43-49, ST JOHNS

This is a timber-frame building, dating from circa 1475 to 1525, with later additions and alterations. It is located on the south-east side of St John’s in Worcester and is now used as shops. The building was extensively repaired and reinstated between 1977 and 1987, based on a survey undertaken around 1973 by F.W.B. Charles. It is constructed with a timber frame and rendered infill, with a plain clay tile roof. The rectangular plan is three bays wide, with the main axis parallel to the street. It is two storeys high in part. A central full-height window is present, along with two ground-floor windows. The framing on the left side is two panels high, featuring close-studding with large square panels above. The framing to the right is four panels high, comprised of smaller square panels. The renewed windows have mullions with a diamond cross-section and fixed glazing. Wide planked doors, each with a cambered head, are located on the left and extreme right.

The interior contains a wall painting, believed to be from the 16th century, on the upper floor. This depicts a bird (identified as a crane) along with foliage and fruit, rendered in black, red, and yellow pigments.

Historically, the building was initially described in 1954 as “probably C17 stucco.” Planning permission for demolition was granted in 1973, but was subsequently overturned on appeal following the discovery of the building’s true age and construction. It was determined that repairing and reinstating a cross wing was not practicable. F.W.B. Charles’s correspondence from December 1974 described the building as originally consisting of a two-bay hall, open from ground floor to roof, and a two-storey, jettied, and gabled solar cross-wing. The cross-wing, located on the right-hand side as one faces the building, is now more complete at the back than the front; the front bay’s original roof has been replaced and the jetty is gone. The original entrance to the hall, originally leading to a screens passage, is still marked by a door on the extreme left. Around 1600, a floor and enclosed fireplace were inserted, converting the hall into a two-storey structure with limited headroom. A service cross-wing may have existed on the opposite side of the passage, although this remains unexplored. The building’s preservation was deemed vital, as it is considered the only surviving medieval hall in Worcester, excluding the Commandery.