57, Sidbury

No. 57 Sidbury is a house, or possibly two houses, that has been converted into a café. It dates back to around 1500, with later additions and alterations, including a mid-19th century shop front. The building is timber-framed with a whitewashed brick facade and a renewed plain tile roof, featuring a central brick chimney stack.

The structure has two integral ranges, both facing the street gable end, and is one and a half bays in length, with another range located immediately behind and parallel to the street. The exterior is two storeys high and has three bays. The end posts are concealed on the ground floor, with a central post visible at the first floor. The first floor features two casement windows set in near-flush frames. The two gables display exposed collar and tie beams with close studding, an exposed tier of clasped purlins, and original barge boards adorned with carved quatrefoils. There is a jetty bracket on the left side.

On the ground floor, the shop front includes end pilasters and a continuous moulded cornice, with plate glass windows that have multi-pane overlights and chamfered mullions above a panelled apron on the right, while the left side has a replaced apron. The entrance on the right is a plank door with a similar pilaster. The off-centre left shop entrance is canted and features double part-glazed doors with a blind overlight. There is an additional entrance to the right that leads to a passageway, which has a plank door with an end pilaster. The range at the rear shows exposed timber-framing on its back wall.

Inside, there is a transverse beam on the ground floor, and additional exposed beams and rafters that may have been added later. It is said that the first floor has timber-framing as well, and the side passage is noted for its exposed timber framing.

Historically, the first known tenant was likely Richard Walker in 1544. The property belonged to John Chetle during the 17th century, although he did not inhabit it. No. 57 is part of a group that includes Nos. 57-69 Sidbury.