Summary
A house constructed in the C18 or early C19, later converted to shop use on the ground floor.
Reasons for Designation
Sunnyside, 59 Fore Street in Chard is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a late-C18 or early-C19 building which has a pleasingly-proportioned composition;
* despite alterations and some internal reconfiguration, the building retains its essential form and historic character.
Historic interest:
* as part of the urban development along Chard’s main thoroughfare and for contributing to the architectural character and diversity of the area.
History
The historic town of Chard dates back to at least the Saxon period and was first developed probably in the vicinity of the Church of St Mary in an area, now known as Old Town. A planned medieval borough to the north, along the High Street - Fore Street axis, was established by a charter from the Bishop of Bath and Wells, whose estate Chard formed part of. Many buildings in the town were destroyed or damaged by a fire in 1577, though recovery appears to have been rapid. There was some architectural activity during the C18, but a good deal of construction occurred in the C19 which coincided with a shift from the town being a centre for woollen cloth production to one of lacemaking. This came to Chard after 1819, when manufacturers in Nottingham encountered labour problems and re-located to the town, taking over several empty woollen mills.
Fore Street (becoming High Street to the west), running east-west, was the town’s main road and was described in 1851 as: ‘wide, and on a gradual ascent, some good houses, and excellent shops meet the eye on either side’ (see Sources). By the C20, the number of private residents listed in Fore Street and High Street decreased, perhaps indicating that wealthier people were moving out to quieter parts of the town. Sunnyside, 59 Fore Street, which abuts the neighbouring property (also 59 Fore Street, listed at Grade II) which is an earlier building, was constructed during in the late C18 or early C19, with alterations made in the late C19 and C20. It is shown on the 1888 First Edition Ordnance Survey (OS) map as a rectangular building with a narrow rear range that extends northwards from the north-east corner. A large garden to the rear is also depicted. The rear range was demolished in the late C20. The land immediately behind the building has been converted to use as a car park, and the remainder has been redeveloped for housing. Various internal changes have been made and the building is currently (2024) in use as a chemist.
Details
A house constructed in the C18 or early C19, later converted to shop use on the ground floor.
MATERIALS AND PLAN: the building is stuccoed, which is incised, and the roof covering is slate with a brick gable-end stack to the west. It is of two storeys with a rectangular, single-depth plan.
EXTERIOR: the roadside elevation facing Fore Street has three bays, with a pitched roof concealed behind a plain, coped parapet. The windows are evenly spaced and consist of two-over-two timber sashes. All, except the first-floor central window which may be earlier, are horned and probably late C19. On the ground floor, the main entrance is at the centre and has a six-panel door with glazing to the four upper panels, within a timber doorcase with simple slender pilasters, panelled reveals and a shallow cornice. There are square lead hopper heads and downpipes at either end of the building. The west gable wall has two ground-floor windows which are boarded over and a late-C20 three-light window on the first floor. The rear elevation is rendered and has an entrance with a modern steel door and a larger opening to the far left with a modern steel roller shutter door. There are two first-floor windows; one is a C20 two-light casement and the other is boarded over.
INTERIOR: the ground floor has been reconfigured as part of the conversion into a shop. No fireplaces remain and most of the joinery is modern. The staircase appears to be a later addition and is positioned against the back wall of the building. The original roof timbers include A-frame trusses with lapped yokes and trenched purlins; some of the rafters are later.
