le , ▁North ▁Dev on , ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 3 ▁as ▁a ▁meeting ▁place ▁for ▁the ▁town ' s ▁mer ch ants . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁designed ▁by ▁the ▁architect ▁William ▁Tal man , ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁its ▁similarity ▁to ▁his ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁Hall ▁in ▁D ray ton , ▁North am pt ons hire . ▁It ▁was ▁promoted ▁and ▁fin anced ▁by ▁the ▁th ir teen ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Corporation ▁of ▁Bar n st ap le ▁whose ▁arm orial s ▁are ▁sculpt ed ▁on ▁and ▁above ▁the ▁par ap et , ▁and ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁over seen ▁by ▁Robert ▁Inc led on ▁( 1 6 7 6 - 1 7 5 8 ), ▁Mayor ▁of ▁Bar n st ap le ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 2 - 1 3 . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁owned ▁for ▁many ▁dec ades ▁by ▁North ▁Dev on ▁District ▁Council , ▁which ▁currently ▁( 2 0 1 4 ) ▁le ases ▁it ▁to ▁Bar n st ap le ▁Town ▁Council , ▁and ▁now ▁tr ades ▁as ▁The ▁Ca fe ▁on ▁the ▁Str and . ▁ ▁Location ▁& ▁function ▁The ▁building ▁is ▁situated ▁at ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁Cross ▁Street ▁on ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁T aw , ▁and ▁looked ▁onto ▁Bar n st ap le ▁Qu ay , ▁(" New ▁Qu ay " ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ), ▁( now ▁filled ▁in ) ▁at ▁which ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁sea - tra de ▁of ▁the ▁formerly ▁important ▁