122 and 123 High Street

Summary

Townhouse with shop, built in the early C19 most likely as one building, subdivided by the mid-C19, recombined by the mid-C20, with an early-C21 shopfront.

History

Newport’s first charter was granted by Richard de Redvers, fourth Earl of Devon in the late C12 and this is generally regarded as marking its foundation. The settlement was laid out on the low-lying ground along the western bank of the River Medina using a grid-style plan. Recent topographic analysis suggests that Newport may have developed around an existing informal trading settlement located at the head of Medina estuary, in the vicinity of Sea and Quay Street (Alexander, 2021). The High Street is one of five east-west running streets within the grid layout. High Street and Pyle Street extend the full length of the grid, divided by a market square, and form the planned core of Newport, with other shorter parallel streets to the south (South Street) and north (Lugley and Crocker Street). They were all largely in place by the mid-C13.

In the C14, the Isle of Wight was frequently subject to raids by French forces during long-running conflicts between England and France. According to historical documents, during one of the raids in 1377, Newport was severely damaged by fire and much of the population fled to Carisbrooke Castle. It appears that Newport was functioning again a few years later. During this century, records indicate that the population of Newport did decrease, most likely due to several wider economic factors, and did not significantly increase until the mid-C17. The town was incorporated as a borough in 1608 under a new charter granted by James I. Newport did not significantly expand beyond its medieval limits until around the late C18. By the mid-C19 there had been a more significant expansion of the town, including the development of its suburbs, which continued into the C20.

The building known as 122 and 123 High Street was built in the early C19, probably as one house. The building’s plan form is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey (OS) map (1864, 1:12500); it depicts two narrow plots, indicating that the building has become subdivided, both with rear wings (that to 123 High Street’s is shown as glazed) and rear gardens. By the 1960s the properties had been amalgamated into one building and the footprint had been extended to the rear. In the 1970s the building was described as having a modern shopfront. In the summer of 1994, the building suffered from fire damage caused by an incendiary device. A new shopfront was installed after 2009.

Details

Townhouse with shop, built in the early C19 most likely as one building, subdivided by the mid-C19, recombined by the mid-C20, with an early-C21 shopfront.

MATERIALS: the first and second floor of the front (south) elevation facing the High Street are faced with painted brick. The pitched roof over the front range of the building is covered by slate. The visible upper part of the east gable return is rendered.

PLAN: the building has a long rectangular footprint, orientated south to north, with a narrow front elevation facing south onto the High Street.

EXTERIOR: the front (south) range has three storeys plus attic. The entirety of the south elevation’s ground floor is occupied by a shopfront, replaced in 2009. On the first floor are two, curved oriel windows. Each oriel contains curved sashes; a six-over-six central sash flanked by four- over-four sashes. The sashes are separated by moulded strips; below is a deep plain apron and above is a plain frieze with dentil cornice. On the second floor are three eight-over-eight sashes with block cills. Above the second-floor windows is a timber fascia. This front range of the building is topped by a pitched roof covered in slates. Two dormers are located halfway down the front slope of the roof (facing the High Street). These have flat roofs and their front face is a six-pane window.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

309560

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Other
Alexander, Magnus, Newport, Isle of Wight, High Street Heritage Action Zone: Topographic Analysis of the Late Medieval Town, Historic England Research Report 49/2021, (November 2021)
Isle of Wight Council, Newport Conservation Area Appraisal (2007)
Isle of Wight Historic Environment Service report 14028 - MIW9992 122 & 123 High Street, Newport (formerly Boots)

End of official list entry

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