IHouse · listed 1951Penrose AlmhousesPhoto: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Penrose Almhouses · Photo: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0AHistory Grade
History of Barnstaple · Historic England
378 listed buildings, 6 of them Grade I
Historic England counts them inside Barnstaple’s built-up area, 121 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 1 scheduled monument. We have photos of 17 of its listed buildings and 3 old views of the town. 23% of its homes were built before 1919. Barnstaple grades A for history: #15 of 47 in Devon.
Listed buildings
378
121 per 10,000 residents
Grade I
6
exceptional interest
Grade II*
13
more than special interest
Scheduled monuments
1
nationally important sites
Homes built before 1919
23%
typical UK town 15%
In pictures
Barnstaple in 22 photos and old views
Nearly every Grade I and II* building, photographed, and the town before 1950. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Queen Annes WalkGrade I listed
Parish Church of St Mary the VirginGrade I listed
Castle ChambersGrade II listed
Warehouse Known As Old Slaughterhouse South South West of Long BridgeGrade II listed
Royal and Fortescue HotelGrade II listed+17See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.
Through time
Barnstaple from 1824 to 1907
An old map and 3 old photos and postcards, in date order. All public domain, made before 1950.
1824
1830
c. 1905
1907Public domain, from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server. Each credit opens the image’s page with its full description and history.
The map
Where Barnstaple’s history is
Every Grade I and II* building, monument and historic park, over the age of each neighbourhood’s homes.
Grade IGrade II*Scheduled monument400 m from St Annes Chapel and Old Grammar School Museum Including Walls and Gates and Piers
Homes built before 1919, by neighbourhoodunder 10%10–25%25–50%50%+
4 of 6Grade I buildings stand within 400 m of St Annes Chapel and Old Grammar School Museum Including Walls and Gates and Piers, a five-minute walk. So do 206 of the 378 listed buildings.
2 of 25neighbourhoods have mostly pre-1919 homes; in the oldest, 64% were built before 1919.
Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.
378 listed buildings by grade
6 Grade I13 Grade II*359 Grade II
Historic England lists buildings in three grades: Grade I for buildings of exceptional interest (about 2.5% of all listed buildings), Grade II* for particularly important buildings of more than special interest (about 5.8%), and Grade II for buildings of special interest (about 91.7%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.
Every entry on the National Heritage List for England whose point lies inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings. Neighbourhood dots: the population-weighted centre of each Census 2021 output area, coloured by its neighbourhood’s (LSOA’s) share of homes built before 1919 (Valuation Office Agency, March 2025).
Grade I
The 6 Grade I listed buildings in Barnstaple
Buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings; 4 of these stand within 400 m of St Annes Chapel and Old Grammar School Museum Including Walls and Gates and Piers. 5 are photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.
IHouse · listed 1951Queen Anne's WalkOn the list as Queen Annes WalkPhoto: Maurice Clements · CC BY-SA 2.0
IChurch · listed 1951Parish Church of St Mary the VirginPhoto: Row17 · CC BY-SA 2.0
IWalls & gates · listed 1951St Annes Chapel and Old Grammar School Museum Including Walls and Gates and PiersPhoto: Unknown photographer · Public domain
IHouse · listed 195162, Boutport StreetPhoto: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
House · listed 1951Bull House
Grade II*
The 13 Grade II* listed buildings in Barnstaple
Particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 9 are photographed.
II*Walls & gates · listed 1981Holy Trinity ChurchOn the list as Church of Holy Trinity and Attached Railings and GatePhoto: Barrie Cann · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Public · listed 1951Church of Saints Peter and PaulOn the list as Church of St Peter and St Mary Magdalene including the Doddridge LibraryPhoto: Robert Cutts from Bristol, England, UK · CC BY 2.0
II*Public · listed 1951Horwoods AlmshousesPhoto: Simon Cobb · CC0
II*Public · listed 1951Old School Coffee House Formerly Horwoods SchoolPhoto: David J Meredith · CC BY-SA 4.0
II*Public · listed 1951Paiges AlmshousesPhoto: Simon Cobb · CC0
II*House · listed 1951Pill HousePhoto: Lobsterthermidor · Public domain
II*Public · listed 1951The GuildhallPhoto: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*Inns & shops · listed 1951Three Tuns InnPhoto: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
II*House · listed 19518, Cross StreetPhoto: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0
Inns & shops · listed 1973North Country Inn
House · listed 1986Rosehill
House · listed 195136, Pilton Street
Show the other 1
House · listed 197339, High Street
Historic streets
High Street has the most listed buildings
Streets by the listed entries with an address on them. One entry can be a whole terrace, so long rows count once.
High Street49 listed · 1 II*
Boutport Street41 listed · 1 Grade I
Pilton Street30 listed · 1 II*
Newport Road11 listed
Cross Street8 listed · 1 II*
Litchdon Street7 listed
South Street7 listed
Bear Street6 listed
Castle Street5 listed
Joy Street5 listed
St Peters Terrace4 listed
Of the 378 entries, 186 are named by a street address; the rest are named buildings such as churches, halls and bridges.
What’s protected
Most of Barnstaple’s listed buildings are homes
Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.
Houses, terraces & villas261
Walls, gates & bridges40
Public & civic buildings23
Inns, shops & warehouses20
Street furniture16
Churches, chapels & priories15
Memorials, crosses & tombs3
261 entries (69%) are houses, terraces and villas. 15 are churches, chapels and priories, including 1 of the 6 Grade I buildings.
Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.
Grade II
359 Grade II listed buildings
Most listed buildings are in this grade, which covers buildings of special interest. Open any building to read its official list entry.
The first 150 of 359 Grade II listed buildings, A to Z
Abbey CottageArundel and Boundary Wall and Gate PiersBalustrade and Lamp Post to Rock Park LodgeBaptist ChapelBaptist Church HallBarn with Attached Round-House Approximately 30 Metres West of Sticklepath FarmhouseBarnstaple Conservative ClubBarnstaple Town Station Including Railings and Gates at North EndBarum HouseBeachcroftBellaire CottageBellaire HouseBerrydeneBirmingham Midshires Building SocietyBoundary Wall to Pill House Fronting Pill LaneBoundary Walls to Numbers 11 and 11ABradiford BridgeBridge BuildingsBridge Chambers Including Garden Railings Adjoining the River FrontBridge HouseBroadgate HouseBryan HouseBuilding Behind Number 19 High StreetBuilding Behind Queen Annes Walk (Over 60'S Club)Building on South West Corner of Gammon LaneBuildings to Rear of Numbers 27 and 28 Boutport StreetBull Court HouseBus Station OfficesCarlyon HouseCastle ChambersCastle Lodge Including SundialCemetery LodgeCharnwoodChichester Arms Public HouseChrist ChurchChurch HouseChurch of the Immaculate ConceptionChurchill HouseClarence HotelClarence PlaceClarence Place Including Front Area RailingsClocktowerClose Court and the Close and Attached Garden WallCot ManorDerby Lace Works and S and T BarnstapleEast Cemetery ChapelEast WhiddonEbberly Lawn (Terrace)Ebberly Lawn (Terrace)Entrance Gates and Gate Piers and Adjacent Walls to Park at Castle MoundExeter InnFairfield and FairmeadFeoffee Cottages and Church CottageFive Dolphin Lamp Posts on Embankment Between the Square and Rock ParkFormer United Reform ChurchFour Lamp Posts [Outside Numbers 7 and 8 the Inn on the Strand and Jenny Wrens Tea Rooms and Queen Annes Walk]Front Garden Wall and Railings to Cedar CottageGarage at East End of the Anchor Public House (The Anchor Public House Not Included)Garden Walls and Gate Piers and Gates to MedelpadGarden Walls to Allotment to Rear of Penrose AlmshousesGate Piers and Gate to Carlyon HouseGate Piers and Gates to Barnstaple CemeteryGate Piers and Walls to Pilton HouseGates and Gate Piers and Lamp Standards Approximately 18 Metres South of South East Corner of MuseumGates and Gate Piers at West Entrance to Paternoster RowGolden Fleece InnGorwell HouseGreendale FarmhouseHeacham House Including Front Area RailingsHearts of Oak Public HouseImperial HotelIron Bollards Across Northern End of Lane to West of Church HouseIron Bollards Across Southern End of Church Lane to West of Paiges AlmshousesIron Gates and Piers Between St Anne's Chapel and Parish HallJalepeno RestaurantK6 Telephone Kiosk Immediately North of the Imperial HotelK6 Telephone Kiosk Outside Number 25K6 Telephone Kiosk Outside South Street Auction RoomsLady WellLake AlmshousesLake CottageLake CottagesLamp Post at Junction of New Road and Park TerraceLiberal ClubLitchdon Pottery Including Bottle Kilns and All Buildings on the SiteLloyds BankLower Almshouses Including Front Garden Wall and Gate PiersLychgate and WallsMarshals Public HouseMay HouseMedelpadMedinaMilestone Immediately North West of Bradiford Bridge at Ss 5505 3430Milestone at Ss 561 345 at Corner of Youings DriveMilestone at Ss 5665 3206 Approximately 4 Metres North of Park LaneMilestone at Ss 5735 3331Mount SandfordMulberry Lodge Including Walls and Two Sets of Gate Piers and Right Hand GatesMuseum of North Devon Including Garden Railings Adjacent to River FrontNewport TerraceNewport TerraceNewport TerraceNorthfield CottageNumber 1 and House Adjoining on Right with Attached Walls and RailingsNumber 24 Including Side Gate and Wall to RightNumber 53 Including Front Area RailingsNumbers 1 and 2 Including Front Area RailingsNumbers 1-13 Including Cottage Behind Number 10 and Garden Wall to Numbers 8 and 9Numbers 36 and 37 and 38 and Garden RailingsNumbers 88 and 89 and Attached WallObelisk at North EntranceOld Employment ExchangeOliver Buildings at the Former Shapland and Petter FactoryOrchard CottagePair of K6 Telephone Kiosks Approximately 6 Metres South of Bus Station OfficesPair of Lamp Standards with Pedestals at North Entrance of Rock ParkPannier MarketParish Hall Including Boundary Wall and Gates Enclosing Front LawnPilton AbbeyPilton Bridge and Causeway South of Pilton Quay Including Gates and Piers to Pilton ParkPilton Church HallPilton CottagePilton HousePilton Long StonePortland HousePriory CottageProspect House, Nos. 3 and 3a Prospect PlacePump in Courtyard at Penrose AlmshousesPump in Courtyard of Horwoods AlmshousesQueen Annes Court Including Former Ambulance Station Fronting Commercial RoadRailings and Lamp and Gates to North of Churchyard PathRailings and Wall to the Old School to West of South Porch of Church of St MaryRailings to South of Churchyard PathRange of Parish Buildings Approximately 10 Metres South West of Church of Holy TrinityRavelin Manor House and Little RavelinRear Part OnlyRising Sun Public HouseRiversideRiversvaleRock House the RockRock Park LodgeRose and Crown Public HouseRoyal Exchange Public HouseRoyal and Fortescue HotelSalem AlmshousesSouth Street Auction RoomsStables and Adjoining Outbuilding Approximately 5 Metres East of RosehillTavern in the Town Public HouseThe BoathouseThe Golden Lion Tap Public House
Conservation areas
5 conservation areas cover 8.5% of Barnstaple
Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.
Barnstaple - Town Centre 196935 ha
Barnstaple - Pilton 196917 ha
Barnstaple - Newport 196916 ha
Barnstaple - Rumsam 20099 ha
Barnstaple - Ebberly Lawn1 ha
78 hain conservation areas, of 920 ha inside the built-up area.
The first, Barnstaple - Town Centre, Barnstaple - Pilton and Barnstaple - Newport, were designated in 1969; the newest, Barnstaple - Rumsam, in 2009. 351 of the 378 listed buildings stand in one.
Historic England’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the built-up area.
How the list grew
163 of Barnstaple’s 378 listed buildings were added in 1973
The year each building now on the list was first listed.
1973 · 1631988 · 971951 · 49
19501960197019801990200020102020
The first 49 entries were listed in 1951, 6 of the 6 Grade I buildings among them. 163 came in 1973, in the national resurvey of the 1970s and 80s. Only 1 has been added in the last 15 years.
Monuments & landscapes
Monuments, parks and gardens
Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.
1 scheduled monument
Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England.
History Grade
Barnstaple grades A for history
Protected heritage and the age of the town’s homes, against all UK towns.
Protected heritage, for its size and in all (405 points, 130 per 10,000 residents)More than 88% of UK towns
Homes built before 1919 (23%)More than 67% of UK towns
Two measures, each ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, with protected heritage counting twice as much as the age of homes. Protected heritage counts each listed building by its grade (Grade I three points, II* two, II one), each scheduled monument and battlefield two, and each registered park or garden by its grade; it is ranked both per 10,000 residents and as a total, so a village with one fine church doesn’t outrank a historic city. The second measure is the share of homes built before 1919, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records. History is a character grade: it describes the town and isn’t part of the overall grade.
Homes by age
23% of Barnstaple’s homes were built before 1919
Every home by when it was built, from council tax records, against England & Wales (the dark tick).
20%
Before 1900
2.9%
1900–18
2.7%
1919–29
4.4%
1930s
5.9%
1945–54
7.3%
1955–64
9%
1965–72
8.6%
1973–82
14%
1983–92
7.6%
1993–99
7.6%
2000–08
3.4%
2009–15
7.2%
2016–25
BarnstapleEngland & Wales
20% of homes are Victorian or older, against 16% across England and Wales. The busiest period since was 1983–92, which added 14% of today’s homes.
Valuation Office Agency, council tax stock of properties by build period, 31 March 2025, for the neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that make up the town, split by where their residents live. Homes with no recorded build period (91 here) are left out; 1939–44 is not a period in the data.
Born here
29 notable people born in Barnstaple before 1900
The 20 best known on one timeline, earliest first.
Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester
George Hakewill
John Gay
John Williams
James Lewis Knight-Bruce
Frederick Richard Lee
William Frederick Rock
Richard Roach Jewell
Charles Elliott
Henry Fry
Francis Carruthers Gould
William Lethaby
Montagu Toller
Ethel Mairet
Jimmy Tremeer
Daniel Sandford
Hubert Bath
Bruce Frederick Cummings
Richard Sloley
Walter Summers
155016001650170017501800185019001950
John Gay1685–1732 · English poet and playwright (1685–1732)
Montagu Toller1871–1948 · English cricketer (1871-1948)
JT
Jimmy Tremeer1874–1951 · British hurdler (1874–1951)
WL
William Lethaby1857–1931 · English architect, architectural historian and academic (1857-1931)
Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester1563–1625 · English peer (1563-1625)
Bruce Frederick Cummings1889–1919 · English pseudonymous diarist and naturalist (1889–1919)
WS
Walter Summers1896–1973 · British film director (1896-1973)
Hubert Bath1883–1945 · Composer (1883-1945)
Everyone born in Barnstaple → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Barnstaple has the 20th most Grade I buildings of 336 towns its size
Places of 19,000–50,000 people outside London, by Grade I listed buildings.
Barnstaple6
#18 of 336for listed buildings per resident (121 per 10,000). Stamford, Bury St Edmunds and Devizes lead.
19 have more. Barnstaple is level with Trowbridge, Boston, Lichfield and Maldon. The typical town its size has 1.
Neighbours
Listed buildings in the places around Barnstaple
| Town | People | Listed | Grade I | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstaple | 31,271 | 378 | 6 | A |
| Bickington | 2,105 | 6 | 0 | C− |
| Landkey | 2,001 | 14 | 1 | B+ |
| Fremington | 5,229 | 29 | 0 | C+ |
| Chivenor and Wrafton | 1,953 | 6 | 0 | C− |
| Braunton | 6,610 | 40 | 1 | B+ |
| Appledore | 1,711 | 116 | 0 | A+ |
| Northam | 5,191 | 33 | 1 | B+ |
In brief
Barnstaple in brief
Old houses are part of Barnstaple’s character: 23% of its homes were built before 1919, against 15% in the typical UK town. All told, the list holds 378 listed buildings, 6 of them Grade I, including Penrose Almhouses. For its size, it has more listed heritage than 88% of UK towns. Its Grade I buildings cluster together: 4 of them stand within 400 m of St Annes Chapel and Old Grammar School Museum Including Walls and Gates and Piers.
Only 19 of the 336 towns nearest its size have more Grade I buildings. High Street alone has 49 listed buildings. Its older streets lie in 5 conservation areas, the first designated in 1969. Beyond that, it also has a scheduled monument.
Questions about Barnstaple’s history
How many listed buildings are there in Barnstaple?
Historic England lists 378 buildings inside Barnstaple’s built-up area: 6 Grade I, 13 Grade II* and 359 Grade II.
What are the Grade I listed buildings in Barnstaple?
6, including Bull House, Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Penrose Almhouses, Queen Annes Walk, St Annes Chapel and Old Grammar School Museum Including Walls and Gates and Piers and 62, Boutport Street.
Which street in Barnstaple has the most listed buildings?
High Street (49), Boutport Street (41) and Pilton Street (30) have the most listed entries named by an address. One entry can be a whole terrace.
Are there scheduled monuments in Barnstaple?
Yes, 1 scheduled monument, including Barnstaple Castle.
How many conservation areas are there in Barnstaple?
5, covering about 78 hectares of the town. The largest are Barnstaple - Town Centre and Barnstaple - Pilton.
When were Barnstaple’s buildings listed?
The first in 1951; the most, 163, in 1973.
Are there old photos of Barnstaple?
Yes: 3 public-domain photos and postcards from 1824 to 1907, and an old map from 1830, all on this page.
Who was born in Barnstaple?
Among people born before 1900: John Gay (1685), Montagu Toller (1871), Jimmy Tremeer (1874), William Lethaby (1857) and Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (1563).
How old are the homes in Barnstaple?
23% of homes were built before 1919 and 30% before 1940, from the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax records (March 2025).
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. The National Heritage List for England is the official, up-to-date register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England; check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.