Numbers 54 And 56 Street

Numbers 54 and 56 on Watergate Street are a historic undercroft and town house, currently functioning as a shop and two vacant flats as of October 1991. The building likely dates back to around 1300 but was refronted and largely rebuilt around 1840, with the third and fourth storey rooms relined in the late 20th century. It features some sandstone, Flemish bond brown brick, and a slate roof with a brick parapet.

The exterior has four storeys. The rendered front of the undercroft includes a plinth, a glazed door with a large pane above two smaller panels, a plain shop window, a small window, and a tall round-arched porch next to the east party wall. This porch contains eleven steps leading to the former Row level, with a door made of six fielded panels beneath an ornate overlight featuring a roundel and six oval panes flanked by four curved daggers. The sashes are recessed, with one on the Row storey, two on the third storey with 16 panes each, and two on the fourth storey with configurations of eight panes and four panes. A painted stone sillband is present on the third storey, while the other sashes have painted stone sills, all with wedge lintels. The lowest storey of the rear gable end has had all openings removed; the middle storey features two recessed 16-pane sashes with painted sills and gauged brick heads, and the top storey has two 8/4 pane sashes with cambered heads.

Inside, the east wall of the undercroft is made of coursed sandstone from around 1300 and has damaged corbelled stone steps that formerly led to Row level, now located within a cupboard. There are two flat oak beams, and the stair hall features basket arches. The stairwell includes two rounded niches and a domed lantern made of iron. The dogleg open-string stair has brackets, reeded stick balusters, winders, and a swept handrail with a wreath at the base.