No. 95 High Street

No. 95 High Street

A mid-15th century building with a 18th century front and an adapted 17th century rear range, constructed of red brick with an oak timber frame.

The building comprises a two-bay main range, roughly square in plan and slightly narrower at its east end, with a later single-depth brick range to the rear. It faces west onto High Street.

The façade is rendered in 20th century cement with a storey band. A modern shop front occupies the left side of the ground floor with a shop door, while a raised doorway to the right leads to a passageway and rear of the building. The first floor has two 20th century windows. The passageway is lined with brick, contains timber beams, and has sealed openings. The north gable end is steeply pitched with exposed timber framing, while the south gable end, rising above the parapet of the adjacent bank building, is tile hung. The rear range is two storeys and adjoins the bank building through a 20th century brick structure. Its south-facing elevation, facing the passageway from the main range, is timber-framed with brick panels, 20th century windows, concrete lintels, and patches of replacement brick. The north elevation is rendered and conceals a timber frame with brick panels and a jowled post. The east gable end is a mid-20th century brick rebuild, attached to a late-20th century single-storey brick range. The roofs are covered in 20th century clay tile.

The ground floor is a modern takeaway restaurant with rear facilities. The first floor is accessed from the neighbouring bank building. A modern stair leads to a first-floor corridor running north to south along the later range, from which two rooms are accessed. Two substantial tie beams, part of the roof trusses above, stand below ceiling height. The corridor leads north into the main range, which contains two rooms and cupboard spaces. The larger northern room has a central unstopped cross beam set in a brick chimneybreast with a sealed fireplace, its south end resting on timber attached to the roof structure. The smaller southern room is a kitchen with partitioned storage containing timber structure, probably a wall plate, at its east end. The floors are uneven. A hatchway from the kitchen leads to the attic roof space.

The attic is divided into two areas by a central truss infilled with plaster, fitted with a timber braced door with iron strap hinges and fittings. The roof structure comprises two close-studded gable trusses and a central open arch-braced truss with collar. The south truss has eight struts and wattle and daub infill between the tie beam and collar, with one of two V-struts remaining above, and diminished principals. The central truss is supported by extended jowls with ogee mouldings continuing across the deep arch braces below the collar, with V-struts above the collar. The side purlins pass across the junction of the arch-brace and collar, with the principal rafter above. The north truss has diminished principals, V-struts, and close studding with plaster infill, though this is incomplete. The west purlin has been reset, possibly dating from the cement rendering of the front and the insertion of two dormer windows in the west roof slope, which have been sealed. A brick chimneystack has been inserted at the north end. The chamfered and stopped purlins are clasped between the collars and trusses, with four intact cusped wind braces on the rear roof pitch. Many common rafters are early. The roof apex is supported by a ridge beam reworked with a pegged joint north of the central truss. The floors are timber boarded. The roof of the rear range has substantial modified principals with portions of a clasped purlin arrangement, 20th century secondary timbers, and an inserted brick stack. The base of the arch brace to the central truss is visible in a void beside the stack, showing intact moulding and diamond stop, attached to a chamfered wall post resting on a brick wall.