Listed Building: The Chimneys, Number 1 Buxton Road (1132642)

'A three-storey house of early to mid C19 date with a ground floor shop unit. The building includes an arched cart entrance with domestic accommodation above at its north end. Reasons for Designation The Chimneys, Number 1 Buxton Road in Bakewell, Derbyshire, an early to mid C19 dwelling with a ground floor shop and wide arched opening to the north end, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: Architectural interest: * Exterior detailing: the building is a well-preserved example of C19 urban domestic architecture combining vernacular influences in the use of local gritstone and limestone walling, quoining and ashlar detailing to window openings with more polite architectural influences in the use of sash and canted oriel windows and a C19 shop front. Group value: * the building is one of a number of listed buildings which define the frontages of a principal approach to the historic centre of Bakewell, and has strong group value with The Nook and Studio House (List entry 147996), the Catholic Church of The English Martyrs (List entry 1132645), The Old Kings (List entry 1245877) and Coulsden Cottage (List entry 1148017). History The buildings which form part of the frontage to the west side of Buxton Road, Bakewell, including that part now occupied by The Chimneys, Number 1 Buxton Road, (henceforth referred to as 'Number 1') appear to have been constructed incrementally from the late C18 onwards, with historic maps showing different configurations from the late C18 to the mid to late C19. The site of Number 1 is shown as already developed on the 1796 map of the Manor of Bakewell, with an undeveloped street frontage plot to the north. Three years later, the Bakewell Town Plan shows a detached building to the north, with an access way between it and the site of Number 1. The Town Plan of 1851 however shows part or all of the building to the north removed, and a much wider open area to the street frontage beyond the site of Number 1. The Ordnance Survey (OS) map 6" (1879) shows the present configuration of buildings on the site, and both it and the 1851 Town Plan appear to confirm the slightly different angle to the front elevation of Number 1 to that of the frontage of buildings to the north. It would appear that a building on the site of Number 1 has been a constant presence since at least the late C18, and that the use of a different type of stone, and substantial quoins to the south-east corner of Number 1 indicates that it pre-dates the construction of the attached range to the north, and that perhaps the development and attachment of that later range, built of coursed limestone, necessitated modifications to the northern elevation of Number 1. It is not known when the shop units were constructed or whether they were original or secondary developments. At some later date, Number 1 was enlarged by extension into the area above the archway to the north, and that arrangement survives to the present day. The building was added to the statutory List in 1999. Details An early to mid C19 building with C20 and C21 alterations comprising a shop to the ground floor and accommodation on the upper two floors, the accommodation later enlarged by extension into a single bay of the attached building to the north oversailing an entrance archway. MATERIALS: coursed squared sandstone with ashlar quoins and dressings beneath a Welsh slate covering to a hipped roof incorporating a small square corner chimney. The single bay of the attached building to the north now forming part of the domestic accommodation above the shop is built of limestone rubble. PLAN: the shop and its accommodation forms the L-shaped western end of a linear range of buildings on the west side of Buxton Road. EXTERIOR: the building is a three-storey, two-bay range with a shop front to the east and south elevations and an entrance archway to the north. The return elevation at the south end faces onto a footpath leading to Bagshawe Hill to the west. The shop front is much restored, and has a large plate glass window above a deep stall riser, set back below a shallow cornice. A signage panel occupies the upper part of the shop window, and a set-back doorway with a six-panel door is located to the left of the shop window. The shop front and door are set between two replacement timber pilasters with corbelled heads. Above the shop front is a ashlar band course, which forms the sill of the first floor window. This, and the window opening to the second floor above have flush stone surrounds and C21 eight-over-eight pane sash frames. The bay to the right of the shop front has a wide access opening with vertically boarded double doors leading to buildings to the rear of the frontage range, set below a deep segmental arch. Above the arch is a first floor canted bay window with a central C21 two-over-two pane sash frame and narrow two-pane flanking lights. The walling above the arch is formed of coursed squared limestone, and this, and the fenestration details match those of the four bay building to the north of the archway. These characteristics, and the different angle of the sandstone-faced bay to the south of the archway suggests that the arch bay originally formed part of the limestone building, but was subsequently altered to form part of the property to the south end. The two-bay return elevation to the south end has a C21 shop window and lintel, beyond which is a doorway with a C21 door to the upper floor accommodation. To the left side of the doorway, and sharing the same continuous C21 lintel, is a C21 eight-over-eight pane sash window. The band course to the street elevation is continued around onto the end wall, and above this, at each level, are two window openings with C21 eight-over-eight pane sash frames set within flush stone surrounds. INTERIOR: the interior of the building has been remodelled, and was undergoing further alteration at the time of inspection (March 2019). The interior of the building has been remodelled, and was undergoing further alteration at the time of inspection (March 2019). No visible plan form aspects, fixtures or fittings of special interest were observed at this time, but the presence of blocked openings, visible both internally and externally, may further enhance understanding of how the building has evolved over time. Such evidence also indicates the complexity of the interface between the historic and modern fabric.'