9, White Friars

Two townhouses, later combined into a single building and now used as offices, dating from around 1720. The cellars likely have origins in the late medieval period. The front of the building is constructed of brown brick in a Flemish bond pattern, with a grey slate hipped roof. The building is three storeys high with a four-window front. It features painted stone sills and cambered brick window heads. The first floor has a boot-scraper recess, two replaced two-pane horned sash windows, one flush sash window from which the glazing bars have been removed, and a front door consisting of six fielded panels set within a panelled architrave with an eared architrave and shaped cornice. The second floor has two flush sash windows with glazing bars removed, and two replaced recessed horned sash windows. The third floor has four flush sash windows with glazing bars removed, the two eastern windows set lower than the others. Lead rainwater heads are present; one is inscribed “JJ 1720” and the other “FWM 1725.” Some upper brickwork on the east side has been rebuilt. There is a painted stone cornice, and a chimney has been removed. The rear of the building has been extended.

The interior cellars have recently been plastered and appear to have partly stone walls, with concreted floors. A stop-chamfered oak beam is visible, along with a sandstone staircase with winders. The front room on the east side of the first floor is oak-panelled with a dado rail, a row of fielded panels below, and a row above. It also includes a panelled overmantel and a cornice. The west front room features a painted timber Roman Doric column, likely part of a former pair, and a panelled ceiling with painted bar-and-ogee-stopped chamfered beams. A thick central wall indicates it was formerly a party wall. The rear rooms have no notable features. Two staircases are present; the one formerly serving the east house is simpler than the west staircase. The dogleg east stair has square newels, a closed string, covered steps, alternately column-on-vase and barleysugar balusters. The dogleg west stair has an open string, shaped brackets, covered steps, three column-on-vase balusters per step (one spirally-moulded), a curtail, wreathed, and swept rail, and fluted pilasters to a panelled dado. The front room on the second storey has a bar-and-ogee-stopped chamfered cross-beam.