Two elements would have been essential for the success of the development – access to the Prior Park Carriage way and an adequate supply of fresh water. The existence of springs in the hillside above the plots it meant that the houses would potentially have access to fresh water. In order to ensure access to the road Harris secured the right of access at the same time that he bought the plots of land. The next stage would have been to draw up plans and undertake preparatory work such as the canalisation of the stream, the construction of the Lane behind the buildings and making provision for the supply of water and sewerage. It was then necessary to find partners who would take on the responsibility for the construction of the houses and share in the financial risk. The Canalisation of the stream would have needed the agreement of the owner of the Mill in Widcombe who owned the rights to the water in the stream.
Most of the houses were built by groups of people who partnered together in order to build 2 or 3 houses. Generally adjoining but sometimes not. Some houses were the responsibility of only one person. However the common factor was that all the people involved were from the building trade.
Given the spread of trades it seems plausible that tradesmen would have worked on each others houses. The supply of suitable stone and the availability of competent masons would have been essential for the success of the project. So it is interesting that one of the masons was also a foreman that the local stone quarry.
Early on in the construction of Buildings, a substantial retaining had to be built along the rear of the houses. A water pipe was then laid behind this wall to provide water
It is most likely that the cottages were started from the top (No11) and built downwards finishing above the stream (what is now No 3 but then No 1). The cottages below the stream (Nos 1 &2) were constructed later. The Buildings would have been built in sequence from No 1 to No 19. However at the time the names and numbering were different from what they are now. The Buildings were called Prior Park Row and the Cottages were called Prior Park Buildings. Also the Buildings ran from No 2 to No19. It was not until about 1830 that the naming and numbering were changed to what they are now.
The shells of the houses would have needed to have been built as quickly as possible as they would have to have been built in sequence. Although the fitting out and completion would have taken longer and not necessarily in sequence.
It is possible that some of the houses were sold before completion as the developers would have been keen to recover their costs as soon as possible. By 1822 it seems that some of the houses had been sold.
It wasn’t until about 1823/24 that the builders reached the end of the buildings (No 19). In 1828 the trustees of William Gould advertised for sale two houses in the Buildings – Nos 3 and 13. No 13 was advertised as “unfinished”
When the houses were build there was no pavement along the front houses. In about 1870 the Council forced the house owners to pay for the laying of paving slabs which at the time would have been natural stone.
In about 1970 the council signed agreements with all the residents of the Buildings to maintain the stream and the bank opposite under the 1901 “Open Spaces Act”. One of the first acts of maintenance undertaken by the council was the removal of all the natural stone paving slabs and their replacement by concrete slabs, and the removal of the railing around the bank. It is understood that the paving slabs were used to repair the pavement in George Street.
A survey of the deeds shows that the following people were involved with the construction of the houses:-
Soloman Manley – Tailor
Thomas Briscoe –Hatter and undertaker
James Pearce – Carpenter
William Hoare – Plumber
James May- Plumber
Abel Vivian – Brightsmith
Courtney Babbage – Builder and Carpenter
William Cripps – Mason
William Gould – Mason
John Brown – Carpenter
William Terry – Ironmonger
John Terry – Ironmonger
Thomas Greenway – Tiler and Plasterer
John Pittard – Builder
Edmund Miller – Carpenter
John Burgess – Quarryman