54, High Street

This is a timber-framed, two-storey house located on Bromyard’s High Street. It likely originated in the 16th or 17th century and was significantly remodelled in the 18th century. The building’s core structure is timber-framed and was refronted with rendered brick, with brick chimney stacks and a slate roof. It is orientated north-west to south-east, parallel with the High Street, and comprises two bays, one room deep. It is likely that the building was originally a single unit with the neighboring property at number 52, which is also listed at Grade II.

The front facade is rendered with a cornice at first-floor level and features four identical hornless sash windows with eight panes to each. These windows are flush with the facade, with a vertical alignment on the left side, while the ground-floor window and door are arranged irregularly beneath the upper window on the right. The rear of the building reveals exposed timber framing and varied infill, with half of the rear elevation obscured by an extension from the adjacent building.

According to a 2009 Historic Buildings Research report, the interior contains a jetty plate and large chamfered beams running from front to back on both the ground and first floors, one of which features a double-bar scroll stop.

Bromyard is a small market town first recorded around 840. Number 54 High Street is positioned on a key thoroughfare, originally called Novus Vicus in the late 13th century and later recorded as Newe Streate in 1575. This street was fully built up by the early 17th century, although some plots have since been redeveloped. Number 54 likely dates from the 16th or 17th century, based on the style of the timber frame and roof. It appears to have been originally built as a single unit with number 52, later subdivided.

The building is designated at Grade II for its architectural merits as a well-preserved, pleasant urban building with notable features, including the double-bar scroll stop. Its early date, substantial historic fabric, and largely intact 18th-century facade contribute to its significance. The building also holds group value with adjacent listed buildings along the High Street.