Old Guildhall

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 21/09/2012

SJ 7418 NE 2/7 5362 28.4.52

NEWPORT HIGH STREET (West Side) Nos 1 and 3 (Old Guildhall)

II*

Possible Guildhall, later in domestic use, now a shop pair (July 1986). Circa 1400, extended to the north in the later C16, with gable added to the north end of the street front sometime in the C19. Exposed timber-framing with painted brick infilling; framing with close-studding and wind-braces. Plain tiled roof with end stack and ridge stack to right of centre on lateral ridge. C19 ornamental bargeboards on left crosswing gable. 2 storeys; irregular fenestration of 4 windows on first floor, the outer ones in small square gabled oriel-bays, the inner pair glazing bar sashes. Central C19 bay on ground floor, canted with glazing bars; shopfronts on ground floor of crosswings, both with central entrances. Doorway to right of central ground-floor bay. Bressumer over ground floor of central recess carved with guilloche and other decoration, and 'PW' and 'William 1615 Grecari' (probably not related to any building date). Interior: the crosswing to the left contains evidence that it was built as an open-hall, gable-end to the street. It originally consisted of four bays, the two end bays floored and the two central bays open to the roof. Central truss shows evidence of cusped arch-braces. Two rows of purlins to roof, one close to the apex of the roof, the purlins and principal rafters chamfered and stopped. Cusped and pierced windbraces between rows of purlins. This building is listed II* for its rarity as an example of a former open hall with cusped arch-braced and wind-braced roof, especially considering its easterly position.

Listing NGR: SJ7460518892