-128 • Late nineteenth century cottage pair – 39 and 40 • Late nineteenth century cottage row – 92-101

Late nineteenth century villas on Egloshayle Road

• Late nineteenth century cottage – 56 • Early twentieth century villa - house to the east of Highview House • Early twentieth century cottage – 41 (possibly former shop) • Early twentieth century cottage row – 102-105 • Early twentieth century terrace – 69-71, 116-119, 120-123

Architectural styles Many of the cottages and small houses in the area were built in the local vernacular style with simple unadorned facades and pitched roofs with gable ends. However, during the late nineteenth century a number of villas were built with Gothic inspired gable dormers and Classically influenced quoins, plat bands and window and door surrounds. 62 and 71 have Classically inspired rusticated quoins and window and door surrounds. Some of these features were applied to the plain façades and roofs of the earlier buildings. The three houses to the west of Highview House have applied Classical façades with a cornice hiding the pitched roofs behind. 108 has a Classical style doorcase with slim piers supporting the projecting roof of the bay window.

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Classical façades on three late nineteenth century town houses, Egloshayle Road

The house to the east of Highview House was designed to incorporate a number of eclectic features such as round headed windows, gable projections and large chimneys into its design.

Listed Buildings 108, 110 and 111 Egloshayle Road – Early nineteenth century houses Listed Grade II.

111 Egloshayle Road is Listed Grade II

Local details • Roofs – Despite being built over a period of time the houses along Egloshayle Road were almost all designed to abut their neighbours and consequently have gable roofs. The one exception, however, is 106 which was built in its own small plot of land and has a hipped roof. A considerable number of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century houses have gabled full dormer windows – 42, 44, 45, 61, 69, 70, 71, 102, 103, 117, 118, 119, 122 and 123.

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Historic dormer windows

• Most of the roofs in the area have terracotta ridge tiles. On the early nineteenth century houses these are generally plain, whereas on the later nineteenth century buildings these ridge tiles are sometimes crested – house to the east of Highview, 61, 62, 103, 104, 117, 118, 119 or crested and pierced – 42, 69, 70, 122, 123. The decorative terracotta ridge tiles above the dormer windows are often finished with a terracotta finial – 44, 45, 61, 69, 70, 103, 109, 117, 118, 119. • Windows – A number of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century buildings have bay windows – house to the east of Highview, three houses to the west of Highview, 38 and 40, 42, 64-68, 69, 70, 99, 103, 120, 121, 122, 123, and these features were also added to the façades of some of the earlier houses – 50, 55, 59, 73, 74, 77, 80, 85, 108, 110. There are a number of houses with double height bay windows - 71, 87, 88, 97, 109.

Single and double height bay windows can be found along Egloshayle Road

• Most of the buildings in the area would have had sash windows such as those to be found at 75, 77, 78, 90, 98, 103, 107, 109 but sadly the majority have not survived. Good examples, however, can be found at 108 where the bay windows have 20 panes and at first floor level there are 12 pane sash windows, and 110 which has 12 pane windows. At 44 and 45 the original sash windows with their decorative arrangement of glazing bars have been retained. Number 99 has casement windows, but these are a more recent addition to the late nineteenth century façade. 116 and

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 32 119 have tripartite first floor window arrangements, but with modern windows inserted. Similarly 124, 125, 126 and 127 originally had tripartite ground floor windows which have subsequently been replaced. • Joinery – Some of the villa style houses in the area incorporate decorative timberwork and/or bargeboards into their design – 44 and 45, 61, 89, 91, 103, 109, 116, 117, 118, 119. Sadly most of the historic doors in the area have been replaced, but there are a few historic examples surviving including the half glazed panel doors on 44, 45, 46, 71, 75, 78, and 108. No. 75 has a slate roof veranda supported by wooden piers as does 111. • Porches – One of the features of the area is a ground floor arrangement involving bay windows under pent roofs which extend to form porches. In some cases the arrangement includes one window with the front door to the side – 44, 45, 56, 58, 60, 81, 93, 94, 104, 105, 116, 117, 118, 119 whilst others have a central front door flanked by two bay windows - 62, 78, 79, 89, 90, 91. A similar arrangement can be found on the general stores No. 61, including fish scale slates, and it is possible that some of the houses which incorporate this arrangement could also have formerly been shops. Number 106 has a glass roofed veranda and 110 has a possibly lead roofed veranda which at some point has been painted.

Veranda and historic sash windows on 110 Egloshayle Road

• Rear access passageways – As the houses generally were built abutting each other to form rows and terraces access to the rear was gained through passageways incorporated into the ground floor of some of the houses. Examples can be found at 48, 51, 52, 75, 78, 85, 88, 107, and 110. Many of the passage openings are formed from brick arches.

Passageways giving access to the rear of the properties are a feature of the area

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 33 Local and traditional building materials • Slatestone – Nearly all the houses in the area have slatestone walls. On some buildings the walls have been left uncovered displaying brick dressings – 42, 48, 49, 51-54, 75, 76, 92, 94-98, 100, 101, 109, 120-123 or stone dressings - 71. On some houses the stone walls have been painted – 77-79, 93, 99, 104, but the majority are rendered – house to the west of Highview, façades of the three houses to the east of Highview, 39-41, 44-46, 50, 55-70, 73, 74, 80-90,102, 103, 106-108, 116-119 (with brick detailing), 124-128. Between 57 and 58 there is a shared chimney stack built from stone.

The houses on Egloshayle Road are all constructed from slatestone, but have a number of different finishes

• Slate – Originally all the houses would have had local slate roofs. However, over the years a number of buildings have been re-roofed with man-made or non-local slate, which has somewhat diminished the area’s visual homogeneity. The roofs mainly have terracotta ridge tiles, some with decorative finishes (see above). Slate is used not only to roof the buildings, but also the bay windows. Most of the slate is regularly sized but there are a few examples of the use of decorative fish scale slates including – 42, 61. There are a few slatehung facades – 104, 110, 111 and slate hanging can be found between the double height bay windows on 97 and on the cheeks of dormer windows at 117-119, 122 and 123, on the side elevation of 90. There is a slate hoodmould above the doorway at 111. • Brick – Brick chimneys can be found on the majority of houses in the area, and in general are red brick. There are a few examples of more decorative chimneys with bands of red and cream brick on 64-68 and in a few cases, such as the houses immediately to the west of Highview and No. 106, the brick chimneys have been rendered. Otherwise brick is used as detailing, there are no buildings in the area solely of brick construction.

Public realm and streetscape (see Figure 3) • Streets and lanes – The area consists of one road, Egloshayle Road, which connects the main part of Wadebridge town with the satellite village of Egloshayle. The road is fairly busy even at off peak times. The eastern side of the area has a suburban feel with the row of housing on the northern side of the road and the park and playing field on the southern side. At the western end there is a marked contrast between the intensively developed housing on the northern side of the road and the wild, undeveloped riverscape on the southern side. The road itself is bordered by tarmac pavements with thin granite kerbstones.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 34

The undeveloped riverscape on the southern side of Egloshayle Road

• Boundary and garden walls – A high percentage of the front gardens along Egloshayle Road have slatestone garden walls. At the eastern end of the area the walls also act as retaining walls, as the houses and their front gardens are constructed on a slope above the street level. Some of the walls have slatestone caps, whilst others are constructed from granite or concrete. In a few cases the gardens walls have been rendered. The garden wall at 71 is constructed from a mixture of slatestone and brick, whilst 106 has an entirely brick built garden wall. The playing fields and riverside path on the southern side of Egloshayle Road are bordered by slatestone walls similar to those that border the gardens of the houses. This adds to the visual unity of the area. The wall that borders the playing fields has regularly spaced piers taller than the wall surmounted by pyramidal caps.

The slatestone garden walls are an important element in the character of the area

• Gates and gateways – Many of the front gardens have gateways formed from slatestone piers with stone pyramidal shaped caps. • Railings – No railings survive in the area, but some of the lower garden walls such as those in front of 107 and 108 would once have been surmounted by railings. • Steps – Some of the houses at the eastern end of the area built on the slope above the road are reached by slatestone steps. • Street ephemera – Cast iron post box outside the post office.

Greenery and green space – (see Figure 3) All the houses along Egloshayle Road are set back from the road behind front gardens.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 35

The front gardens along Egloshayle Road add to the charm and quality of the area

The houses at the eastern end have very visible sloping front gardens, whilst the gardens at the western end are level with the street. The majority of gardens have shrubs and flower beds, whilst some of the larger gardens also contain small trees. In a number of gardens the low garden walls have hedges behind them. The undeveloped area of land behind the houses at the eastern end of Egloshayle Road contains a number of trees which form a green backdrop. On the southern side of the road the playing fields and bowling green form a large green expanse between the built environment and the river. In addition to the green fields the playing fields and cricket pitch contain a number of mature trees. The well-tended grounds contrast with the wild grass lands at the western end of the area adjacent to the river. Trees are intermittently planted along the pavement on the southern side of Egloshayle Road.

Loss, intrusion and damage Loss Historically some of the early nineteenth century cottages were demolished and replaced by later nineteenth century houses. Intrusion The design and scale of the streetlamps along Egloshayle Road are more suited to a city bypass than a road bordered by historic buildings and an outstanding natural landscape. The complicated overhead wires and cables are similarly insensitively sited and obstruct many of the significant views. The row of modern houses 111-116 were sited further back from the streetline than their historic neighbours leading to a visual tear in the streetscape. A growing number of houses have satellite dishes on their façades.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 36

The positioning of the modern housing has resulted in a gap in the streetline

Damage Over the years a large number of historic doors and windows have been replaced. Many of the modern replacements are of inappropriate materials and design. A number of local, natural slate roofs have been replaced with man-made or non-local slate. Some of the houses have modern ground floor extensions which disguise the historic nature of the building behind. Overscale and poorly designed dormer windows have been inserted into a few historic roofs, as have rooflights on highly visible slopes. Some garden walls have been replaced with walls in modern materials or demolished to allow for off-street parking. The slatestone garden and boundary walls are an important element of the streetscape along Egloshayle Road. The walls were part of the original scheme of development in the early nineteenth century and continued as part of the later nineteenth century development. They provide a sense of enclosure and add to the visual homogeneity of the area.

The visual unity of Egloshayle Road and the rhythm of development has been interrupted by the demolition of the garden wall and the loss of the front garden

General condition and Buildings at Risk The buildings in this area are generally well maintained and there are no buildings at risk.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 37 Wadebridge Town

Statement of Significance This is the commercial centre of the town where most of the shops, banks, cafes and public houses can be found. There is a very good survival of historic buildings in this area mainly dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth century. The combination of industrial, commercial and domestic buildings in this area make for richly varied streetscapes with a variety of building styles and scales.

Historic development – key events • Medieval – Two chapels either side of river • 1309 – Leper hospital • 1468 – Wadebridge Bridge • 1646 - Bridge defended during Civil War • Eighteenth century – Bradford Quay • 1783 – First Methodist Chapel on Egloshayle Road • 1833 - Oatey and Martyn Foundry • 1834 - Railway to Bodmin • 1835 - Attack of typhus • 1852-3 - Bridge widened • 1888 - Railway connected to Great Western Railway • 1895 - Railway connected to LRWR • 1898 - Creation of Wadebridge Urban Council • 1960s - Railway closed • 1962-3 - Second widening of the bridge • 1981 – New sewers allow for large building programme

Activity and use This is the busiest part of Wadebridge with a constant stream of traffic both vehicular and pedestrian. Although Molesworth Street has been pedestrianised it is still very busy with people visiting the shops which line either side of the street. The domestic buildings are located on the edge of the area, or in the streets behind the main commercial thoroughfares.

Building types Domestic buildings Large town houses – During the town’s industrial heyday a number of sizeable houses were built throughout the area: • Pair of houses at the foot of Trevanion Road (late nineteenth century) – now converted into a health centre and private dwelling

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One of the former large town houses representing the prosperity of the town following the arrival of the railway

• Belmont House (late nineteenth century) • Pair of houses to the south of the Masonic Hall, Trevanion Road (late nineteenth century) • Oakland and Hillcote, Trevanion Road (late nineteenth century) • The Rectory, Trevanion Road (late nineteenth century) – possibly purpose built • Goonbell and Springfontein, Fernleigh Road (early twentieth century) • Pendennis and Penquite, Fernleigh Road (late nineteenth century) • Manor House, Gonvena Hill (eighteenth century) – now offices • Spring Gardens, Gonvena Hill (late seventeenth/early eighteenth century) • 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 32, 33, Egloshayle Road (late nineteenth century) • 31 Egloshayle Road (early twentieth century) • 34 Egloshayle Road (early nineteenth century) • 52 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) • 47 and 49 Molesworth Street (early nineteenth century) • 58 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) • 68 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) – possibly original manse for adjacent chapel • 61 and 63 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) • 65 and 67 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) • 69 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century with early twentieth century turret) • 71 and 73 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) • The Elms, Molesworth Street (late seventeenth century) • Pridham House, Molesworth Street (late seventeenth century) • Westerland, Molesworth Street (eighteenth century) • Hill House Park Road (early nineteenth century)

Terraced housing – Following the arrival of the railway, terraces of houses were built from the late nineteenth into the early twentieth century. They occur throughout the

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 39 town, but are notably concentrated on the land to the south of the railway. The terraces were built with front gardens and where possible to take advantage of the views: • 7-24 Trevanion Road (late nineteenth century) – No. 18 includes a modern shopfront addition. • 25-28 Trevanion Road (late nineteenth century) • Bossiney, Elmsleigh and Springfield, Trevanion Road (early twentieth century) • Tremar to Trevalsa, Fernleigh Road (late nineteenth century) • 1-5 Gwendrock Villas, Fernleigh Road (late nineteenth century) • Kingarth to Glynfield, Fernleigh Road (early twentieth century) • 12 houses south of Penquite on west side of Fernleigh Road (early twentieth century) • 1-16, Fernleigh Road east side (late nineteenth century) • 17-21, Fernleigh Road (early twentieth century) • 1-4 Glencoe Terrace, Guineaport Road (late nineteenth century) • 1-9 Cliff Park Terrace, Guineaport Road (late nineteenth century) • Houses south of Cliff Park Terrace as far as 9 Guineaport Road (late nineteenth century)

The late nineteenth/early twentieth century houses are an important component of the area’s character

• 9-18 Guineaport Road (early twentieth century) • 1-4 Marine Terrace, Eddystone Road (late nineteenth century) • 1-8 Park Place (late nineteenth century) • 1-5 Clarence Terrace (late nineteenth century) Cottage rows – These are groups of three or more cottages, usually built to house industrial or agricultural workers. Examples of this type can be found throughout the area, especially in proximity to the quays, former quarries and the foundry. Examples include: • 1-9 Riverside Place – built for workers at the former gas works (late nineteenth century)

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 40 • Myn Tered and Wheel Cottage (formerly two cottages) – built for workers at the former quarry (late nineteenth century) • 1-4 Flora Place, Gonvena Hill (early nineteenth century) • 1 and 2 Spring Gardens, Rose Cottage, Gonvena Hill (early nineteenth century) • 1-5 adjacent to Bureau House, Bradford Quay Road • 1-3 Bradford Quay Road (late nineteenth century) • 1-6 Eddystone Terrace, Eddystone Road (late nineteenth century) – probably built for workers at the stone works which lay directly to the north • 1-2 Eddystone Place and 6-10 Trevanson Street (early nineteenth century) – originally built as back-to-back cottages, now amalgamated into a single row

Rows of cottages can be found close to centres of industrial activity

• 1-5 Trevanson Street (early nineteenth century) – industrial workers cottages probably for stone works or quay • 80-84 Molesworth Street (early nineteenth century) • 4-6 Park Road (early nineteenth century) • 7, 8 and 14 Park Road (early – late nineteenth century) • Cottages southern side of Chapel Lane (early nineteenth century) • Foundry Terrace (early nineteenth century) – built for workers at Oatey and Martyn’s foundry Cottage pairs – piecemeal development sometimes built on infill sites or on the edges of earlier development. • Restaurant adjacent to the Trevanion Road Chapel – originally a pair of cottages (eighteenth century) • 44 and 46 Molesworth Street (early nineteenth century) - built originally as courtyard development with cottages behind the street line, two of which still survive • 48 and 50 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) – extensively modernised • 86-92 Molesworth Street (early nineteenth century) – courtyard development with buildings behind the street line • 1 and 2 Park Road (late nineteenth century)

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 41 • Houses on northern side of Park Road and on the corner with Foundry Terrace (late nineteenth century) • Cottages on the western side of Cross Street (early nineteenth century) – incorporating sometime shop, now reverted to domestic

This building was part of the eighteenth century expansion of the town. Its site below street level indicating it was built before Trevanion Road in its present form was constructed

Commercial Wadebridge has a good survival of historic commercial buildings. Many of these including the public houses and hotels were purpose built, whilst some of the shops were inserted into earlier town houses. The hotels tend to be larger structures of three storeys and higher, often built in recognisable architectural idioms. Some of the shops, and most of the banks, also incorporate decorative architectural detailing into their designs. • Public Houses – The Ship Inn (early nineteenth century) The Molesworth Arms Hotel (late seventeenth century) – built as a coaching Inn, now a hotel, The Churchill (eighteenth century) – formerly the Conservative Club, and before that a town house, 76 and 78 Molesworth Street (early nineteenth century) – formerly the Queen’s Head Inn now domestic

The Churchill was originally built as a town house, before it was converted into a club and subsequently a public house

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 42 • Banks – 12 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century), 14 and 16 Molesworth Street (early nineteenth century) – originally town houses converted into bank, 22- 26 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) – town house converted into bank, 26 Molesworth Street • Houses with shops inserted at ground floor level – 6-10 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century), 4, 5 and 6 Polmorla Road (early nineteenth century), 18, building adjacent to 21, 35 and 37, 43, 45 Molesworth Street (early nineteenth century), 20, 21, 28-30, 55 and 57 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century), 31, 33, 32, 34 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) – No. 34 had the first post office in Wadebridge inserted at ground floor level, 27 and 29, 41 Molesworth Street (18th century houses with nineteenth century shops), 39 Molesworth Street (eighteenth century town house with later shop all rebuilt following a recent fire), 36 Molesworth Street (mid nineteenth century town house with late 19th century shop) • Purpose built shops – 1-5 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century), 7 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century), Artyfacts and Noah’s Ark Tearoom, The Platt (early twentieth century), the Post Office, The Platt (early twentieth century), 1 and 2 Polmorla Road (late nineteenth century), 3 Polmorla Road (early nineteenth century), 13, 15, 17, 19, 25 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century), 40 and 42 Molesworth Street (early twentieth century) • Hotels – The Swan originally The Commercial (late nineteenth century) extended with further wing in early twentieth century), The Bridge on Wool originally The Cornish Arms (late nineteenth century)

The late nineteenth century Swan Hotel, originally known as The Commercial

Industrial buildings Former warehouses – There are a number of warehouses throughout the town, some associated with the former foundry, whilst others were built to house the goods imported and exported from the town’s quays and railway. These buildings tend to be three storeys or higher and can include irregular window openings, loft doors and the remains of pulley systems. The majority have been converted into residential or commercial use. A few of the smaller examples, however, are still used as storage buildings. Examples of warehouses include: • The row of shops including the photographers on Polmorla Road (late nineteenth century) • Building at the east end of Foundry Terrace (late nineteenth century)

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 43 • Building now accommodating the shop Glanville and Sons (late nineteenth century) • 1 Egloshayle Road and adjoining building to the north (early nineteenth century) – now converted into shops with accommodation above • Bridge House (early nineteenth century) – now a clinic • 4 and 6 Egloshayle Road (early nineteenth century) – now domestic and stores, No. 6 one time shop • 1 Malletts Court, off Harbour Road (late nineteenth century) – now domestic

Very decorative former warehouse, now converted into a shop

• Former warehouse, Trevanson Street (early nineteenth century) – now offices for the North Cornwall Advertiser • 23 Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) – now shops with accommodation above • Building on the corner of Brackwell Place and Park Road (late nineteenth century) – now domestic and commercial • Building at east end of Chapel Lane on the southern side (late nineteenth century) Former foundry buildings – Over the years most of the Oatey and Martyn’s foundry site has been cleared and redeveloped with flats, sheltered accommodation and a shopping precinct. However, a few remnants of the former foundry remain converted into other uses including the Glanville and Sons former warehouse noted above and: • The Nuthatch (late nineteenth century) - possibly former stables

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A surviving remnant from the former foundry

Former quay buildings – Most of the buildings associated with the historic quays have been cleared as the sites have been redeveloped for housing and for light industrial use. A few buildings still survive now converted to other uses. • Bureau House (late nineteenth century) – possibly former offices for Bradford Quay, now domestic • Allen House (late nineteenth century) – possibly former offices, now domestic Outhouses – A number of small outhouses and workshops still survive in the town – some have been converted into other uses. Many still retain their irregular window openings and large doorways which attest to their former incarnations. • Springfield Cottage, Brook Road (late nineteenth century) – now domestic • Two shops at the north-east end of The Platt, currently the Jag phone shop and the Fudge Shop (late nineteenth century) • Building on northern corner of Park Road and Whiterock Road (late nineteenth century) • 2 Park Road (late nineteenth century) Stables – Former stables can be found throughout the town converted into both retail and domestic use. • Stable Cottage, Glen Road (late nineteenth century) • Stables on Fairpark Road (early nineteenth century) unconverted and used as a store – the remains of a winch still survive • Former stables mentioned above as part of Foundry site (late nineteenth century) – now a restaurant • 22-26 Trevanson Street (early nineteenth century) – former carriage entrance and stables to the Molesworth Arms Hotel now domestic accommodation

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Former carriage entrance to the Molesworth Arms Hotel, now converted into domestic accommodation

• 27 and 28 Trevanson Street (early nineteenth century) – former stables to the Molesworth Arms Hotel, now domestic accommodation • Former stables/store, Trevanson Street (late nineteenth century) – now a shop, The Spice Store Railway buildings - Although most of the buildings associated with the railway were demolished after the closure of the line a few remnants still survive. • Former Railway Station (mid nineteenth century) – now the Betjeman Centre • Former Goods Shed, Southern Way (early nineteenth century) – now the Betty Fisher Centre Public buildings The majority of the public buildings in Wadebridge were built in this area, close to the commercial and industrial heart of the settlement. • Masonic Hall, Trevanion Road (late nineteenth century) • Wills Memorial Hall, Egloshayle Road (late nineteenth century) – now a hall • Former school off Egloshayle Road (late nineteenth century) – now domestic • Mechanical Institute (late nineteenth century) – now shop and accommodation • Police Station, Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) • Molesworth Street School and attached school house (late nineteenth century) – now converted into five dwellings

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Entrance to the former Mechanical Institute on Molesworth Street

Ecclesiastical buildings Although the only Church of England church in the area was situated in Egloshayle, within the town centre the Nonconformists built a number of chapels. • Chapel, Trevanion Road (early nineteenth century) now converted into a Methodist meeting place & café • Methodist Chapel, Egloshayle Road (late nineteenth century) – still in use • Congregational Chapel, Molesworth Street (late nineteenth century) – still in use • Wadebridge Methodist Church now sold

Services are still held in this nineteenth century chapel on Trevanion Road

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 47 Architectural styles This area of the town is particularly rich in architectural detail. Although the former industrial buildings and cottages were built in the local vernacular style the vast majority of buildings – the shops, hotels, public buildings, chapels, large detached houses and terraces - were all designed either in a specific architectural style or incorporating polite details. Classical • The terraced housing in Wadebridge is notable for its exuberant Classically inspired details including pilasters, capitals, modillion brackets and balustrades • Oakland and Hillcote, Trevanion Road – pilasters surmounted by ball finials • Springfield, Trevanion Road – rusticated quoins • Pendennis, Fernleigh Road – brick pilasters and pediment • Manor House, Gonvena Hill – Classical elements include a plat band, pediment supported by consol brackets above the front door and a symmetrical façade • Spring Gardens, Gonvena Hill – symmetrical façade, and a porch with Tuscan columns • 17 Egloshayle Road – symmetrical façade with central niche • Clyburn and Dukes Mead, Egloshayle Road – Symmetrical façade, round headed windows with radiating tracery • 6-10 Molesworth Street – cornice with modillion brackets, plat band and pilasters • 7 Molesworth Street – pilasters, rusticated quoins and sole plate, moulded string course • The Bridge on Wool, The Platt – cornice, quoins, segmental headed windows with keystones, plat band • 12 Molesworth Street - Doric columns supporting an entablature, banded rustication

Classical style features on the HSBC bank, Molesworth Street

• 14 and 16 Molesworth Street – cornices above first floor windows supported by consoles, wide eaves with mutule decoration, architraves around windows, banded rustication at ground floor level

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 48 • 20 Molesworth Street – cornice supported by consoles above first floor windows, side doorway surrounded by vermiculated rustication • 22-26 Molesworth Street – banded rustication at ground floor level • 26 Molesworth Street – pilasters dividing round headed windows, keystone above entrance, modillion eaves brackets • 28 Molesworth Street – cornice and plat band • 23 Molesworth Street – ground floor banded rustication, round headed windows with radiating glazing bars, window mouldings with keystones, dentil band beneath cornice, pilasters • 32 and 24 Molesworth Street – quoins • 27 and 29 Molesworth Street – roof parapet above moulded cornice with blind rectangular panels • 36 Molesworth Street – projecting cornice with parapet above • 31 and 33 Molesworth Street - roof parapet above moulded cornice with blind rectangular panels • 39 Molesworth Street - roof parapet above moulded cornice with blind rectangular panels • Molesworth Arms, Molesworth Street – porch with moulded cornice supported by Doric columns, quoins, moulded window surrounds • 52 Molesworth Street – quoins, plat band, cornice supported by brackets above door, moulded window surrounds, cills supported by corbels • 51 and 53 Molesworth Street – quoins, moulded window surrounds supported by corbels, eaves cornice

Classical detailing on former town house, Molesworth Street, later converted into shops

• Pridham House, Molesworth Street – porch room supported by Doric columns, round headed stair window with radiating glazing bars • 1-8 Park Place – round headed windows and glazing bars Gothic • The Town Hall (formerly the Molesworth Hall) – predominantly Gothic in style this building includes a bell tower surmounted by a fleche with clock faces and a finial above. The windows are round headed including a large window above the main

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 49 entrance with radiating tracery. Some Classical elements are incorporated into the design including a balustraded balcony and pilasters which terminate in flag poles.

The style of the Town Hall is predominantly Gothic with some eclectic details

• Chapel, Trevanion Road – early English Gothic style with pointed windows and ‘Y’ shaped tracery • Masonic Lodge, Trevanion Road – pointed headed windows with trefoil headed tracery, roundel above with Masonic symbols, hood moulds and string course

Gothic detailing on the Masonic Lodge, Trevanion Road

• Sunday School, Egloshayle Road – pointed headed windows, with trefoil headed tracery, pointed double lancet with roundels above

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 50 • Methodist Chapel, Egloshayle Road – pointed windows, buttresses with hipped caps and cast-iron finials, string course and roundel • 2 Molesworth Street (former Mechanics Institute) - pointed headed doorway with lancet above, steeply pitched gable roof • Congregational Chapel, Molesworth Street – early English Gothic style with lancet windows Eclectic – Often rather than following one strict idiom architectural features from different styles are mixed to produce eclectic compositions. • The Health Centre – Gothic gables are combined with Classical pilasters which flank the entrance and rise two storeys to enclose a window surmounted by a pediment • Oakland and Hillcote, Trevanion Road – Gothic gables mixed with Classical modillion brackets, plat band, pilasters, ball finials and quoins • The Rectory, Trevanion Road – castellations above the bay windows, round headed windows, arched porch supported by columns

An exuberant mix of styles were used in the design of The Rectory

• The Swan, The Platt – Classical features include round headed windows with stringcourses and keystones and tripartite windows. Gothic Features include an ogee arch stringcourse • The Post Office, The Platt – projecting bays surmounted by small slate hipped roofs with cast iron ridges, sloping main roof hidden behind parapet, plat band joining row of windows, central window with segmental head

Key buildings • Wadebridge Street – Grade II*, circa 1468 • The Police Station – Grade II, late nineteenth century • The Molesworth Arms Hotel – Grade II, late seventeenth century • The Town Hall – 1888 • The Old School, Molesworth Road – 1860s

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 51 • The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Egloshayle Road – mid nineteenth century • The Bridge on Wool, The Platt – late nineteenth century • The Swan Hotel, The Platt – late nineteenth century • The Mechanics Institute, Egloshayle Road – late nineteenth century Other listed buildings and structures in the area (all Grade II): • Bradford Quay – quay wall circa eighteenth century. • 27 and 29 Molesworth Street – Late eighteenth century shop with late nineteenth century shopfront. • 31 and 33 Molesworth Street Eighteenth century shops with late nineteenth century shopfronts. • 39 Molesworth Street – Eighteenth century shop remodelled in early nineteenth century. • 41 Molesworth Street – Late eighteenth century shop extended in mid nineteenth century. • 36 Molesworth Street – Mid nineteenth century shop. • 54 Molesworth Street – Eighteenth century house remodelled in nineteenth century, now a club. • 74 Molesworth Street and garden wall – Late seventeenth century house with late nineteenth century garden walls. • Wadebridge Station – Mid nineteenth century. • Greystones and house adjoining, Whiterock Road – Early nineteenth century. • Glawildor and garden wall – Early nineteenth century house. • 1-2 Whiterock Terrace - Circa 1830s pair of houses. • 3 Whiterock Terrace - Circa 1830s house. • 4 and 5 Whiterock Terrace - Circa 1840 pair of houses. • Wall and steps to north east of Whiterock Terrace - Circa 1840.

Local details Roofs • Most of the roofs in the area have gables, but hipped roofs can be found on some of the higher status buildings such as The Rectory and Springfield, Trevanion Road; the Betjeman Centre; the Manor House and Spring Gardens, Gonvena Hill; 17, 20, 21, 22, 22a and 23 Egloshayle Road; Clyburn and Dukes Mead, Egloshayle Road; the Bridge on Wool (hipped roof hidden behind a cornice); The Police Station, Molesworth Street; 74 Molesworth Street; Westernlands, Molesworth Street and Hill House, Park Road. Many of the large warehouses such as Allen House, Bradford Quay Road; 6 Egloshayle Road (double depth); 1 Malletts Court (hipped at western end); 27 Trevanson Street; former warehouse on Trevanson Street and the former warehouse, Chapel Lane also have hipped roofs. Belmont House has a half-hipped gable at its southern end, the roof at Rose Cottage, Bradford Quay Road is hipped at its northern end and the Swan Hotel has a half-hipped roof on its northern wing. The former school, Molesworth Street has projecting bays with half-hipped roofs. Pent roofs can be found on the Polmorla Mews building (probably originally stables).

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The former school off Egloshayle has a prominent hipped roof. This picture also shows the tall mortared slatestone wall – a feature of the area

• Nearly all the buildings in this area have brick chimneys including some notable examples such as 1-9 Riverside Place, the Health Centre and 1 and 2 Trevanion Road where the chimneys include moulded brick decoration. • There is a tradition in the area of dormer windows, particularly on building of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century. Examples include gabled full dormers – the Health Centre; Belmont House (canted sides); Elmsleigh and Bossiney, Trevanion Road; Springfield (glazed cheeks); Tremar and Goonbell, Trevanion Road; Springfontein and Mayfield (canted), Greenaway, Hazelmere and Trevalsa, Fernleigh Road; 17 and 18 Fernleigh Road (slatehung cheeks); 1-4 Glencoe Terrace and 31 Egloshayle Road.

Dormer windows along Fernleigh Road

• Dormers incorporated into gable ends can be found at 1-5 Gwendrock Villas; Kingarth to Glynfield, Fernleigh Road; 1-16 Fernleigh Road; 21 Molesworth Street (half glazed and half slatehung cheeks); 26 Molesworth Street; 54 Molesworth Street (slatehung cheeks) and 61, 63, 65, 67, Molesworth Street. • The Manor House has full dormers with hipped roofs and raking full dormer windows can be found on the Swan Hotel.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 53 Windows • A number of historic windows have been lost in this area, including on some high status and very visible buildings. However, a number still survive of different types and from different periods. The most common historic window type is the simple late nineteenth/early twentieth century four or two pane sash which can be found throughout the area including the cottages at 1-9 Riversdale Place; Belmont House, Trevanion Road (one of which is round-headed); 7-13, 17, Oakland and Hillcote, The Rectory, Elmsleigh, Bossiney, Springfield, Tremar, Goonbell, Trevanion Road; Springfontein, Mayfield, Greenaway, Hazelmere, Trevalsa, 1-5 Gwendrock Villas, Kingarth to Glynfield, Pendennis, Fernleigh Road; terrace of houses south of Penquite, Fernleigh Road (including round headed windows in gables); 1-16 and 17- 21 Fernleigh Road; 1-4 Glencoe Terrace; 1-9 Gill Park Terrace; the late nineteenth century terrace, Guineaport Road; 9-18 Guineaport Road; the Ship Inn, Gonvena Hill; 2 Bradford Quay Road; 8 Molesworth Street; Noah’s Ark, The Platt; 1,5,6 Polmorla Road; 15, 18, 20, 21 (and building adjacent), 23, 26, 31, 33, 35, 37, 41, 43, 55, 57, 61, 63, The Police Station, Molesworth Street; 1-8 Park Place (original sashes on some of the buildings), 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, the Old School House, Molesworth Street; the former warehouse on the corner of Blackwell Place and 2 and 3 Clarence Terrace.

Historic sash windows on Guineaport Road

• Six pane sashes can be found on 40 and 42 Molesworth Street and 1 and 2 Park Road; twelve pane sashes at The Manor House and Spring Gardens, Gonvena Hill; Spring Gardens Cottage; 17, 32, 33 Egloshayle Road; The Swan Hotel; 14, 16, 36, 39, 74, 92, The Molesworth Arms and The Police Station, Molesworth Street. Sixteen pane sashes still survive on The Swan; 47, 49 and 54 Molesworth Street and twenty four pane windows at the Betjeman Centre and the Molesworth Arms.

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Twenty-four pane sash windows on the Molesworth Street façade of the Molesworth Arms

• Sash windows with margin glass can be found on 6 Egloshayle Road; 1 Marine Terrace; 2 and 4 Eddystone Terrace and 34 Egloshayle Road where the margin glass is coloured. • Tripartite sash windows can be found on 6, 7, 10, 26, 74 and Westerlands, Molesworth Street. An oriel window is included in the design of the Swan Hotel. • In the area there are a few buildings with historic casement windows including The Manor House, Gonvena Hill whose dormer windows have casements and Spring Gardens, Gonvena Hill which has casements on its rear elevation. • One of the former warehouses on Polmorla Road has unusual cast iron lozenge shaped glazing bars that were possibly manufactured at the neighbouring foundry. The former school on Molesworth Street has stone mullion and transom windows.

Cast iron glazing bars on Polmorla Road

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 55 • The predominant window shape is square headed but the Gothic influenced buildings in the area have pointed windows, whilst some of the Classically influenced buildings have round headed windows – see Architectural Styles above. A number of terraced houses have segmental headed windows. • Many of the larger detached houses and the later nineteenth/early twentieth century terraces have bay windows. Examples can be found of single ground floor bays at 14- 16, 19 Trevanion Road; The Rectory, Trevanion Road; 17-21 Fernleigh Road; 1-4 Glencoe Terrace; 8 and 9 Gill Park Terrace; the late nineteenth century houses, Guineaport Road; 9-18 Guineaport Road (canted); Bureau House, Bradford Quay Road; 14 and 15, 17, 20 Egloshalye Road (canted); 22a, 31 Egloshayle Road; 1-8 Park Place (canted); 61, 63 Molesworth Street; 65 Molesworth Street (with cast iron balconies above) and 3 Clarence Terrace. • Double-height bays are included in the design of the Health Centre; 1 and 2 Trevanion Road; 25-28 Trevanion Road; Oakland, Hillcote, Tremar, Goonbell, Trevanion Road; Springfontein, Mayfield, Greenaway, Hazelmere and Trevalsa, Fernleigh Road (canted); 1-5 Gwendrock Villas, Kingarth to Glynfield, Fernleigh Road (canted with balconies above); the terrace of houses south of Penquite, Fernleigh Road; 33 Egloshayle Road; 67 Molesworth Street and 71 Molesworth Street (canted). Whilst triple height bays can be found on 73 Molesworth Street. Pendennis and Penquite, Fernleigh Road and 69 Molesworth Street have double height bay windows surmounted by turrets.

Triple height bay windows on Molesworth Street

Joinery • Throughout the town there are examples of decorative joinery, mainly in the form of carved bargeboards such as those on the former warehouse on Polmorla Road, the former Chapel, Trevanion Road, Belmont House, Oakland and Hillcote, Trevanion Road, Gwendrock Villas and Kingarth to Glynfield, Fernleigh Road (with wooden finials), 1-5 Glencoe Terrace, 34 Egloshayle Road, 7 Molesworth Street.

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Decorative carved bargeboards on Trevanion Road

• Many historic front doors have been lost, but there are a number of survivals including panel doors at some of the houses between 20-24 Trevanion Road (half- glazed), 1-4 Glencoe Terrace (half-glazed), Oakland Hillcote, Trevanion Road (with rectangular lights above), The Rectory, Trevanion Road (the half glazed panel door has a fanlight above), terrace of houses south of Penquite, Fernleigh Road, 1-9 Gill Cliff Terrace, The Manor House Gonvena Hill (with fanlight above), Spring Gardens, Gonvena Hill (fanlight above), Bureau House, Bradford Quay Road (with two lights above), 34 Egloshayle Road (half glazed), 2 Molesworth Street, Pridham House, Molesworth Street.

Historic half-glazed panel front door on The Rectory set within Classically influenced porch

• Plank doors still survive at The Stables, Fairpark Road, the former school, Molesworth Street, 4-6 Park Road, the former warehouse on the corner of Brackwell Place. • One of the terraced houses on Fernleigh Road still retains its timber balustrade above the first floor bay window, as do some of the houses south of Penquite, Fernleigh Road. Porches A number of the houses in the area, in particular the late nineteenth/early twentieth century terraces have porches. These tend to have slate gable roofs such as 1-5

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 57 adjacent to Bureau House, Bradford Quay Road and 14 and 15 Egloshayle Road. Some incorporate decorative features such as carved bargeboards and cast iron ridges – Oaklands and Hillcote, Trevanion Road. The Rectory, Trevanion Road has a porch with a bay window above, whilst 74 Molesworth Street has a porch formed from granite columns with a porch room above rebuilt in the late twentieth century. 2 Molesworth Street has a gabled porch above a pointed doorway and 1-16 Fernleigh Road includes a number of historic glazed porches. The original platform canopy still survives at the Betjeman Centre supported by cast iron columns with wrought iron spandrels and one of the houses on the northern side of Park Road has an open timberwork veranda with a slate roof.

Open timber work porch on Park Road

Historic shopfronts Throughout the area can be found shopfronts that retain elements of their original design including: 6, 10 Molesworth Street (pilasters); 8 Molesworth Street (fascia and pilasters); 1 Molesworth Street (canted windows flanking central doorway with wide pilasters, fascia and cornice); 3 Molesworth Street (pilasters and three light fan above central entrance); 4 Molesworth Street (1950s shopfront with leaded windows); Noah’s Ark, The Platt; Artyfacts, The Platt ( fascia, pilasters, consol brackets, shop windows with small paned upper panels); 2 Polmorla Road (windows with small panes); 4 Polmorla Road (pilasters, fascia, central doorway and glazed door with panels below); 34 Molesworth Street (fascia, pilasters); 25 Molesworth Street (fascia and cornice); 27 Molesworth Street (lambs tongue glazing bars, fascia with moulded cornice and corbelled brackets); 33 Molesworth Street (lambs tongue glazing bars, cornice); 41 Molesworth Street (fascia, six pane windows with lambs tongue glazing bars, corner pilasters); 43 Molesworth Street (cornice fascia, glazing bars); 44 Molesworth Street (pilasters and corbel brackets); 45 Molesworth Street (fascia, brackets, leaded light at top of window); 53 Molesworth Street (bow shop window); 55 and 57 Molesworth Street (fascia board and cornice); former warehouse on the corner of Blackwell Place (dentil cornice) and the building on the west side of Cross Street.

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Historic shopfront on Molesworth Street

Decorative terracotta work Many of the buildings throughout this part of the town have terracotta ridge tiles. On some of the buildings these tiles are decorative and include examples that are crested Polmorla Mews; 7-13, 20-24, The Rectory, Trevanion Road; Greenaway, Hazelmere, Trevalsa, Fernleigh Road; 5 Molesworth Street; Noah’s Ark and Artyfacts, The Platt; The Spice Store, Trevanson Street; 45, 47 and 49 Molesworth Street. Others are crested and pierced 25-28, Oakland, Hillcote, Trevanion Road; 1-5 Gwendrock Villas; Kingarth to Glynfield, Fernleigh Road; The Sunday School, Egloshayle Road; 65 and 67 Molesworth Street and some include finials the Health Centre; the former chapel, Trevanion Road; Belmont House, Trevanion Road; 1 and 2, Elmsleigh, Bossiney, Trevanion Road, Springfontein, Mayfield, the terrace of houses south of Penquite, Fernleigh Road; 1-6 Fernleigh Road; 31, 33 Egloshayle Road; 58, 61,63, 69, 71, 73 Molesworth Street; the Police Station and former school, Molesworth Street.

Decorative terracotta roofing details on Molesworth Street

Other details • Passageways to give access to the rear of terraced housing can be found along the late nineteenth century terrace on Guineaport Road. • A large entrance arch for carriages is incorporated into the ground floor of 22-26 Trevanson Street. • 7 Molesworth Street which stands at the end of a parade of shops has a curved corner, whilst the corners of Artyfacts and 26 Molesworth Street are canted.

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Canted shop entrance, The Platt

Local and traditional building materials Slatestone • Nearly all the historic buildings in this part of Wadebridge are constructed from slatestone. Even after the arrival of the railway, when brick could be easily imported, it was mainly only used for chimneys and for door and window surrounds. The majority of the buildings although constructed from slatestone have been rendered, but a significant number have untreated stone walls including some of the higher status buildings where the stone was laid in courses and blocks, and the industrial structures. • From the mid nineteenth century onwards most of the slatestone buildings have brick dressings. These tend to be red brick including 1-9 Riversdale Place; the former warehouse, Polmorla Road; Polmorla Mews; the former chapel, Trevanion Road; the former stables, Fairpark Road; Pendennis and Penquite, Fernleigh Road (snecked slatestone); 17-21 Fernleigh Road; 9-18 Guineaport Road; 4 Egloshayle Road; Duke’s Mead, Egloshayle Road; 1 Malletts Court; the warehouse on the south west corner of Trevanson Street; The Spice Store, Trevanson Street; the Congregational Chapel, Molesworth Street; 80, 84, 86-92 Molesworth Street; 1 Park Road and the late nineteenth century warehouse on Chapel Lane.

Riverside Place constructed from slatestone with brick dressings which have been subsequently painted

• Other buildings use cream brick for door and window surrounds 1 and 2 Trevanion Road; 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, Molesworth Street; the former warehouse on the

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 60 corner of Blackwell Place, and in some cases quoins such as The Health Centre; and stringcourses the Masonic Lodge; the Sunday School, Egloshayle Road (slatestone blocks) and the Methodist Chapel, Egloshayle Road (thin slatestone blocks and sandstone arch surrounds). Mixtures of cream and red brick form the window and door surrounds at 7-13 Trevanion Road; Springfontein and Mayfield, Fernleigh Road, 1-4 Glencoe Terrace (slatestone blocks) and 1-9 Gill Park Terrace (coursed slatestone).

Slatestone with cream brick dressings on the former warehouse on the corner of Blackwell Place • Some buildings are entirely constructed from slatestone such as the former warehouse at the east end of Foundry Terrace; Springfield Cottage, Springfield Road; the late nineteenth century terrace, Guineaport Road (one house is rendered); the building adjacent to 1 Egloshayle Road; Spring Gardens, Gonvena Hill; Rose Cottage, Bradford Quay Road; 1-2 Bradford Quay Road; the former workshop, Park Road; 14 Park Road and Hill House, Park Road. • Examples of coursed slatestone buildings can be found at Stable Cottage, Glen Road; 1 Egloshayle Road; 17 Egloshayle Road and 34 Egloshayle Road (with painted stone quoins). • A number of slatestone buildings have been subsequently painted such as Wheel Cottage, Polmorla Road; 3 Bradford Quay Road; 1-6 Eddystone Terrace; 1-2 Eddystone Place; 1-10 Trevanson Street; 22-26 Trevanson Street (unpainted on the eastern elevation); 27 and 28 Trevanson Street; 44, 46, 80, 82 Molesworth Street and 2 Park Road. Others are partially rendered such as Bossiney, Trevanion Road and Allen House, Bradford Quay Road.

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Belmont House, Trevanion Road has cream brick and granite dressings

• Examples of slatestone buildings with granite dressings can be found in this area such as Belmont House, Trevanion Road (which also includes cream brick dressings); the Betjeman Centre (rusticated, snecked slatestone with granite dressings); the Betty Fisher Centre, Southern Way; 2 Molesworth Street (coursed slatestone); the Police Station (snecked slatestone) and the former school, Molesworth Street. • Some of the later high status buildings include non-local stone in their construction including The Town Hall built from slatestone with sandstone dressings; The Rectory, which has rendered slatestone walls with sandstone dressings; Greenaway, Hazelmere and Trevalsa, 1-5 Gwendrock Villas, Kingarth to Glynfield, the terrace south of Penquite all in Fernleigh Road (faced with a non-local sandstone); 14 and 15 Egloshayle Road (stone façades); 12 Molesworth Street (sandstone) and 26 Molesworth Street (applied stone facings on the ground floor). • Many of the rendered buildings retain historic wall coverings, which include moulded definition around the window openings and plat bands. Examples can be found along Trevanion Road and Molesworth Street and include the Swan Hotel, The Platt and The Molesworth Arms, Molesworth Street. The Manor Court, Gonvena Hill has slatestone walls covered in a mixture of stucco, render and paint. Decorative render panels are incorporated into the design of Oakland, Hillcote and The Rectory, Trevanion Road (which also has panels faced with pebbles, sandstone dressings and a slatestone base to the bay windows). 20, 21 and 33 Egloshayle Road and 7 Molesworth Street are rendered but the stone quoins, window and door surrounds have been left uncovered. The façades of 40, 42, 68 Molesworth Street are rendered, but red brick is used to provide detailing. • Nearly all the chimneys in this area are brick, but a small number of early stone chimneys survive including La Mesa, Trevanion Road, Pridham House and The Elms, Molesworth Street. The Betjeman Centre has rusticated slate and granite axial chimney stacks. Slate • Roofing - Slate was used throughout the area as the roofing material of choice and a high proportion of the buildings still retain their historic local slate roofs. Good examples of rag slate roofs can be found at Manor Court and Spring Gardens, Gonvena Hill. Slate is so ubiquitous that it would appear to have been the only roofing material historically deployed. However, on some of the earlier surviving buildings the positioning of the first floor windows very close to the eaves such as at La Mesa, Trevanion Road suggests they might originally have been thatched. Slate was used to protect the junction between the roof and walls and examples of these

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 62 slate verges can be found on The Stables, Fairpark Road and the former warehouse at the east end of Foundry Terrace; Slate window cills can be found on the group of houses which include 1-2 Eddystone Place and 1-10 Trevanson Street.

Slatehanging on Westernlands, Molesworth Street

• Slatehanging – deployed throughout the area, often on exposed elevations. Examples include the rear gable of the former chapel, Trevanion Road; the west end elevation of 1-9 Riversdale Place; the gable of Oakland, Trevanion Road; the eastern elevation of Stable Cottage, Glen Road; the western gable of the Ship Inn, Gonvena Hill; the western elevation of 3 Bradford Quay Road; the western elevation of 33 Egloshayle Road and the main façades of Pridham House, The Elms and Westernlands, Molesworth Street. The slatehung façade of the early nineteenth century warehouse on Chapel Lane has been painted. On a number of houses the dormer cheeks are slatehung to give added protection from the elements. Lead Lead is used throughout the area to form junctions between chimneys and roofs (flashings). It is also used on the Town Hall to form a fleche (small steeple) and on the bay window roofs at 17 Egloshayle Road and 61 and 63 Molesworth Street.

Lead roofs to the bay windows on 17 Egloshayle Road

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 63 Brick There are no historic buildings entirely constructed from brick in this area apart from The Manor House. Brick tended to be used mainly for dressings, although the façades of Tremar and Goonbell, Fernleigh Road are constructed from red brick as is the façade of 18 Molesworth Street (with stone keystones). The vast majority of buildings in this area have brick chimneys. These tend to be red brick, but more decorative examples can be found such as the red brick chimneys with cream brick decorative caps – Gill Park Terrace; the moulded brick chimneys at 61 and 63 Molesworth Street, and the large brick chimneys with rubbed brick mouldings at the former school, Molesworth Street. Granite Granite is used throughout the area to form quoins and sometimes door and window surrounds on the higher status buildings. It is also used for the porch columns on the Molesworth Arms and Pridham House, Molesworth Street. Iron Wrought iron is used on some of the late nineteenth/early twentieth century buildings in the area. Its application includes the balconies at 65 Molesworth Street, the ridge above the bay windows at The Rectory, Trevanion Road and the ridge above the buttresses on the Town Hall.

Public realm and streetscape (see Figure 3) Streets and lanes Main Roads - Trevanion Road, Gonvena Hill, the eastern end of Egloshayle Road and Molesworth Street are the major roads in this area. Trevanion Road still retains its character as the major route into the town from the south. At its northern end the road was clearly raised at some point, presumably during the Victorian period, as the earlier eighteenth century La Mesa is located below the street level. Gonvena Hill is the entrance route into the town from the north, but retains a pastoral feel at its southern end due to the shrubs growing on the steep slopes on its eastern side. Egloshayle Road has a suburban feel on its northern side, but the new flats on the southern side of the road have more the character of a harbourside development. Molesworth Street was once the main route out of the town to the west, but has now been converted into a partial pedestrian zone. The area now represents an attractive environment for shoppers, but unfortunately some of the sense of a street has been lost by the removal of the historic pavement. Furthermore the relationship between the tall town houses and shops with the street has been altered.

Bradford Quay Road has an informal feel

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 64 • Informal Lanes – There are a number of informal lanes in the area including Hill Road, which connects Fernleigh and Trevanion Roads. This lane has a pastoral feel with no pavements, and hedges either side. Bradford Quay Road has an informal feel as the houses on the eastern side were constructed in a piecemeal fashion with gaps in between and the western side of the road consists of light industrial buildings, many of which do not address the street. The eastern side of the road is partly on the site of a former quarry and as a result lies within an excavation of the cliff. Trevanson Street has a rural feel at its northern end due to the long garden wall on the eastern side overgrown with greenery and with shrubs and trees behind. The rest of the street has a great sense of enclosure as it is bordered on both sides by cottages and the high walls of the carriage entrance to the Molesworth Arms. Polmorla Street is a similar mix of intense development at its north eastern end and a much more pastoral feel on its south-western approach. Chapel Lane, Park Road and Foundry Terrace are all narrow streets bordered by a mix of small industrial and domestic buildings.

The site of the former Market Hall on The Platt

• The Market Place - The width of The Platt is a reminder of its former incarnation as the town’s market place. Due to the low level and informal nature of the buildings on its eastern side some of the area’s historic market character still remains. The site of the Market House on the corner of The Platt and Molesworth Street is now an open paved space with slatestone planters, and a hexagonal open sided shelter with low slatestone walls and a slate roof. • Suburban Streets - Fernleigh Road has the character of a quiet suburban street, flanked by terraced housing set back from the road behind neat front gardens. The southern side of Guineaport Road has a similar character, whereas on the northern side the land previously part of the railway development is covered in closes of modern housing. • Alleyways and back lanes - Connectivity in the area is provided by alleyways and back lanes. These include the alleyway between Pendennis and Glynfield off Fernleigh Road; the service lane, Fernleigh Lane; the lane leading to the former school off Egloshayle Road; the alleyway between the rear of the houses on Whiterock Road and Brackwell Place.

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The service lane, Fernleigh Lane

Boundary and gardens walls • Mortared slatestone walls are an important feature of the Conservation Area. These take a number of forms including tall boundary walls such as outside the Health Centre, Trevanion Road (with lumps of quartz as copings and a band of cream brick); wall to the north of Tremar, Fernleigh Road (quartz coping and band of cream bricks); the boundary walls to the back gardens along Fernleigh Lane; the walls bordering the lane leading to the former school off Egloshayle Road; the carriage house walls to the Molesworth Arms; the garden wall at the northern end of Trevanson Street, the boundary wall to the west of the Police Station and the garden walls around Westernlands, Molesworth Street.

Slatestone walls with band of cream brick and spar coping stones

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The slatestone boundary wall to the Police Station

• The boundary walls to the Sunday School and the Methodist Chapel, Egloshayle Road are constructed from slatestone blocks. • Many of the low garden walls in the area are constructed from mortared slatestone rubble including most of the garden walls to the terraced housing on the west side of Trevanion Road; the terraces along Fernleigh Road (the walls between Tremar and Trevalsa include a band of cream brick); the front gardens along the southern side of Guineaport Road, the wall surrounding the Police Station site, Molesworth Street, the garden walls to 1-18 Park Place and the wall in front of the Congregational Chapel, Molesworth Street. Copings include edge-bedded slatestone and lumps of quartz; an air of grandeur is leant to the garden walls of 27, 28 and Springfield, Trevanion Road by the addition of a balustrade. The Rectory has a very decorative garden wall composed from panels of quartz between applied balusters.

The highly decorative Rectory garden walls

• In some cases the original slatestone garden walls have been rendered such as the garden wall to Spring Gardens. • Mortared slatestone rubble is also used for the retaining walls in the area such as the garden wall east of Hill House on the northern side of Polmorla Road; the retaining

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 67 walls to the houses at the eastern end of Guineaport Road, where the land rises; the walls enclosing the gardens of the houses on the northern side of Egloshayle Road; the retaining walls to the gardens of 61-73, Molesworth Street (quartz copings) and the walls to the former school, Molesworth Street (quartz copings). • Above the telephone exchange on Polmorla Road can be glimpsed a retaining slatestone wall with a brick pointed arch and castellations, this is most clearly seen from Polmarla Road. • Throughout the area old boundary walls to former gardens and industrial plots still survive, even though the original buildings may have been lost. These are constructed from mortared slatestone and include the wall to the south of 1-3 Bradford Quay Road; the walls enclosing the plot of Malletts Court; walls to the rear plots on the northern side of Molesworth Street; the wall to the east of 68 Molesworth Street and the curving walls either side of the entrance to Chapel Street. • The remains of the eighteenth century quay walls still survive at Bradford Quay, constructed from slatestone rubble in vertical courses with horizontal slatestone piers. Gates and gateways • Many of the low garden walls throughout the area have stone gate piers with pyramidal caps, some of which are constructed from granite. There are also a number, including along Fernleigh Road, which have cream brick gate piers. • The garden to the south of Hill House has tall stone gate piers at its entrance. 74 Molesworth Street has tall granite gate piers and cast iron gates. • The entrance to the former school on Molesworth Street has granite gateposts with pyramidal caps and a cast iron gate.

Gate piers to the former school, Molesworth Street

Railings • Short cast iron railings outside 20 Trevanion Road. • Cast iron railings at the southern end of the former station site. • Low cast iron railings on the southern border of the Methodist Chapel, Egloshayle Road. • Gothic style cast iron railings incorporating pointed arches with quatrefoils bordering the former chapel site on Egloshayle Road.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 68 • Cast iron railings with fleur de lys finials outside 61 and 63 Molesworth Street.

Railings on Trevanion Road

Traditional paving • Polmorla Road - granite kerbs. • The Platt - granite kerbs. • The entrance to Polmorla Mews - granite slabs with cobbles behind. • Eastern end of Molesworth Street – thick granite kerbs. • Western end of Molesworth Street – granite kerbs.

Traditional paving – Polmorla Mews

Steps • Flight of stone steps leading to the first floor entrance to the former chapel on Trevanion Road. • Granite doorsteps, Molesworth Street. • Slatestone steps with slate treads – the warehouse on the corner of Blackwell Place and Park Road.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 69 Bridges • Wadebridge Bridge – slatestone rubble with granite dressings, 320 feet long, originally 17 arches, now 12 visibly survive, deep cutwaters rise to form refuges inside parapets. • Road bridge over the Polmorla River- slatestone and granite.

Bridge over the Polmorla River

Street ephemera • Throughout the town there are cast iron gutters and drain covers, inscribed Oatey and Martyn, produced at the town’s foundry.

Drain cover made at the Oatey and Martyn foundry

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• Cast iron signpost, western corner of the junction between the bridge and Gonvena Hill. • Brass plaque at western end of Wadebridge Bridge commemorates the widening in 1963. • Iron plaque at the eastern end of Wadebridge Bridge - history and the town’s coat of arms. • Cast iron post box outside 39, Molesworth Street. • Projecting signs on cast iron brackets, Molesworth Street – particularly striking examples include the Molesworth Arms and The Churchill.

Greenery and green space (see Figure 3) Although this area covers the centre of Wadebridge and is mainly highly developed with housing, commercial and industrial buildings, there still remain some significant areas of greenery and green open space. These areas come in a number of distinct forms: • Wild undeveloped land - the southern slopes of Gonvena Hill; the slopes above Bradford Quay Road leading to Gonvena House; the marshland and fields adjacent to the river on its southern side; the slopes behind the former quarry on Polmorla Road and the land either side of the former quay on the Polmorla River. • Surviving hedge rows - the eastern side of Trevanion Road where the modern houses including Polwhele are hidden behind hedges and trees and the south western end of Polmorla Road.

Surviving hedgerows on Trevanion Road

• The gardens to large detached and semi-detached houses (often include mature trees which make an important contribution to the streetscape) – Gonvena House; Spring

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 71 Gardens; 68 Molesworth Street; 1-2 Trevanion Road; The Elms and Pridham House, Molesworth Street and Westernlands. • Front gardens (which range from long plots with shrubs and trees, to small areas accommodating plants, pots or tiny squares of grass) – 14-23 Egloshayle Road; 1-8 Park Place; the western side of Trevanion Road; gardens either side of Fernleigh Road (including a stand of mature trees at the junction between Fernleigh Road and Guineaport Road); southern side of Guineaport; 61-73 Molesworth Street; former playground to school, Molesworth Street, 80-92 Molesworth Street and 1-5 Clarence Terrace. • Gardens between developments – between Allen House and Bureau House and the small orchard between terraces on Guineaport Road.

Garden plot Guineaport Road

• Public open spaces – the communal garden at the north eastern corner of the bridge and the small green triangle of land at the junction between Fernleigh and Jubilee Roads. • Green settings to public buildings – lawns in front of the former Congregational Chapel, Molesworth Street, front lawns to the health centre, Trevanion Road and the green lawns in front of the Masonic Lodge.

Loss, intrusion and damage Loss, historic • Three cottages on the site of the post office, The Platt, demolished circa 1910. • The Market House, The Platt – included on the 1880s O.S. map, replaced by a latrine on the 1907 O.S. map – and now an open space. • Many of the quay buildings and warehouses. • The railway and some of its associated buildings. • Former chapel on Egloshayle Road – the site now contains a block of flats. • Row of cottages set at a 45 degree angle to the road and a house directly addressing the street to the north of the Congregational Chapel, Molesworth Street – now the site of a garage. • Most of the foundry buildings and the Oatey’s town house were demolished and replaced by the modern arcade and flats.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 72 Loss, modern • Many of the historic sash and casement windows have been replaced with versions in inappropriate materials and of poor design. This is a particular problem on the prominent buildings in Molesworth Street. • A number of houses, particularly the late nineteenth/early twentieth century terraces, have had poorly designed dormer windows added, some of which are over-scale. • A few low front garden walls have been demolished to provide off-street parking leading to gaps in the streetscape.

The loss of front garden walls results in gaps in the streetscape

Intrusion • The street lighting along Molesworth Street as far as the Police Station is sympathetically designed and carefully sited whereas after this point it becomes utilitarian and over-scale. This is true of the lighting elsewhere in the historic core e.g. outside the health centre and the Methodist Chapel on Egloshayle Road.

Prominent, utilitarian street lighting on Molesworth Street

• Prominent flat roofed garage in the front garden of 20 Egloshayle Road. • The modern garage complex on the corner of Molesworth Street and Goldsworthy Way is set back from the road without a proper boundary wall leading to a lack of definition and an uneasy gap in the streetscape.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 73 • A number of historic buildings have prominently displayed satellite dishes. Damage • The modern houses between Manor House and Bridge House are set back from the building line leading to a gap in the streetscape. • Some historic slatestone garden walls have been rendered. • A number of former historic shops have poor quality modern shopfronts of inappropriate materials and design either replacing the original shopfront or obscuring the historic features. • The relationship between the historic buildings and the street has been altered due to the pedestrianisation of Molesworth Street (see above). • The application of modern wall coatings has resulted in the loss of historic detailing on a number of buildings.

Neutral Areas (see Figure 3) • The seating area to the south of 7 Molesworth Street is very open to the busy road junction it abuts. • The junction between Fernleigh Road and Jubilee Road lacks definition and boundaries.

General condition and Buildings at Risk The buildings in this area are generally in good condition and well maintained. However, the former warehouse subsequently shop & showroom, 6 Egloshayle Road is currently boarded-up.

6 Egloshayle Road is currently boarded-up

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 74 9 Problems and pressures

Wadebridge is a town of great historic and landscape value. Its attractive riverside setting and good survival of historic buildings all add to the overall quality of the environment. This quality could be further enhanced and appreciated if some of the following problems and pressures could be addressed.

Buildings The historic character of Wadebridge (in common with so many other communities) is at risk from inappropriate repairs, replacements and extensions. These conservation issues include: • The loss of historic windows and doors and their subsequent non traditional replacement.

Modern replacement windows on Molesworth Street

• The loss of decorative wall treatments such as window surrounds, plat bands and historic plasterwork to modern wall coatings. • The painting of natural stone, brick and slatehanging. • The replacement of original slatehanging with non-local or man made slate. • The loss of decorative features such as carved bargeboards, roof finials and keystones. • The replacement of existing local slate roofs with substitute materials. • The insertion of modern over-scale rooflights and dormer windows on the visible slopes of historic roofs. • The replacing or obscuring of historic shopfronts with over-scale modern designs in inappropriate materials. • The insertion of modern extensions onto the façades of historic buildings. • The obtrusive placing of satellite dishes on historic façades.

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Obtrusive satellite dishes, Egloshayle Road

Development There has been some new development in the town that has been carefully designed and planned in order to fit in with and complement the surrounding historic fabric. However, too often new buildings have been constructed from non-local materials and to designs which bear no relation to their locale. In many instances new development has been set back from the streetline preventing it from blending into its surroundings and resulting in a lost sense of enclosure.

Public Realm There are areas throughout the town where the treatment of the public realm does not reflect the quality of the surrounding historic environment. Areas of concern include: • Street lighting which in places is of poor design, over scale and insensitively positioned. • Abundant overhead cables which are often sited with little regard to the surrounding historic fabric. • Signage clutter – this relates to both commercial and street signs. • A number of historic garden and boundary walls have been demolished to provide off street parking spaces.

Over-scale, insensitively positioned streetlight Egloshayle Road

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 76 Designations At present the Conservation Area does not include the historic buildings associated with the railway development from the mid nineteenth century. This includes a number of significant late nineteenth and early twentieth century terraces, in addition to the early nineteenth century chapel on Trevanion Road and the surviving railway buildings. There are a number of historic buildings of notable architectural merit which could be considered for Listing: • The Sunday School, Egloshayle Road • The Methodist Chapel, Egloshayle Road • The Swan Hotel, The Platt • The Town Hall, The Platt • 14 and 16 Molesworth Street

The Swan Hotel should be considered for Listing

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 77 10 Recommendations

Buildings • Windows and doors in buildings in sensitive and highly visible locations should be of traditional materials and design. Historic windows and doors should be repaired where possible or replaced to match originals. • Due to its historic importance and key position within the heart of the town consideration should be given to serving an Article 4(2) direction to protect the historic windows along Molesworth Street. • Wall coatings should be avoided on buildings with decorative wall treatments and paint should not be applied to buildings with natural stone walls or to slatehanging. • Decorative features such as bargeboards should be preserved where possible or a like for like replacement made where repair is not possible. • Local slate roofs and slatehung elevations should be retained and repaired with slate to match. • The insertion of further dormer windows and rooflights should be limited and confined to rear and less visible roof slopes. • Historic shopfronts should be preserved and shopkeepers should be encouraged to reveal historic features which still survive beneath modern insertions. Commercial signage should reflect in its scale, materials, colour and siting the sensitive nature of its surrounding historic environment. Fluorescent, plastic or Perspex signs should be avoided. • Extensions should not be added to the facades of historic buildings, but should be confined to less visible elevations. • Satellite dishes should not be fixed to the highly visible facades of historic buildings.

Development Further development within the Conservation Area should be limited in extent and, where necessary, fully integrated into the historic topography and settlement form. New buildings should be sited with reference to their surroundings, either to cause minimum impact on the surrounding landscape or to reflect existing historic street patterns, and be of appropriate design, materials and scale.

Public Realm • Street lighting should be designed to reflect the character of its surroundings. The design of the lighting should be sympathetic to the different character areas and should be sensitively sited. • Overhead cables should be appropriately sited in order to impact less on the surrounding historic and natural environment. • Reassess the current street signage to ensure any redundant or over-scale signs are removed. New signage should be restricted to the minimum necessary, of good quality materials and design, and should be sited sympathetically to the historic environment. • Historic boundary and garden walls should be retained. Any off-street parking places should be designed to preserve the streetline and to reflect the quality of the surrounding environment.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 78 • Consideration should be given to serving an Article 4(2) direction to prevent the further demolition of the historic front garden walls along Egloshayle Road.

Designations Consideration should be given to extending the Conservation Area boundary to include the late nineteenth/early twentieth century development along Trevanion Road, Fernleigh Road and Guineaport Road. The following buildings should be considered for Listing: • The Sunday School, Egloshayle Road • The Methodist Chapel, Egloshayle Road • The Swan Hotel, The Platt • The Town Hall, The Platt • 14 and 16 Molesworth Street

Opportunities for enhancement • Some of the public open spaces within the town such as the small green at the eastern end of the bridge and the area at the junction of Fernleigh Road would benefit from a landscaping scheme. • Consideration could be given to ‘greening-up’ Molesworth Street with planters and possibly trees.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Appraisal 2013 79 11 Sources

Published sources Pevsner, N, 1996, The Buildings of England Cornwall Polsue, J, 1867, Lake’s Parochial History of the County of Cornwall, Volume 1 Rowe, J, 1993, Cornwall in the Age of the Industrial Revolution West, J, 1991, St Breock and Wadebridge

Trade Directories Pigot’s Directory 1830

Historic maps Ordnance Survey Surveyor’s Drawing c1809 Tithe Map (circa 1840) Ordnance Survey 1st edition 1:2500 (1880) Ordnance Survey 2nd edition 1:2500 (1907)

Websites http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/ http://www.genuki.co.uk/

Cornwall and Scilly Historic Environment Record Cornwall and Scilly Historic Buildings, Sites and Monuments Record Cornwall Historic Landscape Characterisation 1994

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Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan

March 2013

Telephone: 0300 1234 100 www.cornwall.gov.uk

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan

Contents

1 Introduction ...... 2 Article 4(2) Directions...... 2 2 General guidance...... 3 Archaeology ...... 3 Roofs...... 3 Slate ...... 3 Chimneys ...... 4 Rainwater goods ...... 4 Ridges, hips, eaves and verges ...... 4 Dormers and rooflights ...... 4 Solar Panels ...... 5 Roofing: A summary...... 5 Walls ...... 5 Stonework...... 6 Render...... 6 Slate hanging ...... 6 Brickwork...... 6 Walls: A summary ...... 6 Joinery...... 7 Windows ...... 7 Doors ...... 8 Shopfronts ...... 8 Joinery: A summary ...... 9 Enclosure and open spaces...... 9 Walls ...... 9 Railings...... 10 Hedges ...... 10 Garden structures ...... 10 Enclosure and open spaces: A summary...... 10 Townscape features...... 10 Floorscape...... 11 Seating ...... 11 Signage ...... 11 Planting ...... 11

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 1 1 Introduction

This Conservation Area Management Plan (CAMP) is intended to stand alongside the Character Appraisal. The structure relates directly to that document for easy cross- reference. There is general guidance on the conservation and enhancement of the key elements that contribute to the quality of the townscape. At the end of key sections is a list of best practice bullet points to aid retention of historic character and architectural quality. It is hoped that the document will act as a reference for all who make decisions which may impact on the special character of Wadebridge – property owners, planners, developers, designers, local authorities and statutory undertakers. It will be available via the internet and in print form through the library, parish council, etc. Special character is derived from the overall effect of many components and is dependent for its survival on a great number of individuals making informed choices about the management of their own piece of the jigsaw. Some control may be applied by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) through Article 4(2) directions – these bring certain types of permitted development, such as replacement of windows or roofs, under Council jurisdiction. It is of fundamental importance that owners and contractors recognise that their actions can and do have a significant impact on the quality of Wadebridge. Good decisions and sympathetic works take more thought and can sometimes cost more; but the rewards are great and will be appreciated in decades to come by future generations. There is also the benefit of properties having a higher market value.

Article 4(2) Directions Under Article 4 of the General Permitted Development Order 1995, a local authority may bring certain permitted development rights under their control – usually by what is known as an Article 4(2) Direction. There are a range of works that may need to be the subject of an application under an Article 4(2) direction – the most usual are alterations to windows, doors, roofs, chimneys and the like. Controlling the removal of enclosure that may otherwise be vulnerable to alteration, or the painting of certain buildings, are other examples which may be relevant in Wadebridge. It is beyond the scope of this document actually to specify exact buildings and areas that need to be covered, but the Appraisal goes some way to identifying issues and locations where an Article 4(2) could be usefully employed to protect the special character of Wadebridge. An alternative approach, and one which is likely to be increasingly used, is to look at Neighbourhood Development Orders or Local Development Orders (both created by the Localism Act), which can achieve the same ends as Article 4 Directions. They do this by specifying works that can be taken out of the Planning system as long as they are tightly controlled by specifying the exact details and agreed design guidance, rather than by introducing further controls.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 2 2 General guidance

Archaeology The history and nature of Wadebridge means that there is archaeological potential virtually everywhere. Consequently any works that involve excavation may reveal interesting finds. The National Planning Policy Framework and prior to this Planning Policy Statement 5 – Planning for the Historic Environment has brought into focus the vital importance of understanding the archaeological potential of a settlement, site or building. Desktop study research, Written Schemes of Investigation and, where required and proportionate to the proposed scheme, field evaluation by trenching or remote sensing, should accompany pre-application enquiries and Planning/Listed Building Applications. If private owners are carrying out work they should be alert to pieces of artefacts, wall footings and changes in the colour of the earth. If such finds are made they should contact the Council for advice. Significant finds ought to be recorded to add to our understanding of historic Wadebridge. Statutory undertakers carrying out trench work ought to seek advice before starting and agree a watching brief where appropriate – for example if cable undergrounding is carried out. Where there are conditions attached to any Planning, Listed Building or Conservation Area approval or any other relevant approval requiring archaeological investigation and recording then this work shall be funded by the applicant.

Roofs The topography and development pattern of Wadebridge are such that the roofscape is of tremendous importance to the overall character of the place. There are so many sensitive views that they cannot all be identified, but the Appraisal highlights some of the principal ones. Roofscape character is based on the quality and patina of the materials, the form, pitch and orientation of the roofs themselves. Sometimes there is order but most of the attractive roofscapes are more jumbled and dynamic – changing depending on the vantage point. Chimneys break up the roofscape and other quality details, in the form of rainwater goods, etc., add richness on closer inspection.

Slate Slate is the prevailing roofing material and a good deal of locally sourced historic roofing slate is in evidence. There are fine examples of rag slate roofs and others using smaller slates but also in random widths and diminishing courses. Today there are a much wider variety of products available. Artificial slates should always be avoided as they inevitably cause serious harm to the quality of the roofscape and often have a shorter life. With natural slate being imported from Spain, South America and China, great care is needed when specifying real slate. Some of these are suitable replacements on non-prominent buildings or new-build, but they are never a satisfactory replacement for historic slate roofing, particularly as north Cornwall has a rich history of providing quality natural roof slates which last for hundreds of years. New slate ought to be fixed using nails – clips are usually specified to compensate for poor slate that splits when holed. Using a correct lap will prevent windlift.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 3 Owners of buildings with rag slate must be aware that the slate will actually have a lot of life left in it but may be suffering from nail rot. Opportunistic contractors will often offer such owners an amazingly cheap price to re-roof in artificial or imported slate, knowing that the rag or random slate they reclaim can be sold on or re-used on much more lucrative work elsewhere.

Chimneys Loss of chimneys is nearly always detrimental to the character of the roofscape. It is seldom necessary and ought to be resisted. Repair or reconstruction must be the first aim unless there are extenuating circumstances such as serious structural concerns. Alterations can rob chimneys of their distinctive character by the application of smooth, crisp render that hides stonework or flattens a pleasingly uneven substrate. Removal of drip slates and historic pots also detracts from the character.

Rainwater goods Most of the historic rainwater goods in the town are cast iron. Traditional gutter profiles – mostly half round or ogee - add to the appearance of individual buildings and collectively enrich whole street scenes. With proper maintenance these items can offer good service for well over one hundred years. When replacement is needed there are plenty of suppliers of historic profiles - many are available factory finished and some in cast aluminium. Plastic is an inferior product which often warps or becomes brittle, it will not last as well or look as good – especially if it has a modern box profile. It does not take paint well but unpainted it soon develops a coating of algae. Like other plastic building products, when it is replaced it has to go to landfill where it will not break down for centuries, so the environmental costs deserve consideration.

Ridges, hips, eaves and verges Traditional ways of edging roofs are easily lost when roofing work is undertaken. Clay ridge tiles may be replaced by concrete, mitred slate or mortar fillet hips covered by tiles, box soffits replace open eaves or moulded fascias and slated or mortared verges can be lost to boards. All of these apparently slight changes have a cumulative impact that is far greater than each individual act would suggest. Lead details such as hips ought to be retained and where lead flashings have never existed they should only be added if that can be executed with subtlety. All new leadwork must be treated with patination oil to prevent oxidisation and leaching. Mitred hips should where possible be retained.

Dormers and rooflights In order to preserve Wadebridge’s admirable and highly visible roofscape, the insertion of dormer windows should only be agreed where they are well justified and on roof slopes where the visual impact will be minimal and appear subservient within the overall roof. They must always be based on traditional proportions and designs. Large box-like roof extensions inevitably harm the appearance of the roofscape and should be avoided. Rooflights can allow the use of valuable roofspace and there are good modern interpretations of low profile metal units available. Where they can be inserted with little impact to townscape views, especially on screened or rear roof slopes, this may be acceptable. The smallest unit needed should be used, rectangular in proportion with their short running horizontal across the roof. Such units should be a quality metal unit with a slender frame. Care should be taken in choosing such units as there are some units on the market purporting to be conservation based models which are not. In

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 4 groups or terraces neighbours should try to use rooflights that are complementary in their size, type and location.

Solar Panels Whilst the Council clearly would wish to promote sound, sustainable energy systems, the choice of such systems can seriously erode the historic integrity of listed and unlisted buildings in Conservation Areas. Therefore careful consideration should be given to their positioning to avoid compromising the character of the historic environment. Very often there are alternative locations away from the historic building where solar panels can be fitted. This may indeed result in such equipment being fixed to less sensitive buildings or ground mounted units which are part of the curtilage. The benefit of fixing such equipment on the ground is that they can be easily maintained. Alternatively there are less obtrusive solutions available such as ground source heat pumps. Although solar panels can be reversible they can be most damaging to historic roofscapes. English Heritage has published guidance on this and other renewable energy issues which can be found at: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/advice/advice-by-topic/climate-change/ Cornwall Council’s own specialist guidance is at: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=18046

Roofing: A summary • Note and record detailing before starting works to enable reinstatement. • If traditional details are missing look to similar buildings for inspiration. • Repair local historic rag and scantle slate roofs or re-use in situ. • Maintain or recreate authentic details to ridges, hips, eaves and verges. • Repair chimneys and retain historic pot or cowl details. • Repair or reinstate metal rainwater goods in traditional profiles. • Avoid dormers unless there is strong justification. • Only use rooflights sensitively and consider impact on views.

Walls The palette of materials used to construct and finish the buildings of Wadebridge is varied and they combine to form interesting elevations and street scenes. The choice of materials and how they are used is usually indicative of the age of construction and the status of the building. Great care and understanding is needed in the repair of all traditional materials in order to prolong their useful life and protect them from decay. Careful appraisal of prevalent materials in a particular locality ought to inform and inspire the designers of new buildings so that contemporary additions enrich the area. Choice of colour is a matter of taste, but it is worth remembering that plain limewash was almost ubiquitous in the past and only natural pigments were available. Bolder colours like blues and greens were beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest; consequently these colours often seem unsuitable on humbler dwellings.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 5 Stonework The unifying factor of most buildings in Wadebridge is the use of local slate stone or shillet in construction. A number of buildings, mainly those used for non-domestic purposes, have never been rendered or painted. Although the stone used on these buildings is durable, they are still vulnerable to damage if poorly treated. All stonework must be pointed using lime mortar that flexes with the walls and allows them to breathe. Pointing should also be flush or slightly recessed, especially on wider joints, and should never project in front of the faces. It is a rare skill to lay a quality new stone wall with tight mortar joints. Often stonework is laid with wide joints and stone not laid in its natural bedding plane. This results in an inferior outcome which contrasts to the character of quality traditional work. A well-graded sand free of ‘soft’ (or fine clayey) particles is best for most work.

Render Render covers many of the domestic and commercial rubble stone buildings in Wadebridge. Traditionally this render was always lime based and that remains the only sensible choice as cement based renders are incompatible with these building types. Generally speaking the finish of render is a reflection of the status of the building and/or its function. So functional buildings, humble cottages and the rear elevations of some higher status dwellings have roughcast or float finished render that follows the unevenness of the wall beneath. These renders were hand-thrown to achieve a better key and texture is derived from the coarse aggregate; modern ‘tyrolean’ type finishes take their texture from cementitious droplets and have a fundamentally different character. Grander and more aspirational buildings have smooth render, sometimes fine stucco; these renders may be lined in imitation of ashlar stonework below. Considerable skill is needed to achieve this type of finish. The coating of lime renders with modern masonry paint will trap moisture over time and can cause failure of the render. This is often interpreted as the failure of an inferior old fashioned product, but it is in fact the result of conflicting technologies. Where possible historic renders ought to be repaired and retained, with masonry paint removed using specialist stripping products. Limewash remains by far the best and most effective surface coating on old buildings, but it is pointless applying it over paint.

Slate hanging Slate hanging does occur on a number of buildings in the town often in exposed locations where penetrating damp has been a problem or on elevated side elevations of attached buildings where access is difficult and a durable, low maintenance solution was essential.

Brickwork There are no historic buildings in Wadebridge entirely constructed from brick, although some of the houses along Fernleigh Road have brick façades. Brick chimneys are, however, found throughout the town and brick is used extensively on later buildings in the form of lintels, decorative window surrounds and quoins. The use of lime mortars for repair is equally important for brickwork.

Walls: A summary • Traditional finishes should be repaired whenever possible, not replaced. • Compatible materials and finishes are essential on historic walls. • Authentic finishes should not be removed or covered.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 6 • Where traditional finishes have been lost, sympathetic reinstatement is desirable. • Limewash allows old walls to breathe; masonry paint traps moisture.

Joinery Authentic joinery adds to the historic character and visual quality of the Conservation Area. Wadebridge has a good survival of original joinery, but also a certain amount of replacement, some sensitive but some that is poorly detailed. At present the replacement of windows and doors is not controlled on unlisted buildings. The Local Planning Authority (LPA) will consider Article 4(2) directions to prevent harmful alterations in the future. It is always preferable, however, for owners to recognise that sensitive maintenance adds value to their own property and contributes to the sense of place. Historic joinery ought to be seen as antique furniture that changes hands as part of a larger deal and can easily be overlooked. It only takes one owner to destroy the historic appearance of a building by misunderstood, if well-meaning, renovation; with property changing hands as frequently as it does today there is a steady stream of buildings whose luck has run out. There are few people who would throw a two hundred year old chair or table in a skip – their potential value is usually appreciated – yet it happens to windows and doors regularly. These artefacts are a finite resource that embodies the craftsmanship of earlier generations and records the materials and techniques they used. Unless badly neglected over a long period of time, traditional joinery is rarely beyond repair. In many cases the timber used was so well sourced and seasoned that it is far more durable than any modern alternative. Detail may have been lost by years of painting - great care needs to be taken when stripping paint though as historic paints contained lead. If repair is not possible, replica replacement is the next best thing; though replacement requires the use of primary resources and energy that makes it a less sustainable option. The use of imported hardwood from unsustainable sources ought to be avoided and PVCu has significant issues of sustainability and ecological impact in production and disposal. There is no product that is maintenance free. Timber needs painting every few years, but each time the result looks fresh and new. After a hundred years or more sash cords or hinges may need renewal; this is quite easily done and gives the unit a new lease of life. When modern opening mechanisms or double glazed units breakdown the answer is replacement of the whole unit – hence the piles of PVCu windows accumulating at recycling centres in the absence of satisfactory means of disposal. The visual inferiority of PVCu windows and doors can easily be seen with their thick frames, smooth textured finish and a bright sheen together with crudely detailed glazing bars and opening mechanisms all adding up to units which have little in common with the detailing and finesse of traditional timber joinery.

Windows The size, type and design of the windows in an historic building reveal much about its age or development, its use and the status of its occupants in the past. Humbler buildings often have casement windows that vary in design according to age, use and local custom. Sash windows also vary in size and detail according to age and use. The enduring popularity of sash windows reflects their versatility in providing controlled ventilation. The intrinsic value of the view through an historic window is appreciated by many sympathetic owners. They enjoy the elegance of the glazing bars and enthuse about the distortion and play of light in imperfect historic glass. With care, old glass can be

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 7 salvaged and re-used; where it has been lost, modern equivalents can be sourced from specialist suppliers. When new windows are needed there are a number of issues to consider: • Proportion and subdivision – The glazing pattern of the original windows ought to be retained, (or restored if lost), as that is a critical part of the whole building. It indicates the size of glass available or affordable at the time of construction. • Mode of opening – The introduction of top hung or tilt-and-turn opening lights is nearly always visually jarring and harmful to historic character. Overlapping ‘storm-seal’ type details are an entirely modern introduction and are unnecessary if flush units are properly made. Spring loaded sashes are an inferior replacement mechanism compared with properly weighted double-hung sashes. • Glazing – Traditional glazing bar profiles, properly jointed and glazed with putty, (or glazing compound), rather than beading, will give a genuine appearance. • Thermal insulation – Double glazing can rarely be achieved within traditional multiple pane designs without bars being either much too thick or fake. Beading is nearly always added which further detracts from the appearance. Attempting to introduce double glazing into a traditional design usually means a small air gap that hugely reduces the insulation properties anyway. However, there are increasingly ranges of products that are designed to circumvent these issues this and may be appropriate in exceptional cases. Advice and examples can be found on the council website at http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=18046 . The use of shutters and/or insulated curtains can greatly reduce heat loss without the need for window replacement. • Draught-proofing – The most significant heat loss through old windows is due to poor fitting and lack of draught-stripping. There are proprietary systems that retro-fit draught excluders and greatly reduce the amount of air changes and so heat loss. • Sound insulation – In noisy locations people often replace windows with modern double glazed units to reduce the problem. In fact secondary glazing is more effective than double glazing and allows retention of traditional windows. • Sills – Traditional sills should be retained unless beyond repair.

Doors Doors are just as vulnerable to insensitive replacement as windows. The conservation principles summarised above can be applied equally to doors. Most traditional door types allow for individual expression by painting and attractive ironmongery, etc.

Shopfronts The survival of historic shopfronts around the town is a reminder of how economic activity, shopping and employment patterns have changed over the years. Although some are now redundant the memory of these local shops needs to be retained – adaptation may not always be easy but it is seldom impossible. Regarding the surviving shops still in use there are a number of issues that can have a profound impact on the character of the place: • Retention of features – There are many historic shopfronts in Wadebridge that have had original features removed or obscured. Reinstatement or restoration of these can make a frontage more attractive to customers and boost business as well as allowing the building to be seen at its best.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 8 • Signage – There was a time when the emphasis was on quality, legibility and illustration of function. Over-large, over-fussy, inappropriately gaudy fascias draw attention in the wrong way and detract from neighbouring businesses. • Design – New shopfronts and signage require planning permission and the LPA will expect these elements to be competently designed to suit their context.

Joinery: A summary • Historic joinery items add character and quality to the town and ought to be retained and repaired if at all possible. • When replacement is necessary, this ought to be in exact replica. • Where joinery has been lost in the past and reinstatement is desirable, look at similar properties in the vicinity for inspiration. • Design, mode of opening and colour of finish are the most important considerations on unlisted buildings.

Enclosure and open spaces In the past enclosure was about demarcation and also keeping out passing animals. The spaces generated by enclosure can be of considerable historic interest in their own right, especially where they have a strong association with a particular use e.g. school playgrounds, yards, allotments, etc. Although the planning system rightly encourages the use of brownfield land and infill sites, there are gaps and spaces which deserve protection from development. Sometimes this may be due to specific historic associations with religious groups and the like; in other cases it may simply be the contribution a green space or garden makes to the street scene and the setting of significant buildings. The potential significance of any space must be fully considered if development proposals are made. The desirability of preserving or enhancing the Conservation Area is the fundamental judgement that must be applied; in many cases this will mean that a space is integral to the special character of the place and there should be a strong presumption in favour of protection. Historic enclosure is threatened with change by the desire for greater privacy – leading to the addition of timber fence panels to old walls for example. Alternatively it may be removed to provide parking. Walls or other means of enclosure more than 1m high fronting a highway (and 2m elsewhere) cannot be demolished without Conservation Area Consent. New walls of those dimensions cannot be erected without Planning Permission. The tendency towards close-boarded fencing is one that is having a very tangible visual impact. Apart from being a characteristically modern approach, these fences are quite expensive, require regular maintenance over the years and make it difficult to establish planting due to overshadowing and wind damage. Timber fences also tend to be stained in eye-catching colours that are often unsympathetic to an historic setting. Garden structures can also be jarring elements if poorly located, badly designed or brightly coloured.

Walls Stone walls are the most common means of enclosure in the town. Appearance varies with age and function but the consistency of material gives a unity to the townscape that can be easily taken for granted. Mortared rubble stone walls are most common and usually have simple copings of slatestone, slate, brick or spar. For new enclosure in much of the town, stone walling is likely to be the most suitable option, provided the height and style relates to any established local trend.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 9 There are few historic brick walls in Wadebridge and brick should not be used on new work. There are a few rendered walls but these should not be seen as justification for rendered block walls.

Railings Whilst not abundant there is clear evidence that cast or wrought iron railings were historically a more significant element of the townscape than today. Like so many places, a lot of ironwork was removed during wartime. There are some buildings and locations which would benefit considerably from the re- introduction of railings. As well as being attractive items in their own right they also offer definition to the street scene and can be a real enhancement to some types of property. The most common application is on properties with a minimal front garden or yard; in these locations they offer demarcation without visual weight and avoid shading windows or planting.

Hedges In the more rural parts of the town and where property adjoins farmland, hedges are characteristic. A mixed deciduous planting of hawthorn, field maple, hazel, holly, beech and other indigenous species is most traditional. Within a few years such a hedge can be laid to form a dense and effective boundary that is a wildlife resource that can draw insects, birds and small mammals into gardens. Single species plantings of beech, yew, laurel or box may be appropriate in some circumstances but are not a practical solution for most places and they demand more maintenance than a rustic mixed hedge. Modern coniferous hedges support little wildlife and can often be unattractive and not very neighbourly.

Garden structures The siting of sheds, summerhouses, decking, gazebos or other structures should be sensitively located. If visible locations are unavoidable, good design and naturally painted materials should be used to make the structures less jarring. Garden structures nearly always need planning permission within the curtilage of a Listed Building. There are also size restrictions for permitted development within the Conservation Area so it is wise to consult the LPA when considering such works.

Enclosure and open spaces: A summary • Spaces, gardens and yards add to the special character of Wadebridge and ought to be retained if development would mean the loss of an historic and/or attractive element of the townscape. • Retain historic enclosure and walls/hedges/fences wherever possible. • If enclosure has been lost, consider the locality and use an appropriate replacement wall, hedge or fence.

Townscape features In addition to the buildings and walls that give Wadebridge its special character there are other items that make a significant contribution to the overall appearance. There are attractive items that need to be cherished and retained; others are in need of repair or enhancement.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 10 Floorscape Throughout the town paving is mainly tarmac with concrete kerbs and the carriageways are generally blacktop. If funds were available in the future it would enhance the conservation area if the concrete kerbs could be replaced by granite ones. As regards the blacktop carriageways, in general it is better to use this honest and established surfacing rather than introduce manufactured paviours or similar. Throughout the town there are small charming survivals of historic paving detailed in the Conservation Area Appraisal - these include areas of cobbles and slate. Existing areas of historic paving should be preserved and repaired when necessary. New paving should never be designed down to a fixed budget; it is better to do a small area to a high standard than to compromise over a larger area. Historic areas which have remained unpaved should continue to be so in order to preserve their informal, semi-rural character.

Seating There are some thoughtfully located seats around the town where the pedestrian can stop a while and enjoy the place. These seats should be maintained and renewed where necessary.

Signage In order to avoid clutter and a down-at-heel atmosphere thought should always be given to the placing of signs and the use of good quality materials and design.

Planting Trees and hedges are an important element of many significant views and their retention is often of considerable importance. Work to trees in Conservation Areas is controlled and owners or contractors must contact the LPA for advice before embarking on felling, topping or lopping works. Decorative planting has its place in the public realm, but needs to be well planned and maintained to be a positive feature. On private land owners can enhance their little bit of the town with suitable planting – it can often be the finishing touch that makes a location really special.

Wadebridge Conservation Area Management Plan 2013 11