Butchers Row given facelift

One of Barnstaple's most famous streets is being refurbished ready for the spring. North Devon Council is undertaking a �24,000 project to restore the town's historic Butcher's Row. Work includes painting the shop fronts, replacing guttering and re-poin

One of Barnstaple's most famous streets is being refurbished ready for the spring.North Devon Council is undertaking a �24,000 project to restore the town's historic Butcher's Row.Work includes painting the shop fronts, replacing guttering and re-pointing stonework behind the buildings. As the row of shops are Grade II listed all restoration works have to be carried out with great care, using traditional materials.The council lets the shops along Butcher's Row and repaints the shop fronts every three or four years as well as carrying out essential maintenance work. Care has been taken to ensure that there is minimum disruption to trading, with most work being carried out on Sundays.Work has been hampered by the recent cold weather but is likely to be finished early next month.Portfolio Holder for Asset Management, Councillor Richard Edgell, said: "In addition to this refurbishment, the council has also obtained planning consent to convert a currently disused unit on Butcher's Row back into a shop, which will be marketed later in the year."Built at the same time as Barnstaple's current Pannier Market, which opened in 1855, the 33 shops on Butcher's Row were built along the north side of the market to keep the meat cool. Today not all of the shops remain as butchers and range from bakers and green grocers to florists and delicatessens.Later in the year the council will also be undertaking repair and restoration works on the chapels at Barnstaple Cemetery, the Heritage Centre and the Queen's Theatre.