23 25, Market Place

Nos 23 and 25 on the north side of Market Place date from around 1634 and are three storeys tall. The building has been altered and restored at various times. The timber framing is exposed on the two upper floors, with much of the original work remaining, especially on the west elevation facing New Street. The second storey is jettied, and the projecting joists have moulded ends. There are four alternating large and small gable heads featuring chevron and geometrical framing. The first storey displays alternating bays of chevron and close square framing, and it is also jettied like the second floor. The ground floor has fairly satisfactory plate glass shopfronts, one 19th-century pair of Gothic windows and a door, while the rest is finished in stucco. The west elevation is similar but features one large and two small gable heads, with a greater proportion of original timber framing. On the corner of New Street, there are three crudely carved heads of considerable interest. The upper floors have 18th-century sashes in cased frames. The roof has been restored with a mix of old and machine tiles. Inside, there is a plaster overmantel featuring the royal arms of Charles I and the date, possibly 1634.