22, Friar Street

No. 22 Friar Street is a house that has been converted into a shop. It was built around 1726 for Francis Walker, who was once the Mayor of Worcester. The building has undergone several additions and alterations, including a rear range added in the late 18th or early 19th century and restorations along with a shop front added around 1980-1990.

The exterior features pinkish-brown brick laid in Flemish bond, with ashlar keystones and copings, topped by a plain tile roof. The building has a double depth plan with rear ranges and stands three storeys tall with an attic. The first floor has three windows, each fitted with six/six flush frame sashes. The central window on the second floor is blind, and all windows have flat arches made of gauged brick with keystones. The ground floor includes a part-glazed entrance on the left and a Victorian-style glazed shop front. A gabled attic roof dormer is hidden behind a low, coped parapet. The rear range displays exposed timber framing on the gable end.

The interior of the ground floor has been gutted, and no further inspection has taken place.

Historically, Friar Street began as a rear access lane for buildings on the High Street until the Franciscan Friary was established in 1235. The first Friary buildings were located between Nos 11-25. The southern end of the street was developed first, with plots dating back to the mid-14th century, while the northern end has plots from the early 15th century. Many of the houses that still exist today were built after the Reformation, following the suppression of the Friary in 1539, when the Crown sold its property to the Corporation of Worcester, leading to the demolition of much of it for building materials. Construction continued throughout the 17th century, and the 18th century saw the replacement of several older buildings. The street was primarily home to tradesmen, including weavers, clothiers, brewers, and innkeepers.