129 AND 129A, HIGH STREET

This is a house, now used as a ground-floor restaurant and shop, dating to the early 18th century, with later 19th and 20th century alterations. It has a brick facade over an earlier timber-frame structure, and a 20th-century flat-tiled roof. The original plan was likely L-shaped, with an 18th-century infill section and 19th and 20th-century additions to the rear.

The front, or south, elevation has had its ground floor completely replaced with a 20th-century shop and restaurant. The first floor is of red brick, with five bays and giant end pilasters featuring dark burnt brick centres and moulded capitals, topped with stone. A dentil cornice and parapet run along the top. The irregular spacing of the windows reflects the underlying timber framing, and they are segment-headed with rubbed red brick voussoirs. These are 19th-century sash windows with horns, though they lack glazing bars. The east-facing gable end shows phases of brickwork, with a pilaster skewed towards the street. Later brickwork matches this skew, suggesting underlying timber framing now clad primarily in 19th-century brick. A 19th-century French window is present on the first floor, with flush reeded panels, upper glazing divided into 1x3 panes, and a boarded fanlight, all within a beaded architrave. Segment-headed sash windows with glazing bars are also found on this elevation. The ground floor has 20th-century fixed and casement windows. An attic gable features a 20th-century two-light casement.

The rear, or north, elevation includes the gable end of the original street range and an extension to the north. A stack is centrally positioned on the east side, and a smaller stack is on the west side. A 20th-century three-light casement window is placed in the front of the cross-wing. There are three two-storey 19th-century extensions with hipped roofs, covered with 20th-century tiles. One includes a 19th-century sash window with a beaded frame and 5x4 panes of glazing. Ground floor extensions are rendered brick with 20th-century casement windows. A narrow alleyway separates two of the extensions, leading to a 20th-century rear door with four recessed panels and a louvred casement window above.

Inside, at the rear, a complete early 18th-century staircase is found in an extension to the original house. This includes a shaped handrail, turned balusters, square newel posts with pyramidal caps.