53 Main Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey, four bay rendered and painted terraced shop facing north west onto Main Street. Passageway down south west side giving access to rear. Four number, 12 pane sliding sash windows to first floor with painted stone cills. Openings on ground floor bear little relation to first. Entrance door in plain opening is nearly aligning with second bay from north east end. Two wide plain windows of similar size flank the door. Natural slate roof. Brick chimney at each end of ridge.

There are no windows on the side gable. A two storey return sits flush to the rear. Barred sash windows light the interior. A circular tie rod plate has been inserted to combat a bulge in the walls. A chimney sits on the end of the return which has two windows on the ground floor.

The building is lower than its neighbours. Its pitch is steeper, one of the few buildings of a different pitch on the street.

Historical information

Building indicated on 1830 map. Steep pitch and bulging walls could suggest an earlier date. Split into two on 1848 map. Rented from Henry Tyler as 19 (to south west) to Anne Doherty for £10.5s and as 19a to Marcus Doherty for £10 5s on Griffiths Valuation of 1858. Building has been used as a butchers shop since the turn of the century. Occupants are considering enlarging the shop in the near future.

References:

OSS 1831

Griffiths Valuation of 1858
Current Occupant (1997)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Like Bradleys lighting shop on 27 Main Street (HB02/12/015) this building is of a simple town vernacular style which could have been employed at any time between 1750 and 1920 in the construction of a new shop. It is important because of this simplicity which sits easily with its neighbours and because the upper part of the facade retains the historic detail of its windows and steeply sloping roof. The more modern shopfront is in sympathy with the composition above though some relationship with the location of these windows would have been an improvement. It is of local interest as a fast disappearing type. However not sufficiently important to merit listing.