Architecture of Ilfracombe

The architecture of Ilfracombe has a strong Victorian heritage, visible in many buildings.

The street facade, built in 1884 to designs by W H Gould, of the former Congregationalist Church is now 'The Lantern' community center, home of the Ilfracombe Farmers' Market.

To the left is the view through the marble arches revealing the chocolate box corner shop, built in the Flemish style in 1899 to designs by Alan Hussell.

The third picture, illustrates the high street looking east. The unusual looking building at the junction was built in about 1884 and rebuilt to the original design after a fire in 1896, as the department store 'Cole's Corner'.

To the right is the former Sutton's, later 'Royal Clarence' Hotel. The facade was applied to an older building in the early 1880s to designs by W M Robbins.

To the left are pictured three prominent high street shops. That in the centre and its neighbour to the left were built in 1881 to the designs of W. H. Gould, a local architect. They show the Victorian exuberant use of polychrome brickwork and the styles influenced by Ruskin's 'Stones of Venice'.

The picture to the right shows Wilder Road, built in the 1870s to give better access to the prestigious Ilfracombe Hotel. Beaconsfield Terrace on the left was built in 1880 as 'housing for artisans' and the wedge shaped building with the extraordinarily narrow end was built in 1885 or by 1898 probably by the Ilfracombe Gas Company, perhaps as showrooms or perhaps also to hide the gas works which were on the site to the right.