Old House (no. 29 West Street), 31 West Street and nos. 7-9 High Street, Wivenhoe

This is a 16th-century house, known as Old House (no. 29 West Street), that was re-fronted and partly encased in the 19th century, incorporating nos. 31 West Street and nos. 7-9 High Street. The building has an ‘L’ shaped plan.

The house is timber-framed, with some areas rendered and others where the framework is exposed. The elevations of nos. 31 West Street and nos. 7 to 9 High Street are faced with orange-red brick, with patches of darker red brick and polychrome brick detailing. The roofs are covered in peg tiles.

The principal elevation facing nos. 7 to 9 High Street has a parapet, slightly angled at the south end. Number 7 has had much of its facade rebuilt in brick. The ground floor has timber entrance doors with pointed-arch heads, one to the north and one to the south, with partly-glazed panels. Between the doors are two wide windows with pointed arches and ‘Y’ shaped glazing bars. The first floor has three pairs of pointed arch windows. The window heads on no. 9 are made of orange-red brick, with gault brick details in the centre of the ground-floor openings. The openings on no. 7 have alternating dark red and gault brick details. Two string courses run along the first floor and near the parapet, and there are two blocked openings above the first floor.

The south elevation of nos. 7 and 9 High Street and no. 31 West Street features two pairs of 2 over 2 sash windows on both the ground and first floors. The ground-floor windows are set beneath segmental brick arches of blue and red brick with central voussoirs. An off-centre door opening leads into no. 31 West Street, and there are two small dormers in the roof.

The west elevation of Old House (no. 29 West Street) shows the original timber framing, including close studding, parts of two arched braces, a midrail, and wall posts. Additions have been made to the west and north of the original structure. The interior was not inspected, but elements of an exposed floor frame are visible on the ground floor of nos. 7 to 9 High Street.