53 And 55, Willow Street

Nos. 53 and 55 on Willow Street is a house that has been divided into two shops, with the right-hand part now used as domestic accommodation. It dates from the early 19th century and has seen later additions and alterations. The building is constructed of red brick and features a slate roof with a central ridge stack. It stands three storeys tall and has a two-window front with glazing bar sashes that have gauged heads, with 16 panes on the first floor. There is a late 20th-century shop front to the left and a late 20th-century sash window and door to the right. At the rear, there is a full-height hip-roofed projection that is set at right angles to the main structure. Notably, No. 55 was the birthplace of the composer Sir Henry Walford Davies, who was Master of the King's Music from 1939 to 1941, and a plaque commemorates this.