127 High Street

The block of buildings occupying 127-130 High Street were for many years under the ownership of John Devereux, grocer and provisions merchant, with shopfronts to the High Street and warehousing to Old Market Street.
At its full extent, the shopfront of Devereux’s store was around 26 metres long. Built in c.1869 to designs by the architect Mr Clemence following the widening of the High Street,59 the shopfront of numbers 127-129 was designed as a single unit, with a splayed lobby entrance in the centre of number 128. The windows had round-arched heads, with large open circles within the spandrels. The stallrisers were low, with a modest stallboard – external signage was restricted to the fairly modest fascia, with external roller blinds fitted below the cornice. Much of the detail of the shopfront lies in the carving of the stone mullions, pilasters and consoles. The square-section mullions framing the display windows are heavily carved with chevrons, guilloche and nailhead bands (Fig 127a), whilst the pilasters have vermiculated bases, a central circular motif containing a flower, and sea shells beneath the capitals.

The consoles to Old Market Street and to either side of number 128 have rectangular blocks with floral carving supporting triangular pediments, again with floral carving (Fig 127b). The consoles to the south of number 127 and to the north of number 129 (dividing it from number 130) are different – with shallow double brackets to a shaped head (Fig 127c), suggesting that numbers 127-129 marked the extent of the original shopfront, and that number 130 was added in c.1890 – a fact confirmed by a change in brickwork and details on the upper floors.

The slightly later shopfront at number 130 (Fig 127d), had simple vertical glazing bars, the lower section of each pane filled with stained glass which advertised the business and its contents. The entrance was to Old Market Street and the doors contained etched glass. Whilst the tops of the windows in numbers 127 and 128 have been obscured by modern signage externally, and by inserted
ceilings internally, it appears that much of the shopfront has survived – including the mosaic floor in the lobby of number 128 and the connectors for the crank arms of the blinds on the pilasters of number 127. Numbers 129 and 130 are now a single shop and the glazing has been replaced, with the insertion of transoms, whilst the entrance to Old Market Street has been blocked up. The painted signs visible on the gable wall of 130 High Street in Figure 138 have also been lost.
Details of the original shop at numbers 127-129, such as the lobed window surrounds and vermiculated blocks, are similar to details seen at 124 High Street (1864 by W. O. Chambers) and also to 70-71 High Street (1877 by George Glover) and consistent with a date of c.1869. CREDIT: Historic England

Devereux's. John Devereux and Sons' was one of the biggest provision merchants in Lowestoft. He had   this large provisions store in the High Street  and almost as bigger one south of the bridge  in London Road South as well. It would appear that   these buildings that we see which were numbers 127, 128, 129 the High Street, there is a 130 as well. These were purpose built for Mr Devereux for this business   At the same time the evidence is that the properties went up   that the street was widened here as  the commencement of a street widening process.   The buildings, the initial buildings, 127, 128, 129 appeared to be erected in the late 1860s and  as we shall see number 130 doesn't appear to   have been built until the 1870s. I should think this photo was the 1890s. Everything and anything could have been bought when it comes to provisions: tea, coffee, bread, butter, fruit, vegetables, you name it, he would have sold it. We know from the records that Mr Devereux also did wholesale selling his merchandise in bulk to other businesses in the town.

You can see that those three shops had a large staff. You can see some of the staff lined up here wearing their...  Aprons and their whites and again  everybody is standing nice and still to have their picture taken. You can see quite clearly because of particularly the shop front of number 130, which   is the closest to the camera, you can see it's just,  when it was built, after 127, 128, 129 built as a block, this was  added to it. They've tried to very sympathetically   join it to the other bit, but there  are and particularly the shopfront  doesn't feel quite right compared with the other  shopfronts, and that's a clue I'm pretty certain   that it's a later addition to that block. Overall in appearance  the building has changed very little. So here we're looking   south down High Street. The new Devereux's  building is plainly visible there.   CREDIT: Ivan Bunn from transcript - Poetry People - High Street Histories