Historical Context

GR. II LISTED 5-9 The development of the site is being informed by FRENCH WEIR THE BRIDGE Heritage and Archaeology assessment work which GARDENS is ongoing. 19 - 26 North Street is found within the borders of the historical Saxon settlement, which expanded in during the Medieval Period, close to the site of a medieval water mill.

19-26 NORTH “BREWER’S The building site was originally a series of smaller STREET WALK” buildings up until the next mapping year of 1910, where it shows the site as a single building. (UNOFFICIAL NAME) As mentioned the previous sections, its location is a gateway into the present day town centre, and is bordered by Castle Green and Bath Street Conservation TONE Area and Saint Mary and Saint James Conservation BUILDINGS Area. The smaller Tone Buildings, which forms part of the site, is within the conservation area, however, the main part of the site, comprising the main store, lies outside the conservation areas.

Tone Buildings is located along Mill Lane and shares a GR. II LISTED party wall with Ina Cottage - a Grade II Listed Building. GOODLAND BANK The Grade II listed bank is located directly to the south GARDENS of the main store, whilst further Grade II listed buildings lie in close proximity to the north.

As mentioned in the Site Analysis section, the lane to the north of the site that connects North Street to Goodland Gardens shall be referred to as “Brewer’s Walk” for the purposes of this document and proposals. CASTLE This gives reference to the slipway that may have lead down to an historic mill leat, which was located next to GROUNDS a brewery site as seen in the historic maps from 1890. North St 1890 North St 1900 North St 1910

© Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown copyright 2019. FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY. © Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown copyright 2019. FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY. © Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown copyright 2019. FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY. Site 1890 Scale 1:2500 Oct 31, 2019 09Site:51 1900 Scale 1:2500 Oct 31, 2019 09Site:52 1910 Scale 1:2500 Oct 31, 2019 09:53 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 m 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 m 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 m

Projection: British National Grid Projection: British National Grid Projection: British National Grid

Historically, the site was previously occupied by a number North St 1960 of buildings forming Chapmans department store, who North St 1930 occupied the site since 1864. Chapmans expanded piecemeal in the later 19th and 20th centuries, prior to being taken over by Debenhams in 1959. The names Chapman lived on until the 1970s. Debenhams undertook a comprehensive rebuilding in the early 1960s, expanding to infill the former mill leat to the rear, along with continuing the street frontage façade.

In terms of archaeology, a small part of the site, covered by the Tone Buildings, lies within the scheduled monument of Taunton Castle, which at this point is likely to represent the moat.

Otherwise, the Somerset Historic Environment Record records that the line of the medieval defences of Taunton run through the site along with a mill leat on the River Tone, which was in-filled upon the extension of the store in the

1960s. The HER records that a small part of © Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown copyright 2019. FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY. © Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown copyright 2019. FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY. Scale 1:2500 Oct 31, 2019 09:54 the site has potential for medieval and post-medieval mills. Scale 1:2500 Oct 31, 2019 09Site:53 1960 Site 1930 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 m 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 m

Projection: British National Grid Projection: British National Grid North St 1970

Quality and Contribution of Existing Building from a Townscape Perspective

The current design of 19-26 North Street does not relate to the historical context and does not necessarily contribute positively to the street scene or the relationship with the river, around Goodland Gardens, and along French Weir Park - from a townscape perspective. Future proposals could seek to remedy repeated characteristics evident along the River Tone - where other buildings of large scale are seen backing onto the underlying natural asset at the heart of the town and townscape character.

Through a desktop analysis and consideration of the key views identified, the removal and replacement with an additional two to three storeys could potentially be acceptable in townscape character terms without unduly compromising key views if sensitively designed.

See Historical Images for Reference:

Castle Hotel and North Street c. 1906 Francis Frith https://www.francisfrith.com/ taunton/taunton-north-street-1906_56782t

Francis Frith https://www.francisfrith.com/ taunton/taunton-north-street-1902_48721

North Street looking south towards Market House c. 1910 www.tauntonian.com

Scale 1:1000 street-1935_86818Oct 31, 2019 09:55 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 m

Projection: British National Grid https://www.francisfrith.com/taunton/taunton- the-parade-and-north-street-1929_82090