The Merchants House

The Merchants House is a house and commercial premises built mainly in the late 17th century. It was extended in the early 18th century by the addition of a new office or counting-house at the rear, and again in the early 19th century when the commercial premises were further enlarged.

The main house is constructed of narrow yellow brick with red brick headers and thick mortar courses, though there have been some repairs and alterations over time. The general design of yellow brick stretchers and red brick headers remains largely intact. The rear wall is partly of yellow brick with red brick diaper patterning and partly of clunch. The roof is plain tiled with a steeply pitched pitch, featuring a wood modillion eaves cornice to the front and fine ogee-shaped end parapets on kneelers with original unmoulded cornice brickwork. The gable end to the road bears the initials WPA in wrought iron and a date stone reading 1700, which, though possibly not contemporary with the original construction, is probably close to the actual date. Ridge and end stacks remain, the one to the left hand gable end retaining red brick quoins and typical late 17th century projecting capping, while the one to the right hand gable end is more heavily restored.

The original plan consisted of a single range of four rooms including an office at the road end. The building is two storeys with attics, separated by a band. At first floor level there are five irregularly placed windows, including three early 19th century flush frame hung sashes of twelve panes each which retain the original late 17th century header arches of alternating yellow and red brick. The other two first floor windows are also hung sashes but date to the early 18th century and are contemporary with the earlier addition. At ground floor there are four late 17th century window openings fitted with early 19th century hung sashes of twelve panes each, together with two later window openings now blocked. The off-centre doorway opens to the low end of the hall and features an early 19th century doorcase with Doric pilasters, plain frieze, small key pattern and flat hood. The door itself is half-glazed with two lower raised and fielded panels. The gable end to the road features six small blind openings in arched heads, with the lower windows having always been blind, though later brickwork in the upper windows possibly suggests they may have been glazed at some point.

The early 18th century office or counting-house added at the rear is constructed of narrow gault brick with red brick quoins and dressings to windows. It has a steeply pitched plain tiled roof with end parapets on kneelers and originally consisted of a counting-house on the ground floor with one room above, with cellaring beneath. The gable end to the road has three original hung sashes in segmental arches. This office or counting-house was extended again in the early 19th century, probably during the ownership of Thomas Bowyer. This extension is of gault brick with a roof of two parallel linked ranges, plain tiled, and comprises one room on the ground floor, now a kitchen, and a room above. Two storeys are evident. A shaped lintel with a flat hood on shaped brackets serves the door, together with two windows which may have been inserted when the room ceased to be used as a counting-house.

The interior of the original range was much altered in the late 18th or early 19th century, but 17th century stop-chamfered main beams survive in one room. The commercial part of the house consists of the early 18th century office divided from the early 19th century counting-house by a passage. The office retains the original three safes flanking a fireplace of clunch, with original shutters also surviving. The passageway features 19th century panelling and partition walls.

The house is associated with the building of a new cut from Swaffham Lode to Commercial End and the development of this part of the village as a port. In the early 19th century the house and port were owned by Thomas Bowyer, who built many of the houses and cottages in Commercial End for his employees.