33A Chapel Street, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria

Summary

Dwelling above an arched carriage way, early to mid-C19 with later C19 and C20 alterations.

Description

Dwelling above arched carriageway, early to mid-C19 with later C19 and C20 alterations.

MATERIALS: coursed red sandstone ashlar, rendered; Westmorland slate roofs.

PLAN: a narrow rectangular building flush with the adjacent 33 Chapel Street at the rear and projecting slightly to the front.

EXTERIOR: a two bay, three-storey building under a hipped roof of slate. Although rendered, it has long and short quoins (some exposed) and all openings have flush, red sandstone surrounds. An entrance at the left with a C20 door is flanked to the right by a window with a horned four-pane sash frame, both set within the blocking of the former arched carriage entrance; the left and right jambs of the latter remain visible in the left jamb of the entrance and the right jamb of the window respectively. To the right is the original, blocked entrance. There are two windows to each upper floor fitted with horned two-pane sash window frames. The right return is blind except for a single window to the upper floors. The rear elevation has a central ground floor window flanked by a doorway, a single window to the first floor, and a yellow brick chimney with a soot box. The attached brick, single-storey rear range is not of special interest and is not included in the listing.

INTERIOR: now entered into a stone-walled passage at the north end of the building, where a hatch gives access to the cellar beneath number 33 Chapel Street; the hatch lintel is a re-used piece of early timber with peg holes. The inserted mid-C20 L-shaped stair rises from the end of the passage. Much of the interior across the three floors is devoid of historic features, but there are a few fittings of note. These include a section of the original early C19 staircase from first to second floor with moulded nosings to the tread, two early C19 plank and batten doors, an under-stairs cupboard, a length of simple plank panelling and narrow beaded cornicing, and kitchen fittings comprising a later C19 stone fireplace with an ornate cast-iron range and adjacent ceramic sink on a stone pier. Lower sections of the roof trusses are visible within the attic, and both historic and replacement elements of the roof structure could be partially viewed through an opening in the attic ceiling.

History

This building is thought to have been constructed during the early to mid-C19, and is present on the Tithe map of 1843, with John Heelis listed as an occupier. It was probably constructed as a domestic dwelling (with a ground floor arched carriage way giving access to a rear yard) perhaps as accommodation for employees of the adjacent solicitors practice at 33 Chapel Street, of which Heelis was a partner. The building was originally entered at the right, where a stair rose through the first floor to the attic. During the later C19 the ground floor was remodelled: the arched carriage openings to the front and rear walls were blocked, and an internal stone partition inserted creating a narrower, cross passage at the north end of the building; access doors were inserted into the blocking of each former carriage arch. A pair of new rooms (front and rear) was created in the remainder of the ground floor, with an inserted central window to each, and a cast iron range was added to the rear room. During the mid-C20 the building underwent further modification: the original front door was blocked, the original stair from ground to first floor was removed (leaving only the section from first floor to attic), an L-shaped staircase from ground to first floor was inserted to the east end of the cross passage, the first floor was divided into two rooms either side of the new staircase, and a doorway (now blocked) was created from the landing of the staircase through to the ground floor of the adjacent building at 33 Chapel Street. In late 2015 the building was subject to flooding.

The Heelis family were a long-established Westmorland family serving as agents, at Appleby Castle, to the Earls of Thanet, clergy and as solicitors, the latter role continuing with the establishment of the firm E and E A Heelis in 1885. However, the family is better known today for its connection with Beatrix Potter, thanks to the marriage of William Heelis (of W H Heelis Solicitors of Hawkshead) to Beatrix Potter in 1908. William Heelis was the brother of Edward Alexander and George Herbert Heelis who ran the family firm of E and E A Heelis at 33 Chapel Street. Both Edward Alexander and George Herbert Heelis resided in Battlebarrow House (or The Green), Appleby which Beatrix Potter visited on special occasions. However, there is no record of Beatrix Potter visiting her brothers-in-law’s place of business on Chapel Street.

Reasons for Listing

33A Chapel Street, a mid-C19 dwelling, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* a domestic dwelling dating from before or around 1840, which falls within the period when there is a presumption in favour of listing;
* despite alteration to the ground floor, the original plan-form of modest accommodation above an arched carriageway remains readable within the fabric of the building;
* the interior retains some historic features, including part of the original staircase, some original plank and batten doors and parts of the original roof structure.

Historic interest:

* the building is historically associated with the attached Brigg, Hall and Heelis solicitors practice, the latter a regionally significant family.

Group value:

* it benefits from a historic group value with the attached Grade II*-listed 33 Chapel Street, with which it is considered to be related;
* it benefits from a spatial group value with numerous other listed buildings of a similar date in Chapel Street and adjacent streets.

External Links

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