Listed Building: CHURCH HILL HOUSE (1206517)

LYNTON AND LYNMOUTH SS7149 CHURCH HILL, Lynton 858-1/4/11 (South West side) 03/09/73 Church Hill House - GV II House with shops in small island group. Early to mid C19. Rendered, slate roof. The original range probably a symmetrical villa with central gable to street, extended by 2 bays to the right, slightly set back, but in consistent detail. In 2 storeys, but developing large lower storey areas with steep fall in site to the S, on return to Queen Street. 5-window range; the upper level has 3 canted oriels with 2 or 4-pane sash, the flat tops set just below the deep projecting plain eaves soffit. The slightly projecting central gable has a 3-light small-pane casement with pointed heads to the lights. To the far right is a replacement window in deep reveals. The ground floor has 3 C19 pilaster shop fronts with moulded cornices; that to the left has the original plate-glass display windows with thin cast-iron mullions to very flat 4-centred heads and spandrels, and a single-pane return to a recessed door, and with tile stall riser. This unit has a deep fascia and moulded cornice. The centre unit is a C20 replacement within the pilasters, and the right-hand unit is a symmetrical plate-glass front with thin cast-iron colonnette mullions and recessed pair of doors with transom light; to the right a plain light replaces a former door. Across this frontage are scant remains of cast-iron brackets which formerly carried a continuous decorative cast-iron balustrade to a shallow balcony, slightly stepped forward to the gabled bay; this is referred to in the previous list, and appears in early photographs, including one in Bartlett of 1929. Under the gabled centre is a pair of C19 doors, with vertical panels to edge moulds. A stack to each gable end. The first 3 bays are to a hipped roof, and the roof to the added 2 bays has a gabled outer end, but covers the former hipped end to its left. The return to the right has a narrow display window, then a wide gable over 3 storeys set to the very steep Queen Street, continued on the curve with an added range. Various openings, including a wide 8-pane sash, and a deep 3-light casement. INTERIORS not inspected; the shops do not retain significant original detail. With the adjoining Old Coach House (qv) this is an important element of streetscape opposite St Mary's Church (qv), and the 2 buildings between them occupy a complete triangular island block lying across a steep slope. (Bartlett T: Postcard Views of North Devon: Combe Martin: 1990-: 99). Listing NGR: SS7201649439