Port Isaac Conservation Area Appraisal - Cornwall Council Isaac.pdf · Standinghistoricfabric 15 Streetscapeandviews 17 8 CharacterAreas 22 UnderstandingCharacter 22 TheHarbour 22

Port Isaac Conservation Area Appraisal

Endorsed June 2008

Contents

11 Introduction

1The purpose of a Conservation Area Appraisal

1Scope and structure

1General identity and character

1Date of designation

1The Conservation Area within the wider settlement

22 Planning Context

2National

2Regional

2Local

33 Location and setting

3Historic Landscape Characterisation

44 Designations

55 Historic and topographic development

5Early Origins

5Medieval

5Post-medieval Port Isaac and the Seventeeth Century

6Eighteenth century

7Early Nineteenth century

8Later Nineteenth century

12Twentieth century

13Present Day Port Isaac

146 Archaeological potential

157 Present settlement character

15Topography and settlement form


15Standing historic fabric

17Streetscape and views

228 Character Areas

22Understanding Character

22The Harbour

22Historic Development

23Activity and use

23Architecture and historic qualities

24Key Buildings

30Local details

33Local and traditional building materials

34Public realm

36Greenery and green space

36Loss, intrusion and damage

37Neutral Areas

37General condition

37The Old Town/Commercial Core


39Activity & Use

39Architecture and historic qualitites

40Key Buildings

43Local Details


49Public Realm




56Neutral Areas

56General Condition

56Nineteeth Century Expansion


58Activity and use

58Architecture and historic qualities

60Key buildings

63Local details


65Public realm



68Neutral areas

69General condition

709 Problems and pressures

7310 Recommendations

7511 Opportunities

11 Sources



1 Introduction

The purpose of a ConservationArea Appraisal

The purpose of this conservation areaappraisal is to clearly define the specialinterest, character and appearance of theconservation area, and to suggest anypossible amendments to its boundary. Theappraisal should then inform developmentcontrol decisions and policies and act as afoundation for further work on designguidance and enhancement schemes.

Scope and structure

This appraisal describes and analyses thecharacter of the Port Isaac conservationarea and the immediately surroundinghistoric environment. The appraisal will lookat the historic and topographicaldevelopment of the settlement, analyse itspresent character and identify distinctcharacter areas. These areas will then befurther analysed, problems and pressuresidentified and recommendations made forits future management. More detailedadvice on the management of theconservation area can be found in the PortIsaac Conservation AreaManagement Planwhich is designed to stand alongside thisappraisal.

General identity and character

Port Isaac is a village of two parts. Thehistoric core of the village centred on theharbour consists mainly of eighteenth andnineteenth century cottages and townhouses interconnected by narrow alleywaysor drangs. Many of the domestic buildingsare holiday lets and a large proportion ofthe commercial premises have connectionswith the tourist industry. The twentieth

century development on the hill to the eastof the historic core houses a largeproportion of the indigenous population andhere can be found the majority of localservices which include a primary school,surgery, garage and supermarket.

Date of designation

The Conservation Area was designated in1971, in accordance with North CornwallDistrict Council’s policy document for thearea.

The Conservation Area within thewider settlement

The present conservation area boundaryincludes the historic core of the townaround the harbour and roughly follows the1907 development boundary including themore recent development along NewRoad,which incorporates sparse historicdevelopment. It extends to take in the ruralsetting of the fields to the southwest andsoutheast of the town.

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2 Planning Context

National

In 1967 the concept of protecting areas ofspecial merit, rather than individualbuildings was first brought under legislativecontrol with the passing of the CivilAmenities Act. Whilst listed buildings areassessed nationally with lists drawn up bythe government on advice from EnglishHeritage conservation areas are designatedby local authorities. The current Actgoverning the designation of ‘areas ofspecial architectural or historic interest, thecharacter or appearance of which it isdesirable to preserve or enhance’ is thePlanning (Listed Buildings andConservation Areas) Act 1990. Under thisAct local planning authorities are requiredto designate conservation areas, to keepthem under review and if appropriate todesignate further areas. Designationremains the principal means by which localauthorities can apply conservation policiesto a particular area.

Regional

Broad polices relating to the protection andenhancement of the natural and builtenvironment is currently contained in theCornwall Structure Plan (2004). The policyemphasis is that development shouldrespect and consolidate local character. In2008 the Structure Plan will be replaced aspart of the statutory Development Plan bythe South West Regional Spatial Strategy.The contained policy approach in respectof the built and natural environment will bemaintained in accordance with nationalguidance.

Local

The adopted North Cornwall District LocalPlan (1999) contains detailed policesrelating to listed buildings and conservationareas. For this reason, anyone consideringmaking an application for consent fordevelopment or demolition within aconservation area or which would affect alisted building should consult the LocalPlan. The document is available forinspection at the Council’s offices andonline at www.ncdc.gov.uk . Pre-applicationadvice can also be sought from theCouncil’s Conservation and DevelopmentControl Officers.

The Planning and Compulsory PurchaseAct 2004 introduced changes to theplanning system that will result in the NorthCornwall District Local Plan replacementby a Local Development Framework. Aportfolio of Development Plan Documentswill set out the spatial planning strategy forNorth Cornwall and provided detaileddevelopment control policies includinglocally distinct polices relating to listedbuildings and conservation areas. Alldocuments prepared as part of the NorthCornwall Local Development Framework,including the Local Development Schemewhich sets the timescale for DevelopmentPlan Document preparation and adoptioncan be viewed at www.ncdc.gov.uk .

The saved polices of the North CornwallDistrict Local Plan will remain part of thestatutory development plan until replacedby adopted Development Plan Documents.

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3 Location and setting

Port Isaac lies on the north Cornwall coast16 kilometres to the north of Wadebridgeand 14 kilometres to the west of Camelfordvia the B3267. It lies within the parish ofPort Isaac, in the district of North Cornwall.

The village is situated at the western endof Port Isaac bay and its historic core liesaround the natural harbour, one of thesafest on the north Cornwall coast. Eitherside of the harbour the cliffs rise steeplyculminating in Lobber Point on its westernside and slightly shorter headland on itseastern side.

The sea lies to the north of the settlementand to the south is a very steeply sided,sheltered valley through which flows a river.Where the river approaches the harbour itscourse has been altered to flow through aleat, which in places passes beneath theroad and several buildings.

The village is surrounded by agriculturalland which merges into the coastal plain.

Historic LandscapeCharacterisation

Under the historic landscapecharacterisation survey carried out byCornwall County Council HistoricEnvironment Service in 1994 the landimmediately adjacent to the river along thevalley floor is characterised as roughground as is the land immediately at thecliff’s edge around Lobber Point. The fieldson the Lobber Point headland are describedas post medieval, whilst the fieldssurrounding the rest of the settlement arecharacterised as medieval farmland.

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4 Designations

Scheduled Monuments

There are no scheduled monuments

Historic Buildings

There are over 90 listed buildings all ofwhich are listed Grade II

Historic Area Designations

The historic core of the settlement lieswithin a conservation area

Other Designations

(All policy numbers refer to North CornwallLocal Plan adopted April 1999)

The whole settlement and surrounding landfalls within an Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty (AONB) – (ENV1)

The cliff to the west of the town isdesignated an Area of Great ScientificValue (AGSV) – (ENV 5)

The coast to the west is a Cornwall NatureConservation Site (CNC Site) – (ENV 5)

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5 Historic and topographic development

Early Origins

The earliest evidence of occupation in thearea dates from the Bronze Age and relatesto the fields surrounding the town.

The name Port Isaac appears to be aderivation of the word Porth meaningharbour and Iyzak the Cornish for cornperhaps referring to an early corn mill.

Polsue in 1867 refers to Portissyk as aSaxon port but there is no survivingevidence to support this claim.

Medieval

Port Isaac is not mentioned in theDomesday Book but three surroundingmanors are named - Roscaret, Treforiocand Treweheret. It seems likely that theharbour developed from an early date- therocky promontory Lobber Head curlingprotectively around the head of the bay tothe west made it one of the safest harboursalong the north coast. The first writtenevidence referring to Portusek, dates from1338 and describes the settlement as afishing village. It seems likely therefore thatthe earliest development occurred on thesheltered ground around and to the southof the present day harbour. Rose Hill andChurch Hill are two of the earliest streetsin the settlement and date from this period.It has been suggested that Rose Hill mightoriginally have led straight to the beach.

Post-medieval Port Isaac and theSeventeeth Century

Port Isaac by 1500 had a flourishingpilchard industry and was considered oneof the most important fishing harbours on

the north coast. A number of fish cellarswere built at this time and their remnantswere uncovered when the foundations weredug for the Victorian fish cellars which nowoccupy the same sites. In around 1536John Leland described ‘Porthissek, a prettyfisher village, lyeth about a three miles fromthe mouth of the aforesaid brook lower bywest on Severne shore. There resorteth abrook to Porthissek: and there is a pier andsome succour for fisher boats.’ The pierwas built during the reign of Henry VIII andthereby followed a period of developmentwithin the town which lasted until thebeginning of the seventeenth century. Asearly as 1584 the traveller Norden observedthe village was ‘wonderfully increased inbuildings’.

The village originally centred around anopen flat space at the southern end of theharbour known as The Platt. This was usedas a workplace by the fishermen, as a safeplace to draw up the boats during springtides and as a venue for the weeklymarkets. By 1542 there was an inn at itssouth eastern corner - originally called theMote Inn, it later became the Bristol Inn andthen the Commercial.

In addition to the fishing industry by thereign of Elizabeth I Port Isaac had becomean important centre of export shipping slatefrom the local quarries to France andBelgium. In addition pilchard oil wasexported to Italy making the settlement atruly international port. This status wasreflected in the development of the village- by the end of the Tudor period most of thepresent day streets were already laid out.

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Eighteenth century

The town prospered in the eighteenthcentury as both the fishing andimport/export industries continued toflourish. A number of inns were builtincluding the Golden Lion at the foot of ForeStreet (where it was claimed contrabandwas stored in the cellars). The larger stonesat the base of the inn could indicate itstands on the site of a former quay. Twofurther inns, The Swan owned by JohnLarke and The Dolphin on Dolphin Streetowned by Elizabeth Stribley, were bothopened in the 1770s. Other developmentduring this period included, along DolphinStreet, the sizeable Trevan House(subsequently named after a doctor andwriter who lived there in the earlynineteenth century) and the town housenow called Dolphin House.

In 1750 a chapel was built possibly onMiddle Street following a visit to the townby John Wesley – he visited Port Isaacfourteen times between 1747-1789. Ahouse dating from the eighteenth centurynow called Wesley House was possiblywhere he stayed on one of his visits.

Picture 5.1 The mid-eighteenth century WesleyHouse on Middle Street.

A shed along Middle Street incorporates awindow which could have come from theearly chapel building. By the eighteenthcentury Middle Street would have been ahighly developed area and the position ofsome of the surviving cottages suggestssome were built in courtyard formations aswell as addressing the street. The area offMiddle Street known as The Poor Courtwas the site of a row of poor cottages, andwas once connected by an alleyway intoDolphin Street. These narrow alleywayswere locally known as drangs. One of thevillage’s pumps was situated in MiddleStreet making it an important place for localcongregation.

The village continued to grow steadilythroughout the eighteenth century. Towardsthe end of the period more substantialhouses were built by the businessmeninvolved in coasting (discharging cargoesby ketches) such as Victoria House on ForeStreet and Tremaine on Church Hill. TheManor House is another sizeable housefrom this period which might at one pointhave had a mill pool in its garden. Its namecould indicate the building was originallyused to collect manorial duties.

Picture 5.2 The late eighteenth century ManorHouse on Church Hill.

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Further eighteenth century developmenttook place along Church Hill, the originalmain road to St Endellion Church, with arow of cottages south of the Manor House.These cottages were built into the steeplysloping bank with their rear elevations toChurch Hill and entrances on both floors.On the western side of the road there wasa scattering of small cottages with stepsleading to communal drying areas behindthe houses.

Further development also took place duringthe late eighteenth century on The Plattwith the building of The Market Houseadjacent to the former Mote Inn. It is notknown whether the building providedcovered accommodation as part of themarket, or whether it was simply named forits proximity to the market site.

Picture 5.3 The late eighteenth century MarketHouse with slatestone walls and brick windowsurrounds. The canted bay windows are twentiethcentury additions following its conversion todomestic use.

Early Nineteenth century

John Watts Trevan’s handwritten bookSummary Memoirs of the Parish ofEndellion Prior to the year 1834 providesus with a remarkably detailed picture of lifein Port Isaac during the first part of thenineteenth century. Trevan lived in DolphinStreet and was the village’s physician. Hedescribes the prolific pilchard stocks at theturn of the century which inspired a numberof businessmen to invest in the industry -building cellars and seine lofts. In additionto the fish cellars in the harbour there werealso two sizeable cellars on the promontoryto the north-east of the village, beyond ForeStreet, and one on Fore Street itself on thesite that later housed the school. Theentrepreneurs enjoyed about a decade of

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success after which the stocks dried up.He describes Rose Mine or Tresingers asa local mine and lists the vessels operatingin and out of the harbour. At the time of hismemoirs (the 1830s) coal was beingimported fromWales and earthenware fromBideford. Meanwhile slate from Delaboleand corn were exported. The majority ofshopkeepers however at this point werepurchasing their goods at Devonport,Boscastle, Wadebridge and Padstow fromwhere it was transported to the village byland carriage.

Trevan painted a picture of a busycommunity, whilst also giving theimpression that the glory years of thevillage had passed. ‘Port Isaac a smallfishing town but the longest and mostthickly inhabited place in this parish itcontains about one hundred and fortydwelling houses inhabited mainly byseafaring people being as mean dirty andtumultuous place as can well be conceived’.He goes on to describe ‘the streets narrowand filthy as almost to render theminhospitable in the time of wet weather’ andthat ‘Port Isaac is fast going to decay’.

The 1839 tithe map illustrates Trevan’sdescription of a densely populatedcommunity. The interconnecting streets inthe centre of the town – Church Hill, MiddleStreet, Dolphin Street and Back Lane wereall lined with houses, workshops and shops.There were buildings along Roscarrock Hilland along the length of Fore Street. Thewestern end of Rose Hill had beendeveloped as was the southern part ofMargaret’s Lane.

In addition to the houses and cottages therewas a Quaker Meeting House, built in 1806and thought to be the first in Cornwall. By1832 the building had been taken over bythe Baptists, and by 1871 it was a private

house subsequently rebuilt in 1885. Inaddition to the Baptists, Non-conformismcontinued to flourish in Port Isaac withTrevan recording over fifty- five worshippersat the chapel. In 1836 a Methodist chapelwas built at the foot of Roscarrock Hillabove the fish cellars, and shortlyafterwards a Weslyan Methodist Chapelwas built at the Eastern end of MiddleStreet.

In 1804 the first school was founded in thevillage and by 1820 there were betweenthirty and forty pupils.

By 1827 a local businessman and coastaltrader Warwick Guy was operating fromSlipway House at the foot of Church Hillwith the building opposite (now calledGreengates) as his warehouse. He tradedin corn and barley which he exported whilstimporting wheat. Greengates could be onthe site of an earlier water mill. By 1840Guy had prospered sufficiently to buildhimself a town house on the opposite sideof the road, Courtenay House.

Guy further increased the development ofthe village with a ship building yard onRoscarrock Hill, which included threeworkshops.

Later Nineteenth century

By the mid nineteenth century the fishingindustry continued to play a significant rolein the fortunes of the village. In 1850 therewere forty-nine registered fishing boats andfour fish cellars. The cellars in thesouth-western corner of the cove date fromthis period as do the fish cellars at thesouth-eastern corner of the harbour. Thesewere rebuilt to store equipment at the sametime as the retaining wall to the road above,which has become known as the PentusWall, was constructed. In addition there

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were two boat building yards adjacent tothe fish cellars and a carpenters’ yard onthe north side of Roscarrock Hill aboveGuy’s shipyard.

Picture 5.4 The façade of themid-nineteenth centuryFish Cellars.

As the century progressed the nature of theharbour-based industry began to alter –fishing was in decline but there was still afair trade in coasting. In 1867 Polsue in hisParochial History of the County of Cornwallrefers to the extensive numbers of pilchardcellars reduced to ‘one seine or so’. Thedecline in fishing was also noted by SirJohn Maclean in his book The Parochialand Family History of the Deanery of TriggMinor Cornwallwritten in 1873 – ‘until aboutfifty years ago, the village of Port Isaac wasa most successful fishing port. An unlimitedquantity of fish (chiefly pilchards) might betaken in the bay and along the coast, butthis source of industry has, in a greatmeasure, ceased’. He goes on to note ‘aconsiderable coasting trade exists duringthe summer months with vessels of fromfifty to eighty tons burden, chiefly ownedand manned by inhabitants of PortIsaac….these vessels are also engaged inbringing limestone and generalmerchandise from Plymouth, and coalsfrom Wales’.

However, by the end of the nineteenthcentury smaller boats were being built thatcould travel long distances and the needfor coasting by ketches began to wane. Thearrival of the railway at the nearby stationPort Isaac Road in the 1890s further spedup the decline in sea trade as slate beganto be exported by rail. As one industrydeclined, another picked up - localfishermen began to fish for mackerel andshellfish and used the new railway to exportthe fish to London and other domesticmarkets.

By the end of the century with the demiseof the export and coasting industries mostof their associated structures wereredundant. The carpenters’ yard waspurchased by a former shipwright who builta tall Gothic style building on the site takingadvantage of its sea views and one of theboat yards closed down. The fish cellarsand stores, however, continued in use.

Before its transferal to the railway the tradein slate was to influence the physicaldevelopment of the village. Back Hill wasexcavated by Dartmoor convicts to providebetter access to the harbour for slatecarried from Port Gaverne. This must haveoccurred after 1873 because Macleanrefers to slate from Delabole being broughtby road to Port Gaverne and then by boatto Port Isaac because of the gradient of thehill. However the First Edition OrdnanceSurvey map of 1880 shows the excavatedroad in place.

By 1867 the Roscarrock Hill MethodistChapel could no longer accommodate theswelling congregation and was convertedinto a Sunday school with a larger chapelnext door. The chapel bell was retrievedfrom awrecked ship, The Bencoolen, whichhad gone down off the Bude Coast. TheWesleyan Methodist chapel on Middle

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Street was definitely operation during thisperiod as Polsue in 1867 referred to twochapels in the village one belonging to theWesleyan Methodists, the other to theMethodist Free Church. The 1880s maplists the Roscarrock Hill chapel as UnitedMethodists and the Middle Street Chapelas Wesleyan.

After centuries of travelling to St Endellionfor their services a chapel of ease was builtfor the Anglicans of Port Isaac between1882-4. The church was sited on the newlyexcavated Back Hill and was described inthe West of England Newspaper in 1884 –‘The new building, which is dedicated to StPeter is a simple but substantialpicturesque structure, in the Early Englishstyle’. Around twenty five years laterreinforcement works had to be carried outas the building was suffering fromsubsidence, possibly caused by old mineworkings. Picture 5.5 The chancel window at the northern end

of St Peter’s. The building’s challenging locationprevented the church from being built on the moreusual east/west axis.

It is clear that there were mine workings inthe area (they were recorded by Trevan inhis memoirs) but their actual location isunknown. However the junction alongTrewetha Lane, referred to as MinepitCorner, is believed to be the site of an oldmine whose workings connect to an aditthat runs through the rock under the school.Trevan refers to a Rose Mine which couldhave been named after the nearby RoseHill.

During the late nineteenth century a row ofthree Victorian houses was built at the headof Roscarrock Hill and named Khandallah,a reference to the owners’ involvement withtea planting. The stone to build the cottageswas quarried from the cliff on the westernside of the harbour. This was one of threequarries operating at the time (the other

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two were off Church Hill) to meet thebuilding requirements of the ever growingvillage. Other domestic building projects ofthis period included a row of cottages alongthe northern end of Fore Street known asCanadian Terrace and two houses built bya local man, Valentine Powell Richards,Cliff Cottage on Fore Street and TheBirdcage on Rose Hill.

Picture 5.6 The southern façade of Cliff Cottagebuilt by Valentine Powell Richards with its distinctivegothic windows and carved and piercedbarge-boards forms a decorative element in thestreetscape of Fore Street.

By 1871 Port Isaac had a population of 750and had become the most important villagein the parish. (The 1873 Kelly’s Directorylists the overall population of the parish ofSt Endellion as 1,152.). In addition to thechurch a number of important pubicbuildings were constructed to provideservices for the increasing population theseincluded a school and schoolmaster’s

house on Fore Street built to designs bySylvanus Trevail in 1877 (which won adesign prize at an exhibition in Chicago).In 1897 a Temperance Hall was built onTrewetha Lane, and by 1880 there was acoastguard station on the headland beyondFore Street (on the site of one of the formerfish cellars) and a lifesaving apparatushouse along the northern side of ForeStreet or Front Hill as it was then known.A lifeboat house had been built in 1869 onland donated by Lord Robartes. It wassome distance away from the cove on ForeStreet and necessitated the use of an irontrolley and ropes to haul the boat up thestreet.

By the end of the century the commercialcentre of the village, based in the streetsleading off from the harbour, had becomehighly developed. In addition to the threeinns, the Golden Lion, Dolphin andCommercial, there were four shopkeepers,two boot and shoe makers, threecarpenters, three tailors, two butchers, twomasons and a surgeon. Polsue refers toweekly markets, which took place on aFriday. Further up the valley was a mill,which ground flour and made bread

Whilst undoubtedly hastening the end ofthe sea trading industry the railwayintroduced a new industry to Port Isaac inthe form of tourism. In 1897 John LloydPage noted there were already two lodginghouses in the village and that ‘the outsideworld came: the outside world liked PortIsaac: the outside world came again …..’

In common with many other villages inCornwall during the late nineteenth centurya number of houses had byres in theirgardens for keeping pigs.

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Despite the expansion of the village alongRoscarrock Hill and the northern end ofFore Street the fields to the south of RoseHill remained undeveloped due to theirsteep gradient. The flat land at the top ofthe hill between Port Isaac and PortGaverne was used by travelling fairs.

Twentieth century

It terms of development, the village alteredlittle between the late nineteenth and earlytwentieth centuries. Looking at the First andSecond Edition Ordnance SurveyMaps thefootprint is virtually identical. However thenature of some of the buildings hadchanged. In the harbour area Guy’sshipyard closed and was bought byWilliamVickery who converted the sturdy stonewalled workshops into a private housefollowing the First World War. This signifiedthe end of Port Isaac’s involvement in theboat building and exporting industries.However fishing continued despite thefailure of the pilchard harvests in the 1920s.The fishermen instead turned their attentionto herring, which they sold kippered (thesmoking taking place in purpose builtwooden lofts). During the 1920s thebreakwaters were rebuilt, initially out oflocal stone and then concrete after thecontractors went bust.

In 1927 a new lifeboat station was built atthe top of the beach but closed six yearslater as strong off-sea winds could makelaunching virtually impossible. Thesubstantial boat house still survives, butthe lifeboat is housed in the fish cellars.The former lifeboat house on Fore Streetwas converted into the post office.

In June 1913 the village became a separateecclesiastical parish and St Peters becamethe parish church, no-longer a daughter

church to St Endellion. At around this timea red brick vicarage was built on the CliffPath, which is now a private house.

Other early twentieth century developmentsin the village included two rows ofsubstantial terraced housing on the triangleof land between Back Lane and Fore Streetand in 1911 the construction of the LiberalClub on Fore Street, replacing a row of rundown cottages known as Billings Row.

Despite the decline in the town’s traditionalindustries its role as a local service providercontinued to develop. The 1914 edition ofKelly’s Directory records three hundredchildren at the elementary school. Inaddition to the healthy number of shopsand stores there was a bank, Barclay andCompany, two solicitors, a carriageproprietor , a South-West Rail agent andan estate agent - indicating the gradualgentrification of the village. In the 1920sthe village’s first bus garage, Prout’sGarage, was built in the former garden ofthe Manor House.

The nascent tourist industry continued todevelop - the 1914 edition of Kelly’s recordsapartments at Olivet House and a boardinghouse called Tredethlyn. By 1939 thesewere joined by the Castle Rock Hotel,Glenthorne Lawns Residential Club, andthe Tre-Pol-Pen Boarding House.

By 1951 the population of the village stoodat 968, and during this period the villageunderwent a fundamental change as manyof the indigenous populationmoved to newhousing on the hilltop to the east of thevillage as they feared their.old cottagesmight be condemned. Despite the closureof the Port Isaac Road Station in 1966 thegrowing number of visitors travelling to PortIsaac by car meant that the tourist industrycontinued to flourish. Further development

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of the town continued with public housingestates built to the south east of the historiccore in the 1970s.

Herring fishing continued until the 1940swhen dwindling stocks resulted in a moveto mackerel and shellfish.

The school closed in 1976 and the childrenmoved to a larger site at the top of thevillage amongst the new housing.

Present Day Port Isaac

Port Isaac is now a community of two parts.On the higher ground to the east of thehistoric settlement there is a large swatheof twentieth century housing, the school,surgery, garage, supermarket and playingfield. This part of the village is where themajority of the local population lives.Around 60% of the buildings in the historiccore are holiday lets and many of thecommercial premises are shops and cafescatering for the tourist industry. The oldschool is now a restaurant and hotel, theRoscarrock Hill Methodist Chapel is apottery and the Middle Street chapel is aprivate house.

Some traditional elements of the old villagestill survive, however, and play an importantrole in maintaining its character. There arestill services in St Peter’s, the old apparatushouse is now the church hall, thetemperance hall is the village hall, and thepost office is still in the old lifeboat house.Perhaps the most important element in thesurvival of Port Isaac’s historic character isthe continuing presence of fishermen in theharbour, the retention of the sheds belowthe Pentus Wall and the use of the fishcellars to sell freshly caught shellfish.

Tourist numbers have increased overrecent years, as the village has become apopular location for filming. The populationnow stands at c.1,000.

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6 Archaeological potential

There are no scheduledmonuments in PortIsaac but archaeology is potentially a richasset for the village. There is much aboutthe village’s history that is obscure andarchaeology is the only way in which certainkey aspects of its historic development canbe better understood.

Archaeology does not refer solely to buriedremains. Information on the historicalsequences embodied in standing buildingsand other above ground features could beextremely valuable and a building surveyof the village would be likely to yieldsignificant new information. Opportunitiesfor investigation and recording should besought when buildings are refurbished orundergo substantial alteration.Archaeological remains are an importantand non-renewable resource and as suchare protected by national and local planninglegislation. One component of futureinvestigation of both buried archaeologicalremains and standing buildings may bethrough more extensive targetedimplementation of PPG15 and PPG 16legislation as part of the developmentcontrol process.

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7 Present settlement character

Topography and settlement form

Port Isaac’s dramatic natural setting hasundoubtedly influenced its physicaldevelopment. The two promontories ofLobber Point and the eastern cliff bordera long enclosed stretch of water known asThe Haven, which forms a safe naturalharbour. As a consequence the harbourwas one of the earliest fishing ports to bedeveloped on the north coast.

To the south of the harbour lies a rivervalley. For most of the course of the riverthe valley sides are very steep but wherethe river joins the sea the valley widens toform a flat open area. This sheltered spacewith a fresh water source presented anattractive site, and as a consequence bythe sixteenth century a sizeable settlementhad developed. The steepness of the cliffson either side of the harbour made furtherdevelopment to the east and west difficult,and so the flat valley floor was intensivelydeveloped.

Some eighteenth century building did takeplace on the hills along Fore Street,Roscarrock Hill, Margaret’s Lane and RoseHill, but the main development along thecliffs did not occur until the Victorian erawhen engineering advances allowed forbuilding on more challenging sites.

Picture 7.1 Advances in Victorian engineeringallowed for development on more challenging sites.

The steep hillsides behind Church Hill andto the south of Rose Hill have preventedfurther development at the southern end ofthe village. As a result developers since themid-twentieth century have looked to theflat, open (albeit rather exposed) land onthe hill top between Port Isaac and PortGaverne.

Standing historic fabric

A large proportion of the buildings in PortIsaac date from the eighteenth andnineteenth centuries, reflecting the periodswhen the fishing and shipping trades wereat their most prosperous. However, thereare a clutch of earlier structures around thePlatt and, given that the street patternshave not in the main altered since theTudor period and that the development ofthe village can be traced back this far, it isnot unreasonable to surmise that remnantsof earlier structures could be incorporatedwithin the later buildings.

One of themost predominant building typesin the village is the vernacular cottage –simple stone constructions with slate roofs,plain facades and simple slate canopies

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above the doors. Many of these structuresare eighteenth century, with the earlierbuildings having irregular window patterns,but the style continued into the latenineteenth century and was adopted forCanadian Terrace on Fore Street.

In addition to the cottages there are anumber of town houses built for the moreprosperous merchants and professionalsin the village. Larger than the cottages(many have an attic storey with dormers)these houses tend to have more ornatefacades that include restrained classicaldetailing. In terms of scale they are similarto the warehouses and industrial buildingswhich are mainly grouped near to theharbour area - these tend to have imposingbut plain facades and strike a more austerenote amongst the pretty cottages.

Another prevalent building type is the latenineteenth and early twentieth century villaand terrace. These houses date from theearly years of the tourist industry and areoften sited to take advantage of thespectacular views. Many of the houseshave bay, oriel and dormer windowspositioned to allow for views of the sea.They are often highly decorativeincorporating patterned ridge tiles, porchesand glazing bars. There is also a numberof surviving historic shopfronts dating fromthis period. The public and religiousbuildings in the village are in a mixture ofgothic and classical styles.

Picture 7.2 Raking half dormer windows on DolphinStreet.

Nearly all the buildings in Port Isaac areconstructed from the local slatestone withslate roofs. A large number have beenrendered or painted, but there is still a greathomogeneity of materials. There are nohistoric brick buildings (apart from theformer Vicarage, which is outside theconservation area), but brick was frequentlyused for lintels, chimneys and quoins.

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Picture 7.3 Fine examples of historic brick chimneyswith terracotta pots on Rose Hill.

Unlike many Cornish settlements wherethe use of brick post dated the arrival of therailway, in Port Isaac brick was availablemuch earlier as it was used as ballast inthe ships.

A number of buildings have at least oneslate hung elevation.

An attractive feature of the village is thegreat variety of glazing patterns whichenliven the facades and the decorativedoorcases, some of which can be found inthe more humble buildings.

Picture 7.4 Decorative doorcase on a Victorianhouse No. 23 Fore Street.

Streetscape and views

One of the major charms of Port Isaac isthe survival of its early street patterns.

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Picture 7.5 Church Hill - one of the oldest streets inPort Isaac.

As mentioned above nearly all the streetswere in place by the Tudor period and asa consequence something of this earlycharacter still survives, even though noactual buildings from this period are stillextant. The general character of the streetsis narrow, winding - interconnected byalleyways or drangs.

Picture 7.6 The narrow, winding Dolphin Street.

The drangs are pedestrian access only,and the streets wide enough for vehiclescan barely accommodate foot traffic at thesame time – as a consequence there arevery few areas of pavement.

Picture 7.7 The streets are so narrow that in placesthey can barely accommodate traffic andpedestrians at the same time.

Some of the older corner buildings havefirst floors jettied over the ground floor orground floors that have been cut away toincrease the width of the road below.

There is a great sense of enclosure in thelower part of the village where the medievalstreets are bordered by tall eighteenth andnineteenth century buildings. Thesedensely packed buildings create a veryeffective sound barrier, and consequentlythe streets just off the main thoroughfaresare surprisingly quiet.

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Picture 7.8 There is a great sense of enclosure atthe eastern end of Dolphin Street.

In contrast the streets that follow the cliffson either side of the harbour have a moreopen prospect. They are not so highlydeveloped on their seaward sides lesseningthe sense of enclosure but providingtremendous views across the bay. Similarlythe streets and alleyways which run up thehillside to the east of Fore Street are againless intensively developed and haveincreasingly wide ranging views the higherthey climb.

Views

From Roscarrock Hill and Fore Street,either side of the harbour, it is possible tosee most of the village. As a consequencethere are very few roofs and rear elevationsin Port Isaac that are not highly visible.

Picture 7.9 This view across the bay fromRoscarrock Hill illustrates how well the lancetwindows and gables of St Peter’s compliment thoseof the old school.

Depending where one stands the villagepresents very different perspectives. Fromthe eastern cliff there are views across tothe other side of the bay giving a very ruralperspective as only Kandallah is visible andthe rest of the village lies hidden in thevalley below. Looking west from the churchthe bay itself is not visible, only the greencliffs opposite.

The bay is an important element in somanyof the vistas including from the higherreaches of Church Hill, Margaret’s Laneand Trewetha Lane. From Rose Hill onehas a good impression of the intensivelydeveloped lower village, looking out overthe jumble of roofs, to the bay and cliffsbeyond.

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Picture 7.10 View across the rooftops from ChurchHill towards the bay.

Looking east from Roscarrock Hill the viewof buildings around the harbour and thelower part of the village appears remarkablyunchanged from a late nineteenth centuryphotograph of the same scene in theCornish Records Office; themain differencebeing the line of buildings on the hilltop,whereas the sizeable bulk of the harbourstructures and Mount Pleasant half way upthe hill remain the same. From RoscarrockHill one has the best views of the schoolwith its dramatic silhouette of gables andclock tower.

Picture 7.11 A pre-1907 photograph held at theCornish Record Office of this same view shows howessentially unchanged it has remained.

Within the lower village the twisting natureof the streets means there are few vistas,but there are charming intimate glimpsesinto courtyards and rear gardens throughtiny alleys and archways.

Picture 7.12 The drang Rose Hill provides one ofthe intriguing and intimate views in the lower village.

Some of the most striking vistas are fromthe houses on the headland beyond ForeStreet where there are far reaching Atlanticviews.

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Picture 7.13 Looking towards Lobber Point and theAtlantic beyond from the eastern cliff.

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8 Character Areas

Understanding Character

In addition to the broad elements ofsettlement character identified in theprevious chapter Port Isaac can be dividedinto three distinct character areas. Theyare:

The HarbourThe Old Town/Commercial CoreNineteenth Century Expansion

These character areas are differentiatedfrom each other by their varied historicorigins, functions and resultant urbantopography, by the processes of changewhich have affected each subsequentlyand the extent to which these elements andprocesses are evident in the currenttownscape.

The special interest of each character areawill be defined in order to assess its valueor significance both as an individual areaand as part of the settlement as a whole.This understanding can then form the basisfor maintaining and enhancing Port Isaacin the future – to ensure that its specialcharacter is sustained and enhanced.

The Harbour

Statement of Significance –

The oldest part of the village to bedeveloped, this area has some of itsearliest buildings. Many of the historicstructures were formerly industrial orcommercial and these large, plain wallededifices distinguish the area from the restof Port Isaac (where the overall buildingtype is of a smaller scale and moredomestic). The area still has an industrial

feel, due to the survival of the fishingindustry, and many of the premises are stillin commercial use.

Picture 8.1 The survival of the fishing industry haspreserved the working character of the harbour areawhich greatly enhances the charm of the wholevillage.

Historic Development

Medieval and earlier. Polsue refers toa Saxon port, but there is no survivingevidence to support this assertion. Thefirst written evidence refers to a fishingvillage in 1338 – suggesting theearliest development was around theharbour.Tudor and later. The importance of theharbour for fishing continued to growand a pier was built during Henry VIII’sreign. The centre of the settlementwould have been the Platt at the headof the beach. By 1542 there was aninn, the Mote House, situated in thesouth-east corner of the Platt on thesite of the Wheelhouse Restaurant.The current building on this sitepossibly dates from the seventeenthcentury.Eighteenth century. At the start of thecentury the Golden Lion was built,

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possibly on the site of an early quay,and a sizeable town house, TremaineHouse was built at the foot of ChurchHill – possibly by one of the newlyprosperous coastal traders. By thelater eighteenth century the MarketHouse had been built adjacent to theMote House as the commercialimportance of the area grew.Early nineteenth century. Warwick Guythe coastal trader built offices and achandlery on Fore Street with awarehouse behind on Church Hill.Mid nineteenth century. Guy built thetown house Fernleigh at the foot ofChurch Hill and a shipyard onRoscarrock Hill. By this time therewere fish cellars in the south westerncorner of the harbour, a new slipwayby the Platt, stores on thesouth-eastern side below the recentlyconstructed retaining wall, the PentusWall, and a carpenters’ yard above theboatyard.Late nineteenth century. Thecarpenters’ yard was converted into aprivate house, Northcliffe, and a rowof villas, Khandallah, were built at thehead of Roscarrock Hill. A number ofthe buildings around the harbour hadbeen converted into shops includingGuy’s offices which were now generalstores, Tremaine House which was ahat shop and the Mote House whichhoused a cobblers.Twentieth century. Guy’s shipyardbecame a private house, Halwyn, inthe early twentieth century. In the1920s the modern breakwaters wereconstructed and in 1927 a life boatstation was built at the head of theslipway. During the later twentiethcentury the general stores became theSlipway Hotel, Guy’s warehousebecame a domestic building, and the

lifeboat was moved to the old fishcellars.

Picture 8.2 The modern breakwaters built in the1920s replaced the former Tudor structures.

Activity and use

This is still a very busy part of the village.Visitors are drawn to the beautiful harbour,to watch the fisherman who still bring inshellfish which can be bought in the old fishcellars. The Golden Lion is still a publichouse and there are a number of cafes,restaurants and small shops.

Architecture and historic qualities

This area is notable for its architecturalidiosyncrasies – many of these stem fromthe fact that so many of the buildings haveenjoyed more than one incarnation. Storeshave been turned into shops, offices intohouses and houses into shops. This hasled to a plethora of altered roof-lines,extensions, blocked entrances and randomwindow arrangements.

There are a large number of three or morestoried buildings, partly due to a formercommercial or industrial origin, and partlydue to their location on cliff or hillsides.Around the harbour mouth these structuresappear particularly massive as many have

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large areas of plain wall. Over the yearssome of the rather forbidding facades havebeen softened by the addition of windows.

Although there are now a number ofdomestic buildings in this area very fewwere purpose built. Fernleigh is howeveran exception and its regular façadeaddressing the street with symmetricalwindows and a central doorway is inmarked contrast to the complex mix ofstyles, mass and positioning of thesurrounding buildings.

Key Buildings

The Golden Lion, Fore Street – gradeII. This large stone rubble building hasbeen partly rendered on its seawardside and its elevation to Fore Street ispainted. Its early origins, subsequenthistoric development and survivingoriginal features make it of greatimportance both historically andarchitecturally. Like many of thebuildings in Port Isaac it is built into thehillside and its basement was originallyused as a store (for contrabandaccording to local legend). Its rearelevation facing Fore Street has aneighteenth century sash window. Theraking dormer windows probably datefrom the nineteenth century.

Picture 8.3 The Golden Lion with its three storeysand attic is one of the largest buildings in the villageand plays a key role in the townscape of both ForeStreet and the Harbour.

Picture 8.4 The eighteen pane eighteenth centurysash window on the rear elevation of the GoldenLion.

The Market House, The Platt – gradeII. Built as a commercial/industrialbuilding in the late eighteenth century,for many years the ground floor was

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used as a store for the fishing industrywith flats above. However, the buildingis now entirely given over to domesticaccommodation. Originally the buildingwas an uncompromising, massive,plain slatestone structure built forutilitarian purposes and to withstandthe stiff winds gusting in from the sea.Over the years its appearance hasbeen domesticated with the additionof canted oriel windows in thetwentieth century. However its largeplank doors with massive lintel ontothe Platt hint at its former use.TheWheelhouse, The Platt – grade II.Built on the site of the Mote Inn thisbuilding is listed as early seventeenthcentury, but it is possible that parts ofthe sixteenth century building areincorporated into its fabric. Thebuilding was rather systematicallyremodeled in the twentieth century(including the 1970s slate hung gableend), but the first floor nineteenthcentury sash windows and thenineteenth century shop window onFore Street still survive.

Picture 8.5 Despite extensive re-modelling thenineteenth century sash windows still survive on thefaçade of the Wheelhouse Restaurant.

The Fish Cellars, Roscarrock Hill –grade II. Although not the oldest, theseare arguably some of the mosthistorically important buildings in PortIsaac. The survival of these nineteenthcentury cellars with a use related totheir original purpose adds greatly tothe character of the village. Theslatestone rubble sheds wereconstructed around a central courtyardof irregular plan where the fishermancould work protected from the weather.The nature of the buildings has alteredover the years according to therequirements of the fishermen (thesmoking house is now a shop), butmany of the original elements such asthe net lofts and gullies to collect thepressed pilchard oil still exist. The plainstone walls along the harbour andRoscarrock Hill are an important part

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of the townscape as are the widetimber entrance onto Fore Street, theclock on the roof and the barometer.

Picture 8.6 The Fish Cellars are built on an irregularplan around a central courtyard.

Picture 8.7 The plain slatestone walls of the FishCellars’ harbour elevation.

Picture 8.8 The central yard of the Fish Cellars isstill very much a working area.

Picture 8.9 The clock on the roof of the Fish Cellarsrestored in 2000 is an important townscape feature.

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Picture 8.10 The barometer set within a mouldedwooden case on the façade of the Fish Cellars.

Slipway Hotel, Church Hill – grade II.Warwick Guy’s first centre ofoperations this early nineteenthcentury building, despite severaldifferent uses, still incorporates anumber of original features includingsome sash windows and a canted baywindow. To the rear the shop frontdating from its mid nineteenth centuryconversion into a general stores stillsurvives. Its rubblestone walls arerendered and unfortunately the ragslate roof has been cement washed,however the nineteenth century rakingdormers are still extant. Due to itsheight and wealth of features, includinga flight of stone steps on its ChurchHill elevation, this building greatlycontributes to the surroundingtownscape.

Picture 8.11 The massive bulk of the Slipway Hotelmakes an important contribution to the streetscapeof the Harbour area.

Greengates, Church Hill – grade II.This tall nineteenth century formerwarehouse has slatestone walls andsome original nineteenth century sashwindows. The brick window dressingsand chimney pre-date the arrival of therailway and were probably brought tothe village as ballast in one of WarwickGuy’s (the original owner) ships. Ahoist and loading bay on the left-sideelevation are reminders of its formeruse.

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Picture 8.12 Greengates before conversion was awarehouse owned by the entrepreneur WarwickGuy.

Picture 8.13 The remains of a hoist and loading bayon the façade of Greengates

Courtney House, Church Hill – gradeII. The polite regular domestic façadeof Courtney House stands out in thisarea of working buildings. It was builtfor the entrepreneurWarwick Guy whoprobably chose this site in order tokeep a close eye on his surroundingoperations. Like his warehouse,Greengates, which was built at thesame time the house has slatestonewalls and brick dressings.

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Picture 8.14 Warwick Guy’s former home –Courtenay House.

Halwyn, Roscarrock Hill – grade II.Originally Guy’s shipyard this buildingwas subsequently used as workshopsbefore being converted into a houseby Captain William Vickery followingthe First World War. Its construction isof rendered and painted stone rubblewith slate roofs. The range on the leftis late nineteenth century whereas thehigher range on the right with apyramid roof dates from the earlynineteenth century.

Picture 8.15 Buildings from Guy’s former shipyardwere converted into a house in the early nineteenthcentury.

Northcliffe, Roscarrock Hill – grade II.Built in the mid to late nineteenthcentury as a carpenters’ yard this

building was later converted into ahouse. A pleasing reference to thework previously carried out here is theabundant use of wood. TheRoscarrock Hill façade is covered inwooden weather boarding, the pointedarches of the windows are formed fromtriangular blocks of wood and there isa wooden verandah on its harbourelevation.

Picture 8.16Wooden weather-boarding on the streetelevation of Northcliffe.

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Picture 8.17 The idiosyncratic windows and balconyat Northcliffe.

Other listed structures in this area include– The Slipway, Nos.11 and 15 Fore Street,The Pentus Wall, Nos. 2,8, and 12 ChurchHill – all listed grade II.

Local details

There is a good survival of local joinery inthe area including a number of eighteenthand nineteenth century sash windows onbuildings such as the Golden Lion, theHarbour Shop and The Slipway Hotel.

Picture 8.18 Nineteenth century six panelled dooron the façade of Courtenay House.

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Picture 8.19 The nineteenth century twelve panesash window on Tremaine House still incorporatessome crown glass.

A number of historic shopfronts still surviveand can be found on the side elevation oftheWheelhouse Restaurant and to the rearof the Slipway Hotel.

Picture 8.20 Nineteenth century former shopfronton the side elevation of theWheelhouse Restaurant.

Picture 8.21 Nineteenth century shopfront on therear elevation of the Slipway Hotel.

Roofs in the area are both hipped andgabled and many have nineteenth centurydormer windows. There are examples ofboth raked and gable dormers. The gabledormers at Fernleigh have glazed cheeks– a feature often found in coastal propertiesto maximize the views and light.

Steps are a feature of the area and are bothstone rubble and slate. They are found onformer commercial buildings giving outsideaccess to the upper floors and on thebuildings built into the hillsides.

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Picture 8.22 Slatestone and slate steps outside theFish Cellars.

Picture 8.23 Slatestone steps with simple ironrailings on the Church Hill elevation of the SlipwayHotel.

The corners of Nos 1 and 2 Church Hill andthe Harbour Shop are canted with first floorjetties in order to increase the width of theroad below. Other cut aways to improveaccess and visibility include the corner ofthe fish cellars.

Picture 8.24 Cut away on the corner of No 1 ChurchHill.

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Picture 8.25 The corner of the Fish Cellars is cutaway to improve visibility on the narrow bend.

Local and traditional buildingmaterials

All the walls in the area are slatestone, butsome have been rendered and painted.The historic roofs are all slate much ofwhich is the local Delabole which wasexported from the village.

As mentioned previously, some of thebuildings have brick window surrounds andmany have brick chimneys using bricks thathad formed ballast in the various boatsinvolved in the import industry. There area few slatestone chimneys, some of whichhave been rendered.

The abundant supply of slate meant it wasnot only used for roofing. There are severalexamples of slatehanging in this area,

Tremaine House being a particularlycharming representation, and slate wasoften used to form window cills.

Picture 8.26 Slate hanging provides an extra layerof protection against the elements on the seawardside of No. 15 Fore Street.

Picture 8.27 Several of the elevations of TremaineHouse are slate hung.

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In addition to the historic timber windowsboth sash and casement, many of the cillswhich are not formed from slate, are timber.

Public realm

As mentioned above, because of thenarrowness of the roads none of the streetshave pavements. Historic paving can befound however in Bloody Bones Yard wherecobbled steps lead down a drang from ForeStreet with a simple iron hand rail attachedto the side of the Golden Lion.

Picture 8.28 Cobbled steps leading down to BloodyBones Yard.

There are also areas of cobbles next to theFish Cellars steps and a cobbled gutter tothe rear of the Slipway Hotel.

Picture 8.29 Cobbled paving below the Fish Cellarsteps.

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Picture 8.30 Cobbled gutter and cream block pavingto the rear of the Slipway Hotel.

The lower end of Fore Street has recentlybeen re-surfaced with paviours, but ChurchHill and Roscarrock Hill have tarmacsurfaces. There are few roadmarkings, andconsequently this simple surfacing doesnot detract from the historic character. Thesurface of the road along Roscarrock Hillhas become very degraded, and whilst thisadds to the rough character of the area asit joins the cliff, it is perhaps not ideal forthe local residents.

The two nineteenth century slipways greatlyadd to the character of the area and areboth grade II listed. The slipway adjacentto the fish cellars is partly constructed fromvertically coursed slatestone andincorporates a bridge over the stream thatflows beneath Fore Street. The slipwayleading from the stores below the PentusWall onto the beach is constructed fromstone rubble.

Picture 8.31 The slatestone slipway adjacent to theFish Cellars.

The mid nineteenth century Pentus Walland stores below are also grade II listed ofstone rubble construction. To the north ofthe sheds there is a massive retainingstone wall which incorporates an outcropof natural rock – this wall was rebuilt in thetwentieth century. This mass of stoneworkis an important element in the overallcharacter of the area, giving a sense ofnineteenth century andmodern engineeringoverlying natural features.

Picture 8.32 The stores below the Pentus Wall arecut into the cliff face.

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Picture 8.33 The grade II listed Pentus Wall is ofstone rubble construction with slatestone copings.

Picture 8.34 The twentieth century slatestoneretaining wall.

During the twentieth century The Platt hasbeen resurfaced in concrete.

Greenery and green space

This area of Port Isaac contains the hardestlandscaping. Most of the structures are builtstraight onto the road, and only CourtneyHouse has a front garden. The only realareas of green space are the gardens ofNorthcliffe and Halwyn. However in termsof open space the area has the magnificentnatural harbour as a backdrop, and thisplays an important part in many of thevistas.

Picture 8.35 Hard landscaping at the foot ofRoscarrock Hill.

Loss, intrusion and damage

Despite the huge amount of alteration thathas occurred in the area over the yearsthere is in general a very good survival ofhistoric features. This is due mainly to thetradition for reordering existing buildings,rather than demolishing them and startingagain. Even some redundant shopfrontsstill survive. There is a good generalsurvival of traditional joinery, althoughwindows have faired better than doors.

The most intrusive aspect of moderndevelopment in the area has been theinsertion of rooflights into historic roofs.Rooflights can be advantageous allowingfor the use of previously uninhabitable loftspaces, and can have limited impact on thesurrounding historic landscape if carefullypositioned on rear elevations. However,this area of the village is highly visible – the

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natural slate roofs form an important partof the vistas and rooflights sound a jarringnote (especially when positionedirregularly).

Picture 8.36 In this area of the village roofs arehighly visible and the insertion of rooflights shouldbe avoided

Neutral Areas

According to the 1880 First EditionOrdnance Survey Map the area in front ofthe Slipway Hotel was traditionally a yardbordered by a wall. It is currently used bythe hotel as an outdoor eating area coveredwith an awning. Whilst a remnant of the lowfront wall and the planters which define thearea do to some degree echo the originalfootprint of the yard they have animpermanent feeling which lessens thesense of enclosure. As a consequence thisinformal space somewhat detracts from thecharacter of the surrounding area.

Picture 8.37 A more formal arrangementsurrounding the forecourt in front of the SlipwayHotel would restore the former sense of enclosure.

General condition

The buildings in this area are generally ingood condition, although some of thejoinery on the fish cellars is in need ofattention.

There are no buildings at risk.

The Old Town/Commercial Core

Statement of Significance –

The sheltered nature of this area and itsproximity to the harbour made it anattractive location for early domesticdevelopment and later for retaildevelopment, all of which took place onstreets first laid out in the medieval period.The retention of the street patterns and thehigh survival of so many historic buildings,many of which date from the eighteenthand nineteenth centuries and continue inboth retail and domestic use, greatly addsto the character of the village.


The earliest development in this areawas the creation of the roads Rose Hilland Church Hill. Rose Hill was the

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access route to the harbour, which wasoperating by the fourteenth century,and Church Hill was the route to thechurch at St Endellion - there was aplace of worship here as early as thesixth century. By the Tudor period theother streets –Middle Street, DolphinStreet, Margaret’s Lane Back Lane(later Chapel Lane) and theirassociated drangs- were all in place.It is possible that Middle Streetoriginally followed the banks of thestreamwhose course was later alteredby a leat.During the eighteenth century, due tothe increase in fortunes of the villagethrough its successful fishing andimport/export industries, a majorbuilding programme took place. Thisincluded The Dolphin Inn, WesleyHouse, Trevan House and the PoorCourt on Middle Street, The ManorHouse and a row of five cottages onChurch Hill and Victoria House on ForeStreet. A Wesleyan chapel was builton Middle Street in 1750 and MiddleStreet was the location for one of thevillage’s fist pumps.By the early nineteenth century ChurchHill, Middle Street, Dolphin Street andBack Lane were all lined with houses,workshops and shops. The easternside of Fore Street, the western endof Rose Hill and the southern part ofMargaret’s Lane were all developedby this period. In 1806 a QuakerMeeting House was built probably onMiddle Street. By 1839 a newWesleyanMethodist Chapel had beenbuilt at the Eastern end of MiddleStreet.During the mid to late nineteenthcentury further shops were openedincluding a number on Middle Street.A local man, Valentine Powell, built theidiosyncratic Birdcage house on Rose

Hill and a large chandlers was openedon Fore Street which later becameknown as Stanley House. The row ofdilapidated buildings known as thePoor Court were demolished duringthis period and replaced with newbuildings and the former access intoDolphin Street was closed.

Picture 8.38 The Birdcage - a curiously shapedhouse with a polygonal hipped roof perched on theside of Rose Hill.

During the early twentieth century anumber of houses were built onChurch Hill replacing earlier unsanitarycottages and a small amount ofrebuilding took place on Dolphin StreetandMiddle Street. Chicago House wasbuilt on Rose Hill by a returningemigrant, in the style of contemporaryChicago houses and in the 1920sProut’s Garage was built on the site ofthe former Manor House garden.

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Picture 8.39 Chicago House was designed in theearly twentieth century in the style of acontemporary Chicago building.

Activity & Use

Historically an area of houses and shops,this mixed economy continues today givinga pleasing sense of continuity. This saidthe nature of both the shops and houseshave changed over the years. The quaintstreets and attractive buildings are highlypopular with tourists and consequentlythere are more holiday lets than homes forlocal people. Similarly many of the shopscater for the tourist industry and there area number of cafes and restaurants.Throughout the year Fore Street isparticularly busy with visitors, but out ofseason the back streets are quieter. As thelanes are so narrow, apart from Fore Streetand Church Hill they are infrequently usedby vehicles other than for access and thedense nature of the development acts asa sound barrier. As a consequence thesestreets are pleasant oases of calm incontrast to the busy harbour and mainstreets. As the Methodist Chapel off MiddleStreet is now a domestic building the areais no longer a destination for religiousworship.

Architecture and historic qualitites

The predominant building type in this areais the house or cottage –the majority of thecommercial and retail premises beingformed from the ground floors of formerdomestic buildings. The scale of thebuildings as a consequence tends to besmaller than the harbour area (with theexception of Stanley House a formerwarehouse, 4-5 Church Hill, MountPleasant and the former Methodist Chapel).This has not however led to a sense ofvisual conformity, quite the contrary. Asonly Middle Street and the southern endsof Fore Street and Dolphin Street are onlevel ground, many buildings have beenconstructed to compensate for thegradients of the hills. Thus single storeydwellings viewed from the street could havetwo or three storey garden facades.

As flat building land was at a premiumthese areas have been very intensivelydeveloped with properties squeezed intorear plots, around courtyards and, in thecase of Trevan House, new houses builtacross the facades of older ones.As a resultthis area is a rich patchwork of differentfacades, plot sizes and orientations. Thisirregular approach reaches its apogee inThe Birdcage with its polygonal planperched on the side of Margaret’s Lane.

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Picture 8.40 This view to the rear yard of a houseon Church Hill shows how excavations were madeinto the cliff side.

Picture 8.41 An extra room has been added to BrookCottage by building over the alleyway.

Many of the buildings are cottages withsimple unadorned facades, but there are anumber of small town houses incorporatingpolite classical details. Olivet House onRose Hill has a pleasing symmetricalfaçade with a central panelled door withfanlight and moulded cornice above. Otherexamples of decorative doorcases includeVine Cottage also on Rose Hill and 22Church Hill. Other non classicalarchitectural decorations include the gothiclancet windows on the old chapel and theogee windows on theWhite House on RoseHill.

Picture 8.42 Decorative doorcase on the Rose Hillelevation of Vine Cottage.

Key Buildings

TheManor House, Church Hill – gradeII. This early eighteenth century house(extended in the twentieth century) hasan irregular design typical of the area.It presents two storeys to Church Hillwhilst having a three storey gardenfaçade. It is extensively slate hung onits side and garden elevations and hasan early brick chimney stack. Abuilding of significance in theeighteenth century its prominent siteon Church Hill ensures it is still of greatstreetscape importance.

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Picture 8.43 Casement window with glazedsegmental head on the northern elevation of theManor house.

Picture 8.44 The three storey slate hung gardenelevation of the Manor House.

The Dolphin, Dolphin Street – gradeII. Built in the 1770s as a public housethis building was extended to the frontand rear in the mid nineteenth century.Mainly rendered and painted stonerubble, the extended range to the front

is of painted brick. The sash windowson the façade date from the nineteenthcentury and there is a charmingSun-Fire Office insurance plaquebelow the eaves. The building hasbeen converted into a house.Trevan House, Dolphin Street – gradeII. Dating from the early eighteenthcentury the regular façade of this townhouse has been somewhat disguisedby the building to its left. As a resulton the left hand side there are tallnarrow twelve pane sash windows withtwenty pane sashes on the right. Aparticularly charming feature of itsfaçade is the eaves cornice with anelaborately carved Doric frieze. Inaddition to its decorative qualities thishouse is also of historic importance asit was the home in the early nineteenthcentury of the local doctor FrederickTrevan, who wrote a history of thevillage.

Picture 8.45 The very regular slate roof of TrevanHouse could have been constructed using theDelabole system.

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Picture 8.46 Part of the façade of the earlyeighteenth century Trevan House has beenobscured by the house subsequently built next door.

Picture 8.47 The carved Doric frieze on the eavescornice of Trevan House.

Temple Cottage, Dolphin Street –grade II. This charming late eighteenthcentury pair of cottages, and sometimeshop now converted into one house isof particular importance because itincorporates the entrance toSqueeze-Belly Alley or Temple Bar atone time one of the narrowestthoroughfares in the world. Thisintriguing right of way is one of manyalleyways throughout the villageconnecting back streets to the mainroutes.

Picture 8.48 The narrow, winding Dolphin Street.

Victoria House, Fore Street – grade II.This early eighteenth century buildinghas a charming nineteenth centuryshopfront on the ground floor withpilasters and a moulded cornice. Onthe second floor there is a lateeighteenth century Palladian windowand an early nineteenth centurytripartite sash window above on thesecond floor. Unlike so many of theother buildings in Port Isaac where thenarrowness of the roads makes itdifficult to appreciate the upperstoreys, these decorative windows arehighly visible forming an importantfocal point to the vista down ForeStreet.

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Picture 8.49 The nineteenth century shopfrontsurmounted by late eighteenth century Palladianwindow on the façade of Victoria House.

Picture 8.50 Temple Bar is one of the pedestrianonly routes in the village and its far end was oncein the Guinness Book of Records as the narrowestpublic thoroughfare in the world.

Local Details

One of the key features of this area is thesurvival of traditional joinery in the form ofwindows, doors and shopfronts.

Picture 8.51 Charming carved wooden porches onDolphin Street.

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Picture 8.52 Brackets to hold wooden panels –possibly an historic flood prevention device – are afeature of Middle Street.

Picture 8.53 Nineteenth century twelve panehornless sash windows on Church Hill.

Picture 8.54 Nineteenth century six panel door withdecorative fanlight and complete doorcase withpilasters and entablature on No. 22 Church Hill.

There are a high number of surviving sashwindows mainly from the nineteenthcentury, but eighteenth century examplescan be found. In the main glazing bars areof regular arrangements but there are moredecorative examples. There are also anumber of examples of dormer windowsand these take the form of full gables,half-gables and raking lights. As mentionedabove there are some attractive survivingdoorcases, fanlights and panelled doors inboth modest cottages and town houses.One of the chief charms of the area is thesurviving historic shop fronts -these datemainly from the late Victorian/Edwardianperiod such as the shopfronts on 44 ForeStreet, Victoria House, 9 Church Hill and 4Fore Street, but there are examples ofearlier shopfronts such as the mid

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nineteenth century former shop window onLittle Dolphins and the evidence of anearlier fascia board on 38 Fore Street.

Picture 8.55 No. 44 Fore Street a charming exampleof the surviving historic shopfronts in the area.

Picture 8.56 Nineteenth century shopfront with sixpane shop window and decorative doorcase on thefaçade of No 9 Church Hill.

Picture 8.57 No 4 Fore Street has a late nineteenthcentury shopfront incorporating slim cast ironcolumns.

Picture 8.58 Nineteenth century twenty-four paneshop window beneath a moulded cornice on theMiddle Street elevation of Little Dolphins.

A number of the cottages have simple slateslabs supported by iron brackets as doorcanopies.

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Picture 8.59 The eighteenth century Inshallah onChurch Hill has a simple slate door canopy andwooden lintels.

In common with the harbour area thenarrowness of the streets and drangs hasresulted in first floors being jettied overground floors to increase the width of thestreet. 32 Fore Street which forms theentrance to Rose Hill has a jettied first flooras does 10 Fore Street where the first andsecond floors are both jettied.

Picture 8.60 The lower part of No. 32 Fore Street iscut away to improve the visibility and widen theaccess at the base of Rose Hill.

Roofs in the area come in many differentforms including hipped, gabled andpyramidal. The hipped roofs tend to havemitred edges and the ridge tiles are bothslate and terracotta – many of the terracottatiles being highly decorative. There are alsoa number of small pitched roofs overextensions adding variety and accent toside walls and rear elevations.

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Picture 8.61 A mixture of different roof pitches onRose Hill.


The vast majority of building walls in thearea are slatestone. Many of the stonewalls are rendered and painted, but thereare some examples, often in moresheltered locations, of stone left uncovered.In addition to rendering extra protectionfrom the elements has been afforded bythe use of slate hanging. There are manyfine examples of this throughout the areasome of the most striking being the facadeof Manor House and the three storeybuildings 5-7 Church Hill.

Picture 8.62 The extensively slate hung northernelevation of the Manor House.

Picture 8.63 The slatehung façade of 5-7 ChurchHill with external bnck chimney stack corbelled outover the ground floor.

Unusually for this area of North Cornwallwhere local stone was in abundant supplythere are two timber framed buildings Nos.4 and 10 Fore Street.

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Picture 8.64 No. 10 Fore Street dates from the earlynineteenth century and unlike most of the housesin the village has a softwood frame. The sashwindows and four panelled front door are nineteenthcentury.

All the buildings in the area historically hadDelabole slate roofs as the slate wasexported from the harbour, and many ofthese original roofs still survive. Slate isalso used in the area to form window cillsand window hoods.

Picture 8.65 Slate window cills on Church Hill.

Picture 8.66 Slate window cill and hood on MiddleStreet.

There are a few examples of stone chimneystacks, some of which have been rendered,but the vast majority are brick as this tooarrived in the village as part of theexport/import industry. Brick can also befound in the form of lintels, and window anddoor surrounds – most notably on the old

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chapel (the cream bricks used here wouldhave been imported specifically for thebuilding and not simply arrived as ballast).

Picture 8.67 Brick chimney stack formed from brickwhich arrived in the village as ballast.

Public Realm

One of the great charms of this part of thevillage is the wealth of surviving historicpaving.

Picture 8.68 ‘Stable block’ paving outside No. 44Fore Street.

Outside the old chapel the pathway to theadjacent cottages is formed from cobbleswith a central slate path.

Picture 8.69 Cobbles with slate path outside theformer chapel on Middle Street

In front of the cottage called The Pump inMiddle Street in addition to the old pump isa charming mixture of surfacing includingcobbles, stableblock and slate slabs.

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Picture 8.70 The pump on Middle Street and acharming mix of historic surface treatments.

A similar arrangement of slate slabs andcobbles can be found in front of 38 ForeStreet and 27 Middle Street.

Picture 8.71 Cobbled paving and slate slabs onoutside No. 27 Middle Street.

Most of the streets have simple tarmacsurfaces and there are very few pavementsas the streets are so narrow. The lowerparts of Fore Street have recently beenrepaved.

Many of the routes in this area such asShaggey’s Ope, Temple Bar, Margaret’sLane, Little Lane, Dolphin Street, the lowerpart of Rose Hill and the eastern end ofMiddle Street are pedestrian only, and theroads which are wide enough for traffic

Fore Street, part of Middle Street, ChurchHill and the higher end of Rose Hill are stillvery narrow.

Picture 8.72 Shaggy’s Ope – one of thepedestrian-only alleyways.

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Picture 8.73 Temple Bar is one of the pedestrianonly routes in the village and its far end was oncein the Guinness Book of Records as the narrowestpublic thoroughfare in the world.

Picture 8.74 Margaret’s Lane bordered bycharmingly overgrown slatestone walls forms adelightfully rural channel through the surroundinghistoric fabric .

This, coupled with the generally small scaleof the buildings, gives the area a veryintimate feel. A number of the buildingshave passageways through to rearcourtyards and gardens, and glimpses ofthese rear aspects adds to the intricate,many layered character of the area.

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Picture 8.75 The entrance to Squeeze Belly Alleytypifies the intimate, tightly worked character of thelower village.

Another important element in thestreetscape is the plethora of slatestonegarden walls - these enclose small frontgardens along Middle Lane, Dolphin Streetand Temple Bar, act as retaining wallsalong the higher slopes of Fore Street andborder the gardens south of Rose Hill.

Picture 8.76 The tall slatestone garden wall onMiddle Street helps to give a sense of enclosure.

Picture 8.77 Slatestone garden wall incorporatinga slate outcrop.

Picture 8.78 Slatestone garden and retaining wallson Fore Street with granite and slatestone steps.

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Slatestone is also used to form steps up tobuildings on the hillsides, often with slabsof slate forming the treads.

Picture 8.79 Slatestone steps with slate treads anda granite base step on Fore Street.

Picture 8.80 Slate steps leading down to DolphinStreet.

A particularly attractive example ofslatestone steps can be found leading offthe pathway between Middle Street andRose Hill where the slate has been laid indiagonal courses or kerseyway as it isknown locally.

Picture 8.81 Diagonally coursed slatestone stepswith slate treads.

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The river which flows through this part ofthe village in the form of a leat, and inplaces passes underneath the buildings,enhances the area’s character both visuallyand audibly.

Picture 8.82 The leat greatly adds to the charm ofthe area.


As so many of the cottages and houses inthis area are built directly onto the road thelandscaping does appear a little hard.

Picture 8.83 As so many of the buildings areconstructed directly onto the street, the landscapingin some parts of the village is a little hard.

This is alleviated to a certain extent by potsand planters on hardstanding in front of thehouses and by glimpses through alleywaysand archways into back gardens. Howeverthere are some small front gardens inMiddle Street, Dolphin Street, Rose Hill andthe higher end of Church Hill.

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Picture 8.84 View into a back garden off MiddleStreet.

To the south of Middle Street the rivervalley forms an important area of opengreen space as do the steep fields to theeast and the cliff side behind Church Hill.These areas are most visible from thehigher slopes and provide three contrastinggreen experiences – the wild brackencovered cliff, the tree covered river valleyand the more cultivated grazed fields.

Picture 8.85 The rear gardens of the houses in thevalley are only visible from the hillside.

Picture 8.86 Fields to the south of Rose Hill. Theridges have been formed by animals grazing.

There is a further important area of greenspace in the form of the gardens east ofMiddle Street which can be seen from theother side of the valley on Roscarrock andChurch Hills.


The main historic loss in the area wasaround the Poor Court where the earlycottages were demolished in the latenineteenth century and replaced with moresanitary buildings. However, thereplacement buildings were sited on similarplots and the sense of a courtyard stillremains.

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Picture 8.87 The sense of enclosure in the formerPoor Court area still remains.

There has been some replacement ofhistoric doors, windows and slate roofs butin the main the survival of historic featuresis very good.

The main loss in the area is less tangibleand it relates to the ownership of thebuildings - as so many are now holiday lets,during the off season the area can appearrather deserted not least in contrast to thebusy modern development on the hill topwhere so many of the locals now live. Inaddition, the conversion of the old chapelto domestic use and so many of the shopscatering to the needs of tourists, thenumbers of local people visiting this part ofthe village has declined.

Neutral Areas

The use of ‘heritage catalogue’ bollards,particularly at the entrance to Temple Bardoes not enhance the area. Bollards of adesign and materials that relate to theirsurroundings would be more appropriate.

Picture 8.88 Off the peg bollards which make noreference to their locale do not enhance theconservation area.

General Condition

The buildings are in the main in goodcondition and there are no buildings at risk.

Nineteeth Century Expansion

This area represents the nineteenth centurydevelopment of the village which spreadout along the sides of the cliffs as the moresheltered and easily developed land in thevalley became overcrowded - advances inengineering allowed for development totake place on more challenging terrain Thedevelopment took the form of houses andpublic buildings. The good survival ofhistoric buildings and the continuity of usehas enabled the area to retain much of itshistoric character, despite large furtherdevelopments in the later twentieth century.

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The earliest development in the areawas probably the fish cellars whichappear on the 1839 tithe map. Therewas one on the western side of ForeStreet (on the site of the later school)and two on the headland (on and nearthe site of the later coastguard station).Other development from theeighteenth and early nineteenthcentury included the White House onRoscarrock Hill and the row ofcottages known as Billings Rowopposite the Fore Street fish cellars.It is also possible during this periodthat there was a mine along TrewethaLane In 1836 a Methodist chapel wasbuilt on Roscarrock Hill.In 1867 a new chapel was built onRoscarrock Hill and the old chapel nextdoor turned into a Sunday school. In1869 the first lifeboat house was builton Fore Street (this later became thepost office after the lifeboat wasmovedto the harbour). At some point beforethe 1870s Back Hill was excavated toimprove connections with PortGaverne. In 1897 a temperance hallwas built on Trewetha Lane and in1877 Sylvanus Trevail built a schooland headmaster’s house on thewestern side of Fore Street. Between1882-4 St Peter’s Church was built onthe recently created Back Hill. By 1880there was a coastguard station, lifesaving apparatus house andblacksmiths on the headland beyondFore Street. Late nineteenth centurydomestic building in the area includedthe group of houses known asKhandallah on Roscarrock Hill, houseson the southern side of RoscarrockHill, Canadian Terrace and CliffCottage on Fore Street and terracesand villas on the headland beyond

Fore Street. There were also allotmentgardens laid out on the cliff side belowKhandallah.

Picture 8.89 The prominent siting of the oldTemperance Hall on Trewetha Lane makes it animportant landmark building.

Picture 8.90 The steep sides of Back Hill excavatedby Dartmoor convicts.

By the early twentieth century furtherrows and terraces were built on landbetween Back Lane and the upperreaches of Fore Street. In 1911 BillingsRow was demolished and replaced bythe Liberal Club and at around thistime a church hall was built next to theapparatus house.During the 1950s and laterdevelopment took place alongTrewetha Road and New Road in the

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form of detached houses andbungalows.

Activity and use

This area was historically, and continuesto be, mainly residential. There is a sizeableamount of tourist accommodation much ofwhich is provided by buildings originallyconstructed to meet this demand (unlike inthe lower part of the village where many ofthe locals’ houses have been converted forthis use). Many of the public buildings suchas the school, Sunday school and chapelare now commercial buildings, but thechurch, church hall, former temperance halland Liberal Club all provide facilities for thelocal population. Although this area hasless historic fabric than the lower villagethere are still a good number of survivinghistoric structures and Roscarrock Hill andFore Street both give access to the cliffsbeyond – as a result these parts are busywith tourists. Trewetha Lane and Back Hillare quieter, and New Road is mainly busywith local traffic and people visiting thesupermarket on the eastern side of theroad.

Picture 8.91 Trewetha Lane retains many of thecharacteristics of a country lane – and thisimpression is strengthened by the survival of historicoutbuildings.

Architecture and historic qualities

The architecture in this area can be broadlyplaced into the following categories – localvernacular cottages, Victorian andEdwardian terraces and villas, and publicbuildings. The vernacular cottages includethe early nineteenth century White Cottageon Roscarrock Hill and Canadian Terraceon Fore Street. This row of cottages,although built towards the end of thenineteenth century (they appear on the firstedition Ordnance Survey map of 1880),were constructed in the local traditionalstyle - slatestone with slate roofs and brickchimneys they have simple unadornedfacades with sash windows beneath bricksegmental arches and simple slate doorcanopies. Over the years a number of thecottages have been rendered and paintedand as a result some of the harmony oftheir design has been lost.

Picture 8.92 The White Cottage - one of the earlierstructures to be built away from the Harbour.

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Picture 8.93 Canadian Terrace was built in the localvernacular style with slatestone walls, brick windowarches and simple slate canopies over the frontdoors.

Picture 8.94 Painting the facades of some of thecottages along Canadian Terrace has somewhatdisrupted their visual harmony.

The Edwardian and Victorian villas sharethe same building materials as the localcottages – the majority have slatestonewalls with slate roofs – but are by contrasthighly decorative. They are sited to takefull advantage of the magnificent sea viewswith prominent dormers and bay windows,unlike the earlier cottages that were builtinto the cliff side for shelter.

Picture 8.95 Prominently sited Edwardian villas withround headed stair windows.

Picture 8.96 These villas on Roscarrock Hill weresited in order to make the most of the sea viewswhich are maximised by the inclusion of baywindows.

The public buildings were built in a varietyof styles including the eclectic mix of gothicand classical on the Roscarrock Hillchapels, the paired down gothic of StPeter’s Church and the temperance halland the classical detailing of the LiberalClub.

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Picture 8.97 The classical pediment above thepanelled entrance door to the old Liberal Club.

Key buildings

Sunday School, Roscarrock Hill –grade II. Built in 1837 from stonerubble with a hipped slate roof theground floor was originally used as acellar and the chapel reached by twoflights of stone steps. The entrance tothe Sunday school (now part of apottery) is through double six paneldoors at the top of these steps flankedby round headed windows with gothicglazing bars. There are a further pairof windows on the floor above and ablocked oculus above which is abellcote, which sadly no longer has abell.

Picture 8.98 The double flight of steps leading tothe first floor entrance of the old Sunday school.

Picture 8.99 Gothic intersecting tracery on thenineteenth century sash windows of the old Sundayschool.

Methodist Chapel, Roscarrock Hill –grade II. Built in 1867 of stone rubblewith a hipped slate roof this buildingwas larger than the former chapel toaccommodate the growing Methodistcongregation. Its facade is five bays

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long and the first floor windows havedecorative radiating glazing bars andround brick arches. The windows havefleur-de-lis margin glass. Converted inrecent years into a pottery theessential character of the building stillremains. Both the Sunday School andthe Chapel are key features in viewsof the harbour from Fore Street.

Picture 8.100 The old Methodist Chapel andadjacent old Sunday school on Roscarrock Hill forma major part of the vistas across the bay from ForeStreet.

Picture 8.101 Radiating glazing bars on the first floorwindows of the old chapel on Roscarrock Hill.

Picture 8.102 Incised fleur-de-lis margin glass onthe old chapel.

Khandallah, Roscarrock Hill. This rowof villas epitomises the late Victoriandevelopment in this area. They arespecifically sited to take full advantageof the views across the bay andincorporate bay, dormer and gablewindows. The importance of the viewsis particularly evident in the central villawhere almost the whole of the façadeappears to be glazed. The villas havea dramatic setting adjacent to a formerquarry on the side of the cliff and arehighly visible from many points in thevillage.

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Picture 8.103 The large windows with decorativeglazing bars are an important feature of Khandallah.

St Peter’s Church, Back Hill. Builtbetween 1882-4 on land madeavailable by the excavation of BackHill. The design of the building is verysimple with three lancets adorning itssouthern façade, which is renderedwith slatestone door and windowsurrounds. There are slatestone andgranite buttresses on the southernfaçade presumably added in the earlytwentieth century after the buildingsuffered from subsidence.

Picture 8.104 The rendered southern façade of StPeter’s with simple lancet windows and buttresses.

The Old School, Fore Street – gradeII. Possibly one of the mostdramatically sited schools in thecountry with stunning sea views fromthe playground. Sylvanus Trevail roseto the challenge of designing a buildingworthy of its exceptional site. Built in1877 in the gothic style the buildingcomprises two large schoolrooms, anadjoining headmaster’s house and athree stage tower with turret. Thegables, stone detailing and tower forma picturesque silhouette that can beappreciated from many different partsof the village. Sadly the decision wasmade not to use local stone dressingsand over the years the freestone usedhas become badly eroded. The schoolhas been converted into an hotel.

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Picture 8.105 The old school built by SylvanusTrevail in the highly decorated gothic style. Themodern addition of lights and the large number ofsigns threatens visual indigestion.

Picture 8.106 The silhouette of the old school withits clock tower plays an important part in many ofthe views throughout the village.

Local details

Due to the later development of this areathere are fewer instances of truly localdetails other than the slate door canopiesand the use of slate and slatestone in thepublic realm (see below). However the lateVictorian and Edwardian villas do have anumber of features added in response totheir location such as the glazed cheeks tothe dormers which give increased viewsand the use of exuberant decoration.

Picture 8.107 Simple slate canopy supported byiron brackets on Canadian Terrace.

Picture 8.108 Glazed dormer cheeks allow forincreased views. This house has decorative crestedridge tiles and terracotta finials typical of the area.

Seaside or resort developments during thisperiod were often highly decorativereflecting their light-hearted, recreationalfunction. The boarding houses in Port Isaacincorporate patterned glazing bars,decorative terracotta ridge tiles and finials,carved bargeboards and porches anddecorative slatehanging into their design.

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Picture 8.109 Decorative glazing bars on a pair ofvillas at the northern end of Fore Street enhancesthe buildings' character.

Picture 8.110 Crested and pierced terracotta ridgetiles.

Picture 8.111 This dormer with glazed cheeks hasdecorative carved barge-boards.

Picture 8.112 Decorative ‘fish scale’ slate hanging.


The majority of walls are local slatestoneand the roofs are slate. Door and windowsurrounds are predominantly cream or redbrick, but the doors on Canadian Terracehave timber lintels. The majority of chimney

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stacks are brick. Many of themore exposedelevations have been rendered and thereis quite a high proportion of slatehanging– some of which includes decorative fishtailslates.

Picture 8.113 The small regular slates on the roofof the old Liberal Club suggest it might have beenconstructed using the highly skilled Delabolesystem.

Picture 8.114 This house with its slatestone walls,granite quoins and cream brick window surroundshas a typical construction for the area – it is a pityits historic sash windows have been lost.

Public realm

Slatestone garden and boundary walls arean important feature in this area. The cliffpath around the eastern headland isbordered by a low slate wall allowing viewsout to sea and across the bay and

slatestone is used to form retaining wallson Back Hill. Along Back Hill and TrewethaLane the walls have a rural feel where theyhave been become overgrown byvegetation and bushes.

Picture 8.115 The hedges and bushes alongTrewetha Lane and Back Hill give the area a ruralfeel.

The streets have an informal pastoral feelas there are few pavements, and roadmarkings are kept to a minimum. There isan area of pavement outside the old schoolformed from black top boarded by a slimslate kerb.

Picture 8.116 The pavement outside the old schoolis formed from black top with a slim slate kerb - thecombination of modern and traditional techniquesis unobtrusive and successful.

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Between the eastern cliff path andCoastguard Hill there is an interesting pathformed from cutting into the underlyingslate.

Picture 8.117 Rock cut path on the eastern cliffbelow Coastguard Hill.

Due to the late development of this areathere are few areas of traditional paving,but outside the Liberal Club and the shopar the foot of Back Hill there are charmingareas of cobbling.

Picture 8.118 Traditional cobbled paving outsidethe old Liberal Club.

There are a number of steps formed fromslatestone with slate treads and slate isused to form door steps.

Picture 8.119 Slatestone steps with slate treadsleading to a cobbled pathway on Canadian Terrace.

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Outside the old school are stone gate pierswith moulded copings which supportoriginal cast iron railings. Stone gate pierscan also be found outside the church hall.

Picture 8.120 Cast iron railings outside the oldschool with decorative finials

Picture 8.121 Granite gate piers rising to pyramidalcopings outside the church hall.

The war memorial at the top of Fore Streetis carved from granite.

Picture 8.122 The granite war memorial.


The cliffs behind Roscarrock Hill andbeyond the head of Fore Street provideimportant sizeable areas of open greenspace in an otherwise quite intensivelydeveloped area. However much of thedevelopment in this area is set back fromthe streets behind front gardens giving asofter streetscape than is experienced inthe lower part of the village. Furthermorethe area between Fore Street and TrewethaLane is only sporadically developed leavinga belt of green space clearly visible fromRoscarrock Hill.

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Picture 8.123 The steep cliff side and fields behindRoscarrock Hill are an important are of open greenspace.

Picture 8.124 The back gardens of CanadianTerrace viewed from the forecourt in front of StPeter’s. The gardens are divided by simple slabs ofslate – an historic feature common to this area ofnorth Cornwall.


Historically the main loss in this area hasbeen the fish cellars which used to lie onthe eastern cliff and on the site of theschool. Other losses include theblacksmith’s and the original coastguardstation which were both situated on theeastern cliff.

There is quite a high proportion ofreplacement windows in this area due inpart to the exposed positions of many of

the buildings and partly perhaps becausea large number of the historic buildings arenot listed. This is a great shame as somany of the buildings originally haddecorative, idiosyncratic glazing patternsand are in extremely visible sites whichimpact on the surrounding historicenvironment.

On some of the streets the lighting isextremely utilitarian – particularly Back Hill– and makes no reference to its historicallysensitive site. The streets are frequentlycluttered by an abundance of signs andoverhead cables.

Picture 8.125 Signage clutter at the head of BackHill.

Neutral areas

On the approach into the village from theeastern cliff (a path taken by many visitorsas it is linked to the major car park) therehas been quite a large amount of

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redevelopment and the loss in places ofthe original building line. This gives the areaa somewhat unresolved quality and thehigh degree of new build gives a falseimpression of the overall character of thevillage.

Picture 8.126 The original building line has beenlost to allow access to the modern garages.

The treatment of the pump and shelter onthe corner of Back Hill and Trewetha Lanecould be more sympathetic.

Picture 8.127 The shelter and benches surroundingthe pump on the junction between Back Hill andTrewetha Lane is beginning to look a littleramshackle.

General condition

The buildings are generally in goodcondition and there are no buildings at risk.

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9 Problems and pressures

Buildings

There are an increasing number ofreplacement windows in non-traditionalmaterials of inappropriate design onhistoric buildings in prominentlocations.Modern dormers and roof lights havebeen inserted into historic and highlyvisible buildings.An increasing number of houses arebeing altered to provide touristaccommodation.At present, apart from the eastern cliffwhere there is a high proportion of newbuildings, the majority of theconservation area has a very highproportion of historic fabric. The greatpopularity of the village as a touristdestination however could result inpressure being put on the open areasof green space within the village,including the larger gardens, for furtherdevelopment.

Picture 9.1 Many of the gardens of Port Isaac arehighly visible and contribute greatly to the characterand quality of the village.

Designations

There are some significant historicbuildings which are not listed includingSt Peter’s Church, the TemperanceHall and the former chapel off MiddleStreet.

Public Realm

Street lighting in places is of astandardised form and the streetscapeis also affected to a degree byoverhead wires.Garden and boundary walls are at riskof being demolished for ‘off street’parking.There are a number of dominant andinappropriately designed overheadcables.

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Picture 9.2 Overhead cables in Port Isaac dominatemany of the views and are often placed withoutreference to the surrounding historic fabric. Manyalso incorporate extremely utilitarian lights.

Throughout the town there are poorlydesigned signs in the public realm andsignage clutter.It is important that the back-land areas,alleyways and historic outhouses arevalued for the important contributionthey make to the character of PortIsaac.

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10 Recommendations

Buildings

Windows in buildings in sensitive andhighly visible locations should be oftraditional materials and design.Historic windows should be repairedwhere possible or replaced to matchoriginals.Port Isaac has an admirable survivalof original Delabole rag slate roofswhich contribute greatly to the town’scharacter. In order to preserve thisasset the insertion of further dormerwindows, rooflights and thereplacement of rag slate coveringsshould be limited.

Picture 10.1 The roof of the Fish Cellars is a fineexample of the local Delabole slate which playssuch an important part in the character of the village.

Alterations which affect the historicintegrity of both listed and unlistedhistoric buildings in order to provideincreased accommodation both in theform of changing existing historic plansand in adding extensions should beavoided.Further development within theconservation area should be resisted,as it would seriously compromise thehistoric integrity of the settlement. The

surviving historic green spaces shouldbe valued for the contribution theymake to the overall quality andcharacter of the village and not beviewed as potential development sites.At present there is a good survival oforiginal shopfronts and this shouldcontinue to be encouraged.

Designations

A review of the Listing of the villageshould be carried out includingconsideration of St Peter’s, the oldTemperance Hall and the formerMiddle Street Chapel.

Public Realm

The practice of using existing poles tocarry the street lighting shouldcontinue. However, the lightsthemselves should be of a design andmaterials more suitable to theirsensitive surroundings.Consideration should be given toserving an Article 4 Direction to controlthe demolition of walls and hedges,especially for the creation of hardstandings.Overhead cables should beappropriately sited in order to impactless on the surrounding historic andnatural environment.Reassess the current signage toensure any redundant or over-scalesigns are removed. New signageshould be restricted to the minimumnecessary, of good quality materialsand design, and should be sitedsympathetically to the historicenvironment.The informal qualities of the back-landareas and alleyways of Port Isaac

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should be preserved and enhanced.The outbuildings should be retainedand maintained.

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11 Opportunities

The public realm in Port Isaac couldbenefit from a little attention. The pumpand seat at the junction betweenTrewatha Lane and Back Hill could bepresented better. The ‘heritagecatalogue’ bollards could perhaps bereplaced with structures in a designand of materials that make referenceto their location.The forecourt area in front of theSlipway Hotel could be betterdesigned.A new bell (or the original if it stillexists) could be found for the bellcoteon the old Sunday school, and theclock on the old school should berepaired.It is a while since a new town trail waswritten for the village. This could helpvisitors to understand the manylayered history of the village and tovisits parts that they might otherwisepass by.There is a good amount of historicinformation concerning the village inthe Cornish Records Library in Truroand Cornish Studies Centre inRedruth. These present an opportunityfor someone to write a detailed historyof the settlement, coupled withknowledge available locally, whichcould add to the understanding of thevillage’s history and development.

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1 Sources

Published sources

The Cornish Confederation of Women’s Institutes, 1991, The Cornwall Village Book

Gray, T (ed), 2000, The Travellers’ Tales Cornwall

Kittridge, A, 1991, Cornwall’s Maritime Heritage

Maclean, J, 1873, The Parochial and Family History of the Deanery of Trigg Minor in theCounty of Cornwall, Volume 1

Padel, O, J, 1988, A Popular Dictionary of Cornish Place Names

Pevsner, N, 1996, The Buildings of England Cornwall

Polsue, J, 1867, Lake’s Parochial History of the County of Cornwall, Volume 1

Winstanley, M, 1973, The Story of Port Isaac, Port Quinn and Port Gaverne

Unpublished sources

Trevan, J,W, Summary Memoirs of the Parish of Endellion Prior to the Year 1834

Trade Directories

Kelly’s Directory 1873

Kelly’ Directory 1910

Symon’s Gazetteer of Cornwall, 1884

Strategic, policy and program documents

North Cornwall District Local Plan 1999

Historic maps

Ordnance Survey Surveyor’s Drawing c1809

Tithe Map (1843)

Ordnance Survey 1st edn 1:2500 (1884)

Ordnance Survey 2nd edn 1:2500 (1907)

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Websites

www.genuki.co.uk

www.thisisnorthcornwall.com

Cornwall County Council Historic Environment Record

Sites, Monuments and Buildings Record

1994 Historic Landscape Characterisation

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Port Isaac Conservation Area Management Plan

Endorsed June 2008

Contents

11 Introduction

22 General guidance

33 Roofs

64 Walls

85 Joinery

116 Enclosure and space

147 Townscape features

168 Guidance by location



1 Introduction

This Conservation Area Management Plan (CAMP) is intended to stand alongside theCharacter Appraisal. The structure relates directly to that document for easycross-reference. Firstly there is general guidance on the conservation and enhancementof the key elements that contribute to the quality of the townscape. At the end of keysections is a list of best practice bullet points to aid retention of historic character andarchitectural quality. Secondly there is guidance and recommendation by location followingthe same order as the Appraisal.

It is hoped that the document will act as a reference for all who make decisions which mayimpact on the special character of Port Isaac– property owners, planners, developers,designers, local authorities and statutory undertakers. To this end it will be available viathe internet and in print form through the library, parish council etc.

Special character is derived from the overall effect of many components and is dependentfor its survival on a great number of individuals making informed choices about themanagement of their own piece of the jigsaw. Some control may be applied by the LocalPlanning Authority through Article 4(2) directions – these bring certain types of permitteddevelopment, such as replacement of windows or roofs, under Council jurisdiction.

It is of fundamental importance that owners and contractors recognise that their actionscan and do have a significant impact on the quality of Port Isaac. Good decisions andsympathetic works take more thought and often cost more; but the rewards are great andwill be appreciated in decades to come by future generations.

Article 4(2) directions

Under Article 4 of the General Permitted Development Order 1995, a local authority maybring certain permitted development rights under their control. There are two routes toserving such notice – the more usual relates specifically to conservation areas and iscovered by Article 4(2).

There are a range of works that may need to be the subject of an application after asArticle 4(2) direction – the most usual are alterations to windows, doors, roofs, chimneysand the like. Controlling the removal of enclosure that may otherwise be vulnerable toalteration, or the painting of certain buildings, are other examples which may be relevantin Port Isaac.

If an LPA is minded to serve such notice they must specify the buildings that have frontagesfacing an identified location. That application needs to have been assessed and reasonsfor the Article 4 direction identified. The document and the Appraisal go some way toidentifying issues and locations where Article 4(2) could be usefully employed to protectthe special character of Port Isaac It is, however, beyond the scope of this document toactually specify exact buildings and areas that need to be covered.

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2 General guidance

This guidance must be considered in conjunction with the NCDC Design Guide, whichmay be viewed at Council offices.

Archaeology

The history and nature of Port Isaac means that there is archaeological potential virtuallyeverywhere. Consequently any works that involve excavation may reveal interesting finds.Where work is subject to the planning process it will be considered within the context ofthe PPG 16 and may be subject to relevant conditions.

If private owners are carrying out work they should be alert to pieces of artifacts, wallfootings and changes in the colour of the earth. If such finds are made they should contactthe Council for advice. Significant finds ought to be recorded to add to our understandingof historic Port Isaac.

Statutory undertakers carrying out trench work ought to seek advice before starting andagree a watching brief where appropriate – for example if cable undergrounding is carriedout.

Where there are conditions attached to any planning, listed building or conservation areaapproval or any other relevant approval requiring archaeological investigation and recordingthen this work shall be funded by the applicant as it is not supplied by the local planningauthority or County Council. Similarly outside the planning system any investigation willrequire funding.

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3 Roofs

The topography and development pattern of Port Isaac are such that the roofscape is oftremendous importance to the overall character of the place. There are so many sensitiveviews that they cannot all be identified, but the Appraisal highlights some of the principalones.

Roofscape character is based on the quality and patina of the materials; the form, pitchand orientation of the roofs themselves. Sometimes there is order but most of the attractiveroofscapes are more jumbled and dynamic – changing depending on the vantage point.

Chimneys punctuate the roofscape and other quality details, in the form of rainwater goodsetc, add richness on closer inspection.

Slate

Slate is the prevailing roofing material and a good deal of locally sourced historic roofingslate is in evidence. There are fine examples of rag slate roofs and others using smallerslates but also in random widths and diminishing courses.

Today there are a much wider variety of products available. Artificial slates should alwaysbe avoided as they inevitably cause serious harm to the quality of the roofscape. Withnatural slate being imported from Spain, South America and China, great care is neededwhen specifying real slate. Some of these are suitable replacements on non-prominentbuildings or new-build, but they are never a satisfactory replacement for historic slateroofing. New slate ought to be fixed using nails – clips are usually specified to compensatefor poor slate that splits when holed as using a correct lap will prevent windlift.

Owners of buildings with rag slate must be aware that the slate will actually have a lot oflife left in it but may be suffering from nail rot. Opportunistic contractors will often offersuch owners an amazingly cheap price to re-roof in artificial or imported slate, knowingthat the rag or random slate they reclaim can be sold on or re-used onmuchmore lucrativework elsewhere.

Chimneys

Loss of chimneys is nearly always detrimental to the character of the roofscape. It is seldomnecessary and ought to be resisted. Repair or reconstruction must be the first aim unlessthere are extenuating circumstances such as serious structural concerns.

Alterations can rob chimneys of their distinctive character by the application of smooth,crisp render that hides stonework or flattens a pleasingly uneven substrate. Removal ofdrip slates and historic pots also detracts from the character.

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Rainwater goods

Most of the historic rainwater goods in the town are cast iron. Traditional gutter profiles –mostly half round or ogee add to the appearance of individual buildings and collectivelyenrich whole streetscenes. With proper maintenance these items can offer good servicefor well over one hundred years. When replacement is needed there are plenty of suppliersof historic profiles - many are available factory finished and some in cast aluminium. Plasticis an inferior product which will not last as well or look as good – especially if it has amodern box profile. It doesn’t take paint well but unpainted it soon develops a coating ofalgae. Like other plastic building products, when it is replaced it has to go to landfill whereit will not break down for centuries, so the environmental costs deserve consideration.

Ridges, hips, eaves and verges

Traditional ways of edging roofs are easily lost when roofing work is undertaken. Clayridge tiles may be replaced by concrete, mitred slate or mortar fillet hips covered by tiles,box soffits replace open eaves or moulded fascias and slated or mortared verges can belost to boards. All of these apparently slight changes have a cumulative impact that is fargreater than each individual act would suggest.

Lead details such as hips ought to be retained and where lead flashings have never existedthey should only be added if that can be executed with subtlety. All new leadwork mustbe treated with patination oil to prevent oxidisation and leaching. Mitred hips should wherepossible be retained.

Dormers and rooflights

In order to preserve Port Isaac’s admirable and highly visible roofscape, the insertion ofdormer windows should only be agreed where they are well justified and on roofslopeswhere the visual impact will be minimal. They must always be based on traditionalproportions and designs. Large box-like roof extensions inevitably harm the appearanceof the roofscape and should be avoided.

Rooflights can allow the use of valuable roofspace and there are good moderninterpretations of low profile metal units available. Where they can be inserted with littleimpact to townscape views, especially on screened or rear roofslopes, this is acceptable.The smallest unit needed should be used and it ought to be a quality metal unit with aslender frame. In groups or terraces neighbours should try to use rooflights that arecomplementary in their size, type and location.

Solar Panels

Whilst the District Council clearly would wish to promote sound, sustainable energy systems,the choice of such systems can seriously erode the historic integrity of listed and unlistedbuildings in conservation areas. Therefore careful consideration should be given to theirpositioning to avoid compromising the character of the historic environment. Very oftenthere are alternative locations away from the historic building where solar panels can be

4


fitted. This may indeed result in such equipment being fixed to less sensitive buildingswhich are part of the curtilage. Alternatively there are less obtrusive solutions availablesuch as ground source heat pumps. Although solar panels can be reversible they can bemost damaging to historic roofscapes.

Roofing: A summary

Note and record detailing before starting works to enable reinstatement.If traditional details are missing look to similar buildings for inspiration.Repair local historic rag and scantle slate roofs or re-use in situ.Maintain or recreate authentic details to ridges, hips, eaves and verges.Repair chimneys and retain historic pot or cowl details.Repair or reinstate metal rainwater goods in traditional profiles.Avoid dormers unless there is strong justification.Only use rooflights sensitively and consider impact on views.

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4 Walls

The palette of materials used to construct and finish the buildings of Port Isaac is variedand they combine to form interesting elevations and street scenes. The choice of materialsand how they are used is usually indicative of the age of construction and the status ofthe building.

Great care and understanding is needed in the repair of all traditional materials in orderto prolong their useful life and protect them from decay. Careful appraisal of prevalentmaterials in a particular locality ought to inform and inspire the designers of new buildingsso that contemporary additions enrich the area.

Choice of colour is a matter of taste, but it is worth remembering that plain limewash wasalmost ubiquitous in the past and only natural pigments were available. Bolder colourslike blues and greens were beyond the reach of all but the most wealthy; consequentlythese colours often seem unsuitable on humbler dwellings.

Stonework

The unifying factor of most buildings in Port Isaac is the use of local slate stone or shilletin construction. From the prominent buildings like the Roscarrock Hill Chapel, the fishcellars and the Market House through to the humblest nineteenth century outbuildings –all are built of slatestone.

Although most of the stone used Port Isaac is durable, these walls are still vulnerable todamage if poorly treated. All stonework must be pointed using lime mortar that flexes withthe walls and allows them to breathe. Pointing should also be flush or slightly recessed,especially on wider joints, and should never project in front of the faces. A well-gradedsand free of ‘soft’ (or fine clayey) particles is best for most work.

Render

Render covers rubble stone on a variety of buildings. Traditionally this render was alwayslime based and that remains the only sensible choice as cement based renders areincompatible with all of these building types.

Generally speaking the finish of render is a reflection of the status of the building and/orits function. So functional buildings, humble cottages and the rear elevations of somehigher status dwellings have roughcast or float finished render that follows the unevennessof the wall beneath. These renders were hand-thrown to achieve a better key and textureis derived from the coarse aggregate; modern ‘tyrolean’ type finishes take their texturefrom cementitious droplets and have a fundamentally different character. Grander andmore aspirational buildings have smooth render, sometimes fine stucco; these rendersmay be lined in imitation of ashlar stonework below. Considerable skill is needed to achievethis type of finish.

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The coating of lime renders with modern masonry paint will trap moisture over time andcan cause failure of the render. This is often interpreted as the failure of an inferior oldfashioned product, but it is in fact the result of conflicting technologies. Where possiblehistoric renders ought to be repaired and retained, with masonry paint removed usingspecialist stripping products. Limewash remains by far the best and most effective surfacecoating on old buildings, but it is pointless applying it over paint.

Slate hanging

Slate hanging does occur on a number of buildings in the village and where it exists itoften reflects that there is a timber frame beneath. It is also seen on stone buildings inexposed locations where penetrating damp has been a problem or on elevated sideelevations of attached buildings where access is difficult and a durable, low maintenancesolution was essential.

Brickwork

There are no historic buildings in Port Isaac constructed from brick, but early brick chimneysare relatively common reusing brick that entered the village as ballast. It is used extensivelyon later buildings in the form of lintels, decorative window surrounds and quoins. The useof lime mortars for repair is equally important for brickwork.

Walls: A summary

Traditional finishes should be repaired whenever possible, not replaced.Compatible materials and finishes are essential on historic walls.Authentic finishes should not be removed or covered.Where traditional finishes have been lost, sympathetic reinstatement is desirable.Limewash allows old walls to breathe; masonry paint traps moisture.

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5 Joinery

Authentic joinery adds to the historic character and visual quality of any ConservationArea. The extent of survival is often indicative of the percentage of listed buildings; butalso of the value local people place on the historic fabric of their town. Like many otherplaces Port Isaac has a mix of original joinery and replacements, some sensitive but muchthat is poorly detailed.

At present the replacement of windows and doors is not controlled on unlisted buildings.The Local Planning Authority (LPA) will consider Article 4(2)* directions to prevent harmfulalterations in the future. It is always preferable, however, for owners to recognise thatsensitive maintenance adds value to their own property and contributes to the sense ofplace.

Historic joinery ought to be seen as antique furniture that changes hands as part of a largerdeal and can easily be overlooked. It only takes one inconsiderate owner to destroy thehistoric appearance of a building by ill-considered renovation; with property changinghands as frequently as it does today there is a steady stream of buildings whose luck hasrun out. There are few people who would throw a two hundred year old chair or table in askip – their potential value is usually appreciated – yet it happens to windows and doorsregularly. These artefacts are a finite resource that embodies the craftsmanship of earliergenerations and records the materials and techniques they used.

Unless badly neglected over a long period of time, traditional joinery is rarely beyondrepair. In many cases the timber used was so well sourced and seasoned that it is farmore durable than any modern alternative. Detail may have been lost by years of paintingbut great care needs to be taken when stripping paint though as historic paints containedlead. If repair is not possible, replica replacement is the next best thing; though replacementrequires the use of primary resources and energy that makes it a less sustainable option.The use of imported hardwood from unsustainable sources ought to be avoided and PVCuhas significant ecological issues in production and disposal.

There is no product that is maintenance free. Timber needs painting every few years, buteach time the result looks fresh and new. After a hundred years or more sash cords orhinges may need renewal; this is quite easily done and gives the unit a new lease of life.When modern opening mechanisms or double glazed units breakdown the answer isreplacement of the whole unit – hence the piles of PVCu windows accumulating at recyclingcentres in the absence of satisfactory means of disposal.

Windows

The size, type and design of the windows in an historic building reveal much about its ageor development, its use and the status of its occupants in the past. Humbler buildings oftenhave casement windows that vary in design according to age, use and local custom. Sashwindows also vary in size and detail according to age and use. The enduring popularityof sash windows reflects their versatility in providing controlled ventilation.

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The intrinsic value of the view through an historic window is appreciated by manysympathetic owners. They enjoy the elegance of the glazing bars and enthuse about thedistortion and play of light in imperfect historic glass. With care, old glass can be salvagedand re-used; where it has been lost, modern equivalents can be sourced from specialistsuppliers.

When new windows are needed there are a number of issues to consider:-

Proportion and subdivision – The glazing pattern of the original windows ought to beretained, (or restored if lost), as that is a critical part of the whole building. It indicatesthe size of glass available or affordable at the time of construction.Mode of opening – The introduction of top hung or tilt-and-turn opening lights is alwaysvisually jarring and harmful to historic character. Overlapping ‘storm-seal’ type detailsare an entirely modern introduction and are unnecessary if flush units are properlymade. Spring loaded sashes are an inferior replacement mechanism compared withproperly weighted double-hung sashes.Glazing – Traditional glazing bar profiles, properly jointed and glazed with putty, (orglazing compound), rather than beading, will give a genuine appearance.Thermal insulation – Double glazing cannot be achieved within traditional multiplepane designs without bars being either much too thick or fake. Beading is nearlyalways added which further detracts from the appearance. Attempting to introducedouble glazing into a traditional design usually means a small air gap that hugelyreduces the insulation properties anyway. The use of shutters and/or insulated curtainscan greatly reduce heat loss without the need for window replacement.Draught-proofing – The most significant heat loss through old windows is due to poorfitting and lack of draught-stripping. There are proprietary systems that retro-fit draughtexcluders and greatly reduce the amount of air changes and so heat loss.Sound insulation – In noisy locations people often replace windows with moderndouble glazed units to reduce the problem. In fact secondary glazing is more effectivethan double glazing and allows retention of traditional windows.Sills – Traditional sills should be retained unless beyond repair.

Doors

Doors are just as vulnerable to insensitive replacement as windows. The conservationprinciples summarised above can be applied equally to doors. Most traditional door typesallow for individual expression by painting and attractive ironmongery etc. Unfortunatelymany owners choose to express their individuality by replacing a serviceable vintage doorwith an off-the-peg unit in stained hardwood or PVCu.

Shopfronts

The survival of historic shopfronts around the village is a reminder of how economic activity,shopping and employment patterns have changed over the years. Although some are nowredundant the memory of these local shops needs to be retained – adaptation may notalways be easy but it is seldom impossible.

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Regarding the surviving shops still in use there are a number of issues that can have aprofound impact on the character of the place:-

Retention of features – There are many historic shopfronts in Port Isaac that havehad original features removed or obscured. Reinstatement or restoration of these canmake a frontage more attractive to customers and boost business as well as allowingthe building to be seen at its best.Signage – There was a time when the emphasis was on quality, legibility and illustrationof function. Somehow the approach to shop signage has slipped towards achievingthe cheapest, largest, brightest and most prolific advertisement. Over large fasciasdraw attention in the wrong way and detract from neighbouring businesses.Design – New shopfronts and signage require planning permission and the LPA willexpect these elements to be competently designed to suit their context. Shopkeeperscannot expect to go to a shopfitting contractor with a budget and expect that approachto achieve an acceptable outcome.

Joinery : A summary

Historic joinery items add character and quality to the town and ought to be retainedand repaired if at all possible.When replacement is necessary, this ought to be in exact replica.Where joinery has been lost in the past and reinstatement is desirable, look at similarproperties in the vicinity for inspiration.Design, mode of opening and colour of finish are the most important considerationson unlisted buildings.

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6 Enclosure and space

In the past enclosure was about demarcation and also keeping out passing animals. Thespaces generated by enclosure can be of considerable historic interest in their own right,especially where they have a strong association with a particular use eg school playgrounds,yards, allotments, etc. Although the planning system rightly encourages the use ofbrownfield land and infill sites, there are gaps and spaces which deserve protection fromdevelopment. Sometimes this may be due to specific historic associations with religiousgroups and the like; in other cases it may simply be the contribution a green space orgarden makes to the streetscene and the setting of significant buildings. The potentialsignificance of any space must be fully considered if development proposals are made.The desirability of preserving or enhancing the conservation area is the fundamentaljudgement that must be applied; in many cases this will mean that a space is integral tothe special character of the place and there should be a strong presumption in favour ofprotection.

Historic enclosure is threatened with change by the desire for greater privacy – leading tothe addition of timber fence panels for example. Alternatively it may be removed to provideparking. Walls or other means of enclosure more than 1m high fronting a highway (and2m elsewhere) cannot be demolished without Conservation Area Consent. New walls ofthose dimensions cannot be erected without Planning Permission.

The tendency towards close-boarded fencing is one that is having a very tangible visualimpact. Apart from being a characteristically modern approach, these fences are quiteexpensive, require regular maintenance over the years and make it difficult to establishplanting due to overshadowing and wind damage. Timber fences also tend to be stainedin eye-catching colours that are often unsympathetic to an historic setting.

Garden structures can also be jarring elements if poorly located, badly designed or brightlycoloured.

Walls

Stone walls are the most common means of enclosure in the village. Appearance varieswith age and function but the consistency of material gives a unity to the townscape thatcan be easily taken for granted. Dry stone banks with slatestone laid in vertical or chevronpatterns can be found in the area. Mortared rubble stone walls are more commonplaceand usually have simple copings of granite, slate or spar.

For new enclosure in much of the town stone walling is likely to be the most suitable option,provided the height and style relates to any established local trend.

There are no historic brick walls in Port Isaac and brick should not be used on new work.

There are a few rendered but these should not be seen as justification for rendered blockwalls.

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Railings

Whilst not abundant there is clear evidence that cast or wrought iron railings werehistorically a more significant element of the townscape than today. Like so many places,a lot of ironwork was removed during wartime.

There are some buildings and locations which would benefit considerably from there-introduction of railings. As well as being attractive items in their own right they also offerdefinition to the streetscene and can be a real enhancement to some types of property.The most common application is on properties with a minimal front garden or yard; in theselocations they offer demarcation without visual weight and avoid shading windows orplanting.

Hedges

In the more rural parts of the village and where property adjoins farmland, hedges arecharacteristic. A mixed deciduous planting of hawthorn, field maple, hazel, holly, beechand other indigenous species is most traditional. Within a few years such a hedge can belaid to form a dense and effective boundary that is a wildlife resource that can draw insects,birds and small mammals into gardens.

Single species plantings of beech, yew, laurel or box may be appropriate in somecircumstances but are not a practical solution for most places and they demand moremaintenance than a rustic mixed hedge.

Modern coniferous hedges support little wildlife and can often be unattractive and not veryneighbourly.

Hurdles

The traditional approach to fencing is making something of a comeback in recent years.Hazel hurdles would have been a familiar site in the past and can now be purchased inready-made panels for quick and effective enclosure. Hazel and willow can also be boughtbundled for the more enthusiastic person to weave their own fence.

As well as being made of more sustainable materials without chemical treatment andkeeping an old craft alive, these fences are more permeable to wind making them lesslikely to blow over and allowing plants to establish more readily.

Garden structures

The siting of sheds, summerhouses, decking, gazebos or other structures should besensitively located. If visible locations are unavoidable, good design and naturally paintedmaterials should be used to make the structures less jarring.

Garden structures nearly always need planing permission within the curtilage of a listedbuilding. There are also size restrictions for permitted development within the conservationarea so it is wise to consult the LPA when considering such works.

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Enclosure : A summary

Spaces, gardens and yards add to the special character of Port Isaac and ought tobe retained if development would mean the loss of an historic and/or attractive elementof the townscape.Retain historic enclosure wherever possible.If enclosure has been lost, consider the locality and use an appropriate replacement.

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7 Townscape features

In addition to the buildings and walls that give Port Isaac its special character there areother items that make a significant contribution to the overall appearance. There areattractive items that need to be cherished and retained; others are in need of repair orenhancement.

Floorscape

Due to the narrowness of the streets that are few areas of paving, and carriageways aregenerally blacktop. In general it is better to use this honest and established surfacing ratherthan introduce manufactured paviours or similar. However recently there has been ascheme along the southern end of Fore Street where that tarmac has been replaced.

Outside the old school there is a simple tarmac pavement with slim slate kerb stones andthroughout the village there are small charming survivals of historic paving detailed in theConservation Area Appraisal - these include areas of cobbles, slates and granite.

Existing areas of historic paving should be preserved and repaired when necessary. Newpaving should never be designed down to a fixed budget; it is better to do a small area toa high standard than to compromise over a larger area. Historic areas which have remainedunpaved should continue to do so in order to preserve their informal, semi-rural character.

Seating

There are some thoughtfully located seats around the village where the pedestrian canstop a while and enjoy the place. Unfortunately many of these are old, mismatched anduntidy. There is a need for enhancement of these minor spaces and renewal of seatswhere needed.

Opportunities for informal seating on steps, dwarf walls and the like should also beconsidered.

Signage

Business signage has been covered under shopfronts, but directional signage is also anissue in the village, for pedestrians as well as vehicles.

Given the nature of the village there are a lot of pedestrian routes and links – specificallyvia the opeways – that are not immediately apparent. A well designed system of signswould help visitors to make the get the best from their time in Port Isaac. Good qualitytraditional signs should be retained and could inform the style andmaterials of new signage.

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Due to the narrow, twisting nature of the streets cars inevitably pass through the villageslowly as a result directional road signs can be smaller and less assertive. There is alsoa need to avoid undue repetition of signs and to make sure they are sensitively placed. Itwould be beneficial if parking control could be exercised without a plethora of yellow linesand signs.

Planting

Trees and hedges are an important element of many significant views and their retentionis often of considerable importance. Work to trees in conservation areas is controlled andowners or contractors must contact the LPA for advice before embarking on felling, toppingor lopping works.

Decorative planting has its place in the public realm, but needs to be well planned andmaintained to be a positive feature. On private land owners can enhance their little bit ofthe village with suitable planting – it can often be the finishing touch that makes a locationreally special.

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8 Guidance by location

The ideas offered here are intended to provoke discussion and debate. It is hoped thatmany more ideas will arise from local groups and individuals for inclusion in future versionsof this document. Some may be obvious, others may be out of the question for a varietyof reasons; a few may take years to achieve. It is important, however, for any ideas thatmay enhance the town and its economic well-being to be aired and considered.

Proposals are rated as follows:-

*** High priority for action

** Medium priority

* Long term aim or possibility

At the end of the day though, it is crucial that any proposals that are taken forward havebeen the subject of open public consultation and enjoy broad support.

The Harbour

This area is of great importance as a tourist location and contains some of the village’smost important historic buildings. These two elements should be mutually compatible andbeneficial but often the reverse is true. The challenge for Port Isaac is to present itself asan attractive twenty-first century visitors’ destination whilst maintaining its historic integrity.In order to do this the following courses of action should be considered :-

i. *** The historic buildings should be kept in good repair, well maintained and used insuch a way that any former historic functions can still be read in the surviving fabric.

ii. *** Any attempts to impose quasi historic (or olde worlde) character to existing buildingsshould be avoided.

iii. *** The streetscape should be tidied up – this could include the rationalisation of roadsigns and the undergrounding of overhead cables. Tidying up, however, should notbe extended to the Platt where the piles of lobster pots and other fishing-relatedmaterial greatly adds to the informal, working character of the area.

iv. *** Roscarrock Hill needs to be resurfaced. The most satisfactory material would besimple black top with no road markings.

v. *** Any further rooflights on prominently positioned and visible roofs should be avoided.vi. ** A more subtle and traditional approach to shop signs and window advertisements

should be encouraged in order to heighten the impact and quality of the survivinghistoric shop fronts in this area and throughout the village.

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vii. ** Consideration should be given to reinstating the low slatestone wall at the front ofthe Slipway Hotel in order to recapture the sense of enclosure at the foot of ChurchHill.

viii. ** The area’s great historic and architectural importance should be celebrated andexplained by a new village trail. This should extend throughout the whole of theconservation area.

The Old Town/Commercial Core

Because of its picturesque narrow streets, high number of charming historic buildings andproximity to the harbour this area has become a very popular tourist destination and manyof the buildings provide tourist accommodation. In order to maintain some of its formercharacter and to preserve its links with the community on the hill it is important that somegeneral services such as the post office should be maintained. In addition the financiallure of providing tourist accommodation should not allow for the development of historicallygreen open spaces or for loss of character of historic buildings due to internal alterations.

i. *** Improve the streetscape by the undergrounding of unsightly overhead cables andrationalise the road signs. Traffic can only pass slowly through this part of the villageso signs can be small scale and sensitively positioned.

ii. *** Ensure the contribution the green areas and gardens make to the overall qualityand character of this area is recognised in order that they are not considered aspotential development sites.

iii. *** Encourage the reuse and repair of existing historic joinery.iv. ** Replace tired street furniture and inappropriate ‘heritage catalogue’ bollards with

versions in materials and of designs that make reference to their unique historic andnatural locations.

Nineteenth Century Expansion

As this area developed in part in response to the growing tourist industry it has had toadapt less. Themain changes here have been the conversion of public buildings to differentuses and the early twentieth century development along Trewetha and New Roads.Although many of the buildings here are historic they would not qualify for listed buildingstatus and as a result there has been a greater degree of alteration and replacement thanin the rest of the conservation area.

i. *** Improve the quality of the streetscape by the undergrounding of overhead cables,the de-cluttering of road signs and the replacement of the current utilitarian streetlighting with more sensitively designed units.

ii. *** Further encourage visitors to park on the car park off New Road to reduce thenumbers of cars passing through the historic core.

iii. ** Encourage the repair and reinstatement of historic windows, doors, porches andother decorative historic features.

iv. **Preserve the existing historic boundary walls and consider reinstating them wherethey have been lost.

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v. ** Redesign the seat and other features around the old pump on Back Lane to makethe whole appear less cluttered.

vi. * Consider both the old temperance hall and St Peter’s church for listing.vii. * Re-instate the old bell on the Sunday school, or if it is no longer extant consider

finding a replacement.viii. * Repair the clock on the old school.

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1

TINTAGEL TERRACE

THE TERRACE

40.2m

HigherMoon

18

7

3 3a

PC

Castle Rock

Mean MHW

Port Gaverne

Rocks

Rock

Mean Low

Water

MHW

Co

ast a

lM

HW

Rock

MLW

Mean High & Mean Low Water

Mean High Water

Coastal Slope

Path (um)

Scattered RockLobber Point

Kenewal RockMygog Rock

Mean High Water

Mean Low Water

Path

1

Rock

MLW

Scattered Rock

Breakwater

The Haven

53

8

53a

7

Overcliff

63

Tra

ck

6

5

51

45

4

Dolphin

1

C G Sta

HILLCOASTGUARD

91

Bungalow

s

FS

Path

2

4

1

20 24

Signal Field

12

Coastal Slope

Car Park

Robanna

St P

eter's

NE

W R

OA

D

13

2

108

Allo

t

32

5

24

21

Mean

B 3267

86

7

96

1

26

CH

UR

CH

ROSE HILL

Car Park

Shi

ngle

MID

DLE

42

1

CoastView

Kit's C

ottage

MHW

MLW

Pond

MLW

MAY

FIELD C

LOSE

Port IsaacCounty Primary

4

LUN

DY R

OAD

15

School

Coastal Slope

Cliffside

Gey'

s G

ug

3

1

2

MLW

5

Low

Wate

r

Slo

pe

Scale: 1:2500This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with thepermission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty'sStationery Office (C) Crown copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead toprosecution or civil proceedings.

North Cornwall District Council1000219032007

11/12/2007

Port IsaacHistoric

Development

SW9980NE

North C

ornwall

Dist

rict C

ounc

il

CH

UR

CH

HIL

L

MID

DL

E

STRE

ET

ROSE HILL

FO

RE

ST

RE

ET

NE

W R

OA

D

BACK HILL

THE TERRACE

TINTAGEL TERRACE

HAR

TLA

ND

RO

AD

TREWETHA

LANE

SIL

VE

RS

HE

LL

SILVERS

HELL

RO

AD

MAY

FIELD

ROAD

MA

RG

AR

ET'S

LAN

E

B 3267

VIE

W

DOLPHIN

ST

ROSCARROCK HILL

B 3267

NEW ROAD

Churc

hS

t Pete

r's

Roscarrock

Hill

Hall

Garage

Garage

PO

Hall

Harbour

Heights

Bank

Bank

PC

7

9

5

64

2

3

1

2

10

8

14

1816

30

42

18

21

1

7

7a

8

13

17

22

26

1

5

12

5

8

11

19

24

61014

1618

26

79

8773

75

77b77a

69

67

43

41

86

84

82

80

78

76

62

58

60

102

98

96

88

7

4

1

1

1

33a

34

32

20

18

10

2

5

7

9

13

19

2123

23a

25

27

29

39

28

26

58

46

34

3230

28

4

6

8

9

10

12

14

17

37

29

25

23

21

19

17

15

13

11

7 to 9

3

5

1

1

3

2

13

2527

13

54

56

46

34

1

3

7

5

15

17

19

23

32

8

6

36

34

26

28 32

3024

12

10

8

62

11

17

23

27

29

33

31

28

20

22

24

18

16

12

14

106

8

9

13

21

7

53

1

2

4

1

3

7

9

1 3

5

18

7

13

17

4

22

20

16

14

10

4

2

6

10

16

9

Inn

7

PC

Windrush

38

Cleardaze

Glim

pse

Sea

86a

Higher

Moon

3

Wyn

jar

28

2

26

God

revy

Gw

el A

rvor

Driftw

ood

Meadow

Stile

Cobblers

The Cour

tyard

Coast

View

4293

3086

4874

6260

4067

Car ParkCar Park

El S

ub Sta

LB

40.2m

44.8m

BM 45.17mTCB

War Meml

Shelter

37.6m

30.79m

BM

27.6m

20.8m

13.3m

38.7m

58.9m

GP

48.8m

BM 45.20m

El

Sta

Allo

t

Gd

ns

8.3m

6.2m

BM

6.96m

Slipway

TCB

BM

12.10

m

El Sub Sta

21.8m

BM 26.78m

El Sub S

ta

34.7m

Path

(um)

Port

Coasta

l

Shingle

Shi

ngl

e

Shin

gle

& S

catte

red R

ock

Sand &

Scattered R

ock

San

d & S

hing

le

San

d

Silvershell

Gug

Breakwater

Breakwater

The Haven

Mea

n H

igh

Wat

er

Mean

Sub

14.2m

20.21m

BM

Slo

pe

Low

Wat

er

Sca

ttered R

ock

5588

Isaac

COASTGUARD

HILL

45

51

63

4

1

4

1

4

12

2

2024

53

91

8

1

2

Cliffside

Dolphin

Bungalow

s

7

53a

1

3

Overcliff

5

6

The Haven

Breakwater

Kenewal RockMygog Rock

Mean High Water

Mean Low Water

7112 Rock

0004

FS

C G Sta

Car Park

Coastal Slope

Scattered Rock

Coastal Slope

Gey'

s G

ug

MLW

Tra

ck

Path

Path

THE TERRACE

HARTLA

ND

RO

AD

HAR

TLA

ND

ROA

D

B 3267

TREW

ETH

A LANE

MAYFIE

LD C

LOSE

TINTA

GEL TER

RAC

E

MAYFIE

LD R

OAD

MAYFIE

LD D

RIV

E

9

13

5

13

20

2224

4

3

23

12

10

9

15

13

14

1

29

30

36

1

2

3

Twot

rees

15

25

26

Port Isaac

Cra

nstou

n

10

9

1

5

8

Junior and Infant

CoastalSlope

BM 32.14m

Scattered Rock

El Sub Sta

BM

66.8

9m

27.1m

TCB

36.2m

64.0m

68.7

m

Rock

Rock

Mean Low

Water

Mean

Low

Wate

r

Port Gaverne

Co

asta

l

Slo

pe

MHW

MH

W

Rocks

0403

This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with thepermission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty'sStationery Office (C) Crown copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead toprosecution or civil proceedings.

North Cornwall District Council1000219032006

1:2300

SW9980NE

07/03/2007

Port IsaacCharacter

Areas