17 and 19 Watergate

Two houses, originally dating to the late 16th or early 17th century, were remodelled in the mid to late 19th century and are now used as shops. The houses have a timber frame on a brick plinth, with brick and plastered infill, the front being rendered and painted to imitate timber framing. They have a slate and plain tile roof.

The timber framing consists of square panels, four from the sole plate to the wall plate, arranged in three bays. The houses are two storeys high. There is a brick ridge stack slightly to the left and an integral brick end stack to the right. The front has three windows; the first floor windows are mid to late 19th century two- and three-light wooden casements. There are two 19th-century shop fronts: the right-hand one features a plate-glass window, a half-glazed door to the left, a pilastered surround, and a fascia; the left-hand one has two plate-glass windows, a half-glazed panelled door to the left, and a pilastered surround with a fascia. A carriageway is on the left with a pair of boarded doors. A lean-to addition extends from the rear.

The interior was only partly inspected. Ground floor rooms feature chamfered beams with ogee stops and an open fireplace on the right with a chamfered, ogee-stopped lintel. First floor rooms also have chamfered beams. A 17th-century panelled door at the top of the stairs has H-hinges. The roof has collar and tie-beam trusses and pairs of purlins. It’s believed that the first floor contains 17th-century panelling beneath later wall coverings, although this wasn't verified during the survey in November 1986. Group value stemming from its architectural significance.