No. 47 Friargate And Attached Buildings In Rear Courtyard

No. 47 Friargate is a house that has been converted into a shop, with attached former dwellings located in the rear courtyard. The front range of the building is dated 1755 on the rainwater head, although it has been rebuilt. The courtyard buildings date from the early 19th century and have been altered; they are currently derelict. The front of the building is made of modern common brick in stretcher bond, with sandstone dressings and a slate roof, while the rear is constructed of red brick in English garden wall bond, mostly painted, and also has slate roofs.

The structure features a double-depth front range with a narrow passage and a courtyard to the right, along with a rear wing and a pair of single-depth cottages along the south side of the courtyard. All parts of the building are two storeys high, although the rear cottages are quite low. The front includes a 19th-century shop-front surround and the rainwater head, which has a moulded base and cornice, along with a waisted hopper that bears the raised lettering "IHM /1755".

The long narrow through-passage beside the rear wing continues as a tunnel under the rear range, representing a rare survival of early 19th-century cellular development that once dominated the main streets of the town. The cottages, which are the only known surviving example of this type, feature a one-up-one-down layout, with a segmental-headed doorway to the right, a square segmental-headed window to the left, and a small square window above. The right-hand window leads to a very small partly-sunk kitchen-living room at ground floor level. This building is included as a good example of early 19th-century housing.