20, Mealcheapen Street

No. 20 Mealcheapen Street is likely a former shop and house built around 1500 to 1550, with later additions and alterations. It was encased in red brick in the early 18th century for William Cave and underwent restorations in the 1970s by FWB Charles, which included a new shop front. The building features a timber frame with a red brick casing, a rubbed brick arch, and a plain tile roof.

The structure has a two-bay frame with a gable end facing the street. It stands two storeys tall, with one window on the first floor. The first floor has a casement window with a flat arch, while the ground floor features a plate-glass shop front and a glazed entrance to the left.

Inside, there is no remaining evidence of the original ground floor layout or fittings. However, it shows extensive evidence of a 16th-century frame and a clasped purlin roof with curved windbraces, as noted by Hughes.

Historically, this plot was part of the Whiteladies' estate. Mealcheapen Street thrived particularly in the 16th and early 17th centuries, primarily as a retail area. Hughes notes that its proximity to the Cornmarket contributed significantly to the street's prosperity and the establishment of several large inns.

All the listed buildings in Mealcheapen Street form a group with those in Cornmarket and the Church of St Swithun on Church Street.