Details
BARNSTAPLE
SS558332 PATERNOSTER ROW
684-1/8/212 (North side)
19/01/51 St Anne's Chapel and Old Grammar
School Museum inc walls, gates &
piers
(Formerly Listed as:
PATERNOSTER ROW
Chapel of St Anne)
GV I
Chantry chapel, later grammar school, now museum. Probably
early C14 with early/mid C16 tower, restored 1869; enclosing
walls and gates mid/late C19. Stone rubble, that in the tower
roughly coursed; dressed stone surrounds to windows and
doorway. Slated roof with C19 crested red ridge-tiles. Stone
rubble chimney on north wall; square top of dressed stone, its
sides (now panelled in red brick) probably open originally.
Plan consists of a single large upper room with undercroft.
Square tower at W end of S side containing entrance porch and
staircase.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; tower 3-storeyed. Ground storey has 3
single-light shouldered-head windows in N wall, 2 in S wall
and 2 of 2 lights each in E wall; all have been re-made in
C19; relieving arches above. In W wall is a narrow doorway
with chamfered pointed head and drip-mould of worn,
orange-coloured stone; chamfered jambs rebuilt in local stone;
relieving arch above. In upper storey, N, S, and W walls each
have a 2-light, pointed-arched window and hoodmould of worn,
orange-coloured stone, that in W wall possibly a restoration;
trefoil-headed lights with round cinquefoil light in the head.
Similar 3-light window, partly restored, in E wall; the round
light differs in containing 3 trefoil panels.
Tower has a worn segmental-headed doorway (possibly of Beer
stone) in 2nd storey of W face; hollow-moulded and carved with
large flowers in high relief. Approached from Paternoster Row
by C19 granite steps with stone rubble flanking walls having
chamfered, dressed stone copings. Above the doorway is a worn,
single-light window of the same stone; cinquefoil arch under a
square head with hoodmould. S wall has second and 3rd-storey
window in similar style, both probably restored: 3 lights in
2nd storey with carved heads terminating the hoodmould, 2
mullioned and transomed lights in 3rd storey, also with carved
heads. In ground storey is a stone plaque commemorating the
death of Thomas Lee junior, architect of the Guildhall, High
Street (qv), drowned while bathing in the sea at Morthoe on
5.9.1884. E wall has a small square stair window with restored
hollow-moulded surround. Fixed to the corners and sides of the
tower are 4 worn gargoyles, probably re-used. Crenellated
parapet. Attached to the E side of the tower is a
single-storeyed projection, possibly a C19 boiler room. Main
range has mid C19 bell turret (without bell) at W end; cross,
probably of similar date, at E end; both gables have kneelers,
but no coping-stones.
INTERIOR: entrance doorway to chapel/upper schoolroom has
chamfered, pointed-arched stone surround with pyramid stops
and hoodmould; C19 plank door with ornate iron hinges of
uncertain date. Room inside has C14 stone piscina with
cinquefoil ogee arch; surround with quarter-round moulding and
pyramidal stop. Plain waggon roof, unceiled. C19 dado of
chamfered planks. Fireplace with plain stone surround. 3
patterned iron ventilators in floor. C19 desks with bases of
reused C17 balusters. Under W window is a black marble
pedestal inscribed IOH: GAY POETA AMABILIS NATUS BARNSTAPOLIAE
AD 1685 IN HAC SCHOLA EDUCATUS. OBIIT LONDONI AD 1732. The
bust of Gay, shown in a late C19 photograph, is missing.
Ground storey has an axial ceiling beam on long chamfered pads
supported by arch-braces and chamfered posts; latter have
restored step-stops at base, convex ones at top. On display is
a C17 carved wood door and door-frame from a house in Castle
Street. Stone staircase with stone parapet wall at top; C17
panelling and door at bottom; borrowed light with chamfered
stone frame.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the ground surrounding the chapel
(formerly part of the churchyard) is enclosed on the S and W
sides by a stone rubble wall with a chamfered granite coping.
Opposite the steps to the chapel this is built up into a pair
of gate piers with chamfered corners and cap. Cast-iron gates
with fleurs-de-lys and quatrefoil decoration. On the corner of
Church Lane a similar gate without piers. The walls originally
carried railings.
Listing NGR: SS5588433221
