6, 7 And 7A (Nash House), New Street

WORCESTER

SO8554NW NEW STREET 620-1/17/448 (East side) 22/05/54 Nos.6, 7 AND 7A Nash House (No.7 and 7A)

GV II*

House. 1605 for the Nash family with later additions and alterations including those c1674 and C20 restorations. Timber frame with plain tile roof; 3 diamond brick stacks to rear. Close studded with jetties to each storey; panels of square framing to rear. EXTERIOR: 4 storeys, 3 bays with 3 gables to street. Ground floor has renewed doors at right and left, a board and a glazed door; 4 chamfered posts with renewed jowels and 5 column-cluster stanchions. Bressumer beams with double-ovolo moulding (renewed in parts). Each jetty on corbel brackets. Mainly renewed casement windows but retaining 4 small 2-light windows to first and second floors with ovolo-moulded mullions. INTERIOR: chamfered spine beams ogee stops to ground floor, arch braces to ground floor. Upper stages retain square panels of timber framing. Roof has butted and trenched purlins with splayed scarf joints, slightly joggled and bridled. HISTORICAL NOTE: the house was in the process of being built when Richard Nash died in 1605. He left it to his son, John Nash (later alderman and noted Worcester benefactor), he lived at Nos 5 and 6 (qv) but left Nash House to his to his kinsman, Richard Nash of Droitwich. Richard moved into the house in 1674 and made alterations, adding 2 new chimneys and coach access. He also probably gave the house its name. John Hughes, Alderman, purchased the house in 1689. Nash House and Greyfriars (qv) both have a frieze of scrollwork dragons and sheaf-like motif. (Molyneux N, Hughes P, Price P: Vernacular Architecture Group Spring Conference Programme: 1995-: 2.8; Hughes P: Buildings and the Building Trade in Worcester 1540-1650: PhD thesis: 1990-: 164, 184, 440).