53 And 55, Northgate

Nos 53 and 55 Northgate are two shops with living accommodation above, dating from the late 15th century, with alterations in 1596, the early 18th century, and early 19th century, and further changes around 1930. The buildings are constructed with a timber frame, red brick, rock-faced ashlar, and render, topped with slate and concrete tile roofs. They feature two brick stacks and have five bays across three storeys.

The east front displays two 20th-century shop fronts, with a recessed central door to the left and side doors to the right. Above the shop fronts is a section of 20th-century rock-faced ashlar, which has three 20th-century casement windows. Higher up, there are five openings, two of which are blind, while the three to the right have 20th-century casements.

On the south front, accessed through an archway to Gill's yard, there is a notable early 18th-century door surround with a cabled frieze and a fine six-panel door. The rear front, facing Gill's yard, is two storeys high and rendered, featuring a central doorway with double plank doors and a 20th-century window to the left, along with two 20th-century casements above.

Inside No 53, some late 15th-century timber framing remains, including a chamfered spine beam and joists with original painted chevron decoration. The ground floor retains remnants of a moulded stone fireplace, with a complete fireplace above. The upper floor features an oak panelled frieze and an elaborate Elizabethan plaster ceiling, along with a contemporary frieze, a single close-studded wall, and most of its original roof, including two king post trusses. No 55 contains remnants of a 16th-century ceiling with deeply moulded cross beams, situated behind an early 19th-century staircase and a contemporary fireplace.