Former Arts & Crafts furniture factory’s owner urged to act to avoid further decay after rejecting local building preservation trust offer
Grade II-listed, 1888, William Clement Oliver
In 1888, William Clement Oliver was commissioned by the architectural doorset manufacturer, Shapland and Petter, to develop designs for an advanced manufacturing complex, as well as a showroom and office building. Their original facility had burned to the ground earlier that year, and the new buildings, set in a prominent position on the waterfront in Barnstaple, was designed with these events in mind. Oliver’s plans were notable for their application of polychrome materials, for their innovative use of fire proof and fire retardant construction, and for incorporating a compartmentalised sprinkler system. Their success was such that it ensured the buildings remained in use for more than one hundred years, using advanced American machinery to produce a mass-produced interpretation of Arts and Crafts joinery. But when market conditions changed and production moved offshore in 2009, the developer who bought the site repeatedly fought to overturn the building’s recent listing, with the backing of a local Member of Parliament. The uncertainties raised were compounded by rumours about a possible demolition, as well as a statement by the local council leader, who mistakenly claimed that Grade II-listing does not necessarily protect a buildings’ interior. After rejecting an offer by the town’s building preservation trust to buy the buildings, the developer must now produce plans incorporating the buildings without any further delay.
The Victorian Society Director, Christopher Costelloe, said: ‘I hope inclusion in the Top Ten will spur North Devon Council and the owners to urgently set out plans to bring the Oliver Buildings back into use. Simply stating that the buildings will be included in plans is not enough. These buildings need urgent action to prevent further decay. Retaining historic buildings like those in the Top Ten is vital to maintaining local identity and creating places in which people want to invest, live and work’.
Griff Rhys Jones, The Victorian Society Vice President, said: ‘The nationally important buildings on the The Victorian Society’s Top Ten list are in dire need of help. Many of them are in prominent locations in their towns and cities. Following my experience with the Hackney Empire I know how difficult finding funding can be – especially outside London. However, restoring important historic buildings is worth investing in as it can be a catalyst for wider regeneration. I hope people living near these buildings will seize this opportunity and campaign to save them. Ultimately, it is the support of local people which will ensure that they are not lost forever.’
Status Update / March 2026
A proposal to redevelop the buildings was approved by the local authority in 2025, on the condition that a specialist conservation architect be appointed who works closely with Historic England’s advisory committee. The mixed-use scheme, which involves the repair and extension of the existing buildings, is comprised of 47 apartments, with new shops, restaurants, and office units introduced on the ground floor. Any conservation deficit is expected to be met by the developer. A complimentary landscape design will link the development to Barnstaple Town Centre and the Tarka Trail cycle network.