23, Mealcheapen Street

23 Mealcheapen Street is a shop and house from the early 19th century, likely with earlier origins and later modifications, including a ground-floor shop front added around the 1970s or 1980s. It was built for William Thompson, a grocer.

The building has three storeys and features two first-floor windows. It is constructed of reddish-brown brick in Flemish bond, with rubbed red brick flat arches. The roof is hipped and covered with plain tiles, and there is a partly rebuilt tall stack on the right side with an oversailing course. The exterior includes cast-iron balconettes and a timber cornice. The first floor has plate-glass windows, while the second floor features 3/6 flush sashes and balconettes with two levels of rails. All windows have flat arches made of gauged brick, and the first-floor sills have been renewed. A modillion cornice crowns the building. The ground floor has a plate-glass shop front that extends across No. 22, which is not included in this listing.

Inside, the ground floor does not retain any evidence of the original layout, as a lowered ceiling obscures any original plasterwork. However, it is noted that the upper part of a Regency staircase remains.

Historically, Mealcheapen Street thrived particularly in the 16th and early 17th centuries, mainly as a retail area. Its prosperity was largely due to its proximity to the Cornmarket, which led to the establishment of several large inns. All the listed buildings in Mealcheapen Street are part of a group with those in Cornmarket and the Church of St Swithun on Church Street.