SIDMOUTH RADWAY POST OFFICE
Vicarage Road
Photograph © Jaggery via Geograph and licensed for re-use under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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Architect: Henry Seccombe Year: 1938 Listed building status: Grade II Selected bibliographical references Post Office Magazine May 1938, p. 228 Western Morning News 25 Feb 1938, p. 16 History Closed |
Building description
From: The Western Times 25 February 1938, p. 16
Planned and designed on modern lines the new Post Office at Sidmouth ... is regarded as a model of its kind and is probably one of the best designed offices in the West of England, while it forms without doubt one of the most imposing public buildings in Sidmouth ... The public office at the new premises is 40 ft long and 26 ft wide, whilst there is every convenience for communication between it and other departments, etc. so that parcels, telegrams, etc. can be handled without delay ... the new post office [is] ... another example of their wish to give the public an efficient and up-to-date postal service. Addressing the visitors Mr Fitzgerald [at the opening ceremony] referred to the great increase in the postal service in recent years. In the last 20 years the old premises at Sidmouth had been quite impossible ... They now had a fine strong building which would be much better for the staff to work in and which would efficiently serve the vicinity for a great many years ...
From: Architectural Design & Construction, February 1940, p. 39
The building occupies an important angle position on Vicarage Road at the junction of Rashway [sic] Road, and is designed in a free Renaissance manner. Rising from a polished brown Cornish granite plinth, external walling of mellow toned brickwork, inset with painted Georgian windows symmetrically spaced, carries up to a bold Bath stone cornice, with a steeply pitched roof of Delabole green slates ... The principal entrance and centre windows grouped under triple stone arches supported on Doric columns, give due emphasis to the main facade ... Yard entrance gates flanked with brick piers with polished granite ball finials, and the pavilion treatment of the flanking outbuildings, carries the architectural interest through to the northern end of the long frontage ... The public office with extensive counter, telephone cabinets, writing table and joinery throughout in polished Burma mahogany, has all the facilities for the public use. A green and white checkered terrazzo f,loor and green painted walls above the dado make a pleasing contrast with rich tone of the mahogany. Above the walls a moulded plaster cornice surrounds the ceiling and beams ... The public office, planned and well lit at the angle of the site, gives direct access to the postmaster's room. A spacious top lighted and panel heated sorting office, and clerks' and postmen's retiring accommodation occupy the rear part of the site ... The building was designed and erected under supervision of Mr. H.E. Seccombe, A.R.I.B.A. (H.M. Office of Works) ... The general contractors were Messrs. F. Pinney & Sons, Ltd. of Sidmouth ...
Planned and designed on modern lines the new Post Office at Sidmouth ... is regarded as a model of its kind and is probably one of the best designed offices in the West of England, while it forms without doubt one of the most imposing public buildings in Sidmouth ... The public office at the new premises is 40 ft long and 26 ft wide, whilst there is every convenience for communication between it and other departments, etc. so that parcels, telegrams, etc. can be handled without delay ... the new post office [is] ... another example of their wish to give the public an efficient and up-to-date postal service. Addressing the visitors Mr Fitzgerald [at the opening ceremony] referred to the great increase in the postal service in recent years. In the last 20 years the old premises at Sidmouth had been quite impossible ... They now had a fine strong building which would be much better for the staff to work in and which would efficiently serve the vicinity for a great many years ...
From: Architectural Design & Construction, February 1940, p. 39
The building occupies an important angle position on Vicarage Road at the junction of Rashway [sic] Road, and is designed in a free Renaissance manner. Rising from a polished brown Cornish granite plinth, external walling of mellow toned brickwork, inset with painted Georgian windows symmetrically spaced, carries up to a bold Bath stone cornice, with a steeply pitched roof of Delabole green slates ... The principal entrance and centre windows grouped under triple stone arches supported on Doric columns, give due emphasis to the main facade ... Yard entrance gates flanked with brick piers with polished granite ball finials, and the pavilion treatment of the flanking outbuildings, carries the architectural interest through to the northern end of the long frontage ... The public office with extensive counter, telephone cabinets, writing table and joinery throughout in polished Burma mahogany, has all the facilities for the public use. A green and white checkered terrazzo f,loor and green painted walls above the dado make a pleasing contrast with rich tone of the mahogany. Above the walls a moulded plaster cornice surrounds the ceiling and beams ... The public office, planned and well lit at the angle of the site, gives direct access to the postmaster's room. A spacious top lighted and panel heated sorting office, and clerks' and postmen's retiring accommodation occupy the rear part of the site ... The building was designed and erected under supervision of Mr. H.E. Seccombe, A.R.I.B.A. (H.M. Office of Works) ... The general contractors were Messrs. F. Pinney & Sons, Ltd. of Sidmouth ...
