27, Head Street

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 1 February 2023 to update the name and address and reformat the text to current standards

TL9925SW 584/4/10029

COLCHESTER HEAD STREET No 27

(Formerly listed as Navy and Army Stores, HEAD STREET)

II House. Early C15. Timber framed, faced in brick mid C18. Gault brick parallel range added to front early C19; plaintiled roofs. Converted to public house (the Alexandra) late C19 and to shop mid C20.

EXTERIOR: east facade of three storeys; two window range. Early C20 double-fronted display windows, with recessed doorway left of centre. Curved glass to display windows. Tiled plinth and side panels. Plain fascia board and canopy box. Half-glazed entrance door. Late C20 six-panelled door to passageway to right of elevation. Two 6/6 unhorned sashes each floor above, with painted stucco surrounds. Paired soffit brackets to eaves. No stacks. Rear of C15 building is two storeys; three window range. Passageway to left, below a four-paned single-light casement to first floor. One two-light C20 casement to centre of first floor and one 3/3 unhorned sash to right. Cross wing to south with one 12/12 horizontally sliding sash at first floor.

INTERIOR: remains of panelled public house counter in east ground-floor room, with quadrant panelling above. Remainder of ground floor opened into single retail area. One chamfered C17 bridging beam. Stick-baluster staircase with oval handrail and rectangular newels. Upper rooms of both ranges without ornament or fittings. Smoke-blackened roof of rear range: one square section crown post with straight braces to crown purlin (one brace missing), and one further post at north and south ends. Common rafters and trenched collars.

Listing NGR: TL9938825101