The Old House

The Old House is a town house, likely dating from the late medieval period with a 14th-century cellar. It was refurbished in 1658 and again in the 1980s. The construction is a mix of sandstone, timber framing with plaster panels, and brown brick, with a grey slate roof featuring two front gables, an east gable, and a rear gable.

The exterior features a squared sandstone plinth, partly rendered. The first storey retains some repaired small framing with one intermediate rail. The front door is a renewed 6-panel door with a leaded overlight, flanked by renewed 3-light leaded casements projecting from the wall on shaped brackets. The second storey is boldly jettied on three shaped brackets, the central one featuring dentils and strapwork and bearing the inscription “M:R:I”. A row of 14 narrow panels, the eastern eight decorated with heraldic devices, is set below a continuous mullioned and transomed casement of 14 leaded lights with dentils to the sill, principal mullions, and top rail. The front gables have been renewed, with the east gable retaining curlicue pargeting and dated 1658, and the west gable dated 1987. Two 17th-century drop finials and replaced apex finials are also present. The east side has a sole-plate on a sandstone plinth, one intermediate rail to the first storey, a cambered second-storey floor-beam, large storey-height panels, a slightly jettied tie-beam, and an end-gable with a simple queen-post truss. A restored rear wing from the late 20th century has a full-width rear gable with a floorband and replaced sash windows.

The cellar contains sandstone steps with winders, squared sandstone rubble walls, some flat oak joists, and a blocked former opening to the street. On the first storey, a replaced flag floor is present alongside exposed wall-framing, two cross-beams with chamfers stopped at the east end, oak joists, and a brick corner fireplace in the southeast corner. The kitchen features two chamfered beams and replaced joists. The oak newel staircase has top winders and shaped splat balusters to the landing. The east bedroom contains a Tudor-arched stone fireplace with heraldic carving on the overmantel and large timbers in the east wall, with smaller timbers on the south wall. Evidence of a jowled corner-post and windbrace are visible in the framing of the west bedroom.