Fishmongers Shop (Former Market House); Tourist Information Centre Brixham, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

BRIXHAM

SX9256SE THE STRAND, Lower Brixham 1946-1/11/232 (North East side) 10/01/75 Tourist Information Centre and fishmonger's shop (former Market House) (Formerly Listed as: THE STRAND E Perrett and Son (Old Fishermen's Store))

GV II

Market house, now tourist information centre and fishmonger's shop. Believed to date from 1799. Painted stone rubble with brick door and window-arches. Slated roof. A long, freestanding building, oblong and one room deep, its north-west corner sharply splayed at the point where The Strand turns into The Quay. 2 storeys. 8 windows to the harbour, 6 to The Strand. Ground storey facing the harbour has 5 wide segmental-arched doorways to left, the 2 left-hand ones now converted to windows and the extreme left-hand one partly blocked. At right-hand end are 4 further openings: from left, a shop window (probably a later insertion), a plank door, a small loading-hatch with plank door on strap-hinges, a pair of plank doors with strap-hinges. The upper storey has 2 blocked windows to left and one at far right-hand end; 3 windows in centre, each with 3-light wood casement having 3 panes per light; 2 loading-hatches to right, each with double plank doors having strap-hinges. Front facing The Strand has 6 doorways, large and small, and a window in the ground storey; all have segmental arches and all are now boarded up. Upper-storey windows are also boarded up, except for the left-hand one, which matches those on the harbour side. South-east gable-end has wide segmental-arched doorway in ground storey. To right of upper storey a 2-light window matching those on the harbour side; to left a large loading-hatch with double plank doors in a plain wood frame with pegged joints (probably original). North-west gable-end has to right of ground storey a segmental-arched doorway containing old plank double-doors with strap-hinges (probably original with some repairs). To left is a slightly projecting round-arched niche with a moulded archivolt, possibly designed for a water tap. No openings in upper storey. INTERIOR: upper floor not inspected. The building is marked 'Market House' on the 1st edition 25-inch OS map of Brixham (1864). The building date of 1799 appears to derive from the fact that the Haven and Market Improvement Act was passed in that year; the commissioners appointed under the Act owned the Market House. (White W: History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Devonshire: Sheffield: 1850-: 425; Saxton WA: Brixham History (2nd edition): Brixham: 1962-: 23; Horsley JE: A Short History of Brixham: Exeter: 1988-: 14-15).

Listing NGR: SX9254256256