Number 53 And Attached Walls

NUMBER 53 AND ATTACHED WALLS, SAFFRON WALDEN

A former house, now converted to offices and surgery, dating from the early 19th century. The building is substantially constructed of stuccoed brickwork with areas of red and gault brick, beneath slate roofs. It comprises a three-storey main block with cellars and two-storey ancillary structures, arranged as a major central house with lower wings to the south and north. The north wing has an additional square block to the rear.

The front elevation facing the High Street is notably refined. The second floor features five double-hung sash windows with nine panes each. The first floor displays five similar but taller sashes with twelve panes. The ground floor is dominated by a central Greek Doric portico with fluted columns, plain wall pilasters, a full triglyph frieze and reeded cornice. The recessed front door has a continuous reeded architrave with semicircular top and is fitted with six large decorative panels inscribed with Greek motifs. On either side is a large semicircular bow projection with lead roof and reeded cornice, each containing two separated twelve-paned double-hung sashes with semicircular blind arched heads. The main block has two red brick stacks over each flank and is roofed with a hipped slate covering.

The rear elevation of the main block displays a random window pattern including five twelve-paned double-hung sashes. The ground floor features a projecting doorcase with plain Ionic columns and plain frieze, with a margin glazed door. A large canted bay window with double-hung sashes is present, those in the flanks having central vertical glazing bars. The flat roof has ball finials at the corners.

The south wing is recessed and of two storeys with a gabled slate link roof. The first floor has four thin pilaster strips and formerly two blind window recesses, one now altered to a new opening. The ground floor has two segmental arches with rubbed brick heads and projecting brick imposts; the southern is a carriageway and the other is a blind recessed panel. The frontage is bounded by a curved gault brick wall with gates flanked by gault brick piers, partially concealing a twentieth-century flat-roofed extension. The rear elevation is in two parts with a rear arch to a passageway, above which sits a twentieth-century double-hung sash window with a panel below the sill of reused medieval stonework. The boundary wall to the south is partly of uncoursed flint and incorporates three medieval stone heads, a cinquefoiled arch and arch spandrels, all reset into the wall.

The north wing is two storeys, recessed behind a tall red Flemish bond wall with grey headers and a curved corner to Abbey Lane. Behind this, linking with the wing, are two lean-to slate-roofed single-storey blocks of painted brick with a central alley leading to a door onto the High Street. The wing is gabled with a tall red brick stack on the ridge line over the north gable. The east front has one blind recess, one twelve-paned double-hung sash and a pair of linked twelve-paned double-hung sash windows in the centre. On the west garden side stands a pyramid-roofed two-storey block of yellow gault brick with a central twelve-paned double-hung sash on each floor of each exposed face. To the east of this, in a narrow link, is a margin glazed door.

The interior is very complete, featuring simple cornices, one with a Greek fret pattern, and two marble fire surrounds. Folding internal shutters are retained in the reveals. The door to the main ground floor room has six raised and fielded panels with fluted pilasters. The staircase against the rear wall has a wreathed handrail, shaped tread ends and shaped thin balusters; the upper flight has a column over vase newels. The entrance hall retains painted panelling.