Walsingham House

SAFFRON WALDEN

TL5338 669-1/1/66 28/11/51

CASTLE STREET (North side) No.35 Walsingham House

GV II

Grammar school, now house. Mid C17, refronted in 1825 and enlarged 1852. (1) Timber-framed and plastered with peg-tiled roof, (2) Red brick with slate roof. L shaped plan of rear C17 schoolroom and square street range block of 2 builds. 2 storeys and cellar. S front elevation: early C19 red brick with well preserved tuck pointing, low pitched hipped slate roof, deep eaves. 3 bays, central door, stacks through E and W side roof pitches. Doorway, wooden, early C19, plain severe pilasters with capitals and bases, flat slightly projecting hood, door of 6 panels with plain over-light. All window sashes with glazing bars, 4x4 panes, straight voussoired heads. Rear, N elevation: rear of street range to E, timber-framed and plastered single storey C17 classroom projects to W. House has ground floor 2-leaf fully-glazed French window 4x5 panes with ornate semicircular overlight with radial petal glazing, good voussoirs, also sliding sash window 4x4 panes. First floor, similar window but with segment head. Prominent large rear central stack. Schoolroom, E face to garden has traces of combed panel pargetting with sliding sash window 4x4 panes, also door of 4 moulded panels approached by steps. Above, plaster relief panel with 1665, AUT DISCE AUT DOCE AUT DISCEDE. N end of schoolroom, 2 large window with glazing bars, lower one 5x3 panes, upper one segment headed 5x4 panes. W side elevation: flanking pathway to Lower Square. S-N, Rectangular red brick block of house, 2 units, to S, build of 1825 with single first floor segment headed sliding sash window, 4x4 panes, adjacent high central plaque records in Latin the building of the house for the Grammar School master in 1825. Front brickwork to street straight-jointed to rest showing 2 phases of brickwork. Coal hole in York paving slab projects into side alley, simple patterned cast-iron lid. To N, rear brick unit of 1852 divided from front block by single brick inset. Ground floor, segment headed window with glazing bars 5x4 panes, outer ones at sides as narrow margin lights. First floor, 2 segment headed sliding sash windows 4x4 panes. To N, timber-framed schoolroom on high red brick base, weather boarded and plastered above with traces of arc combed pargetting. Single sliding sash window, 4x4 panes with boarded shutter hinged to side, peg-tiled roof has central lantern. E side elevation: similar to W, partly obscured but 2 C19 brick units clear with 2 rear upper windows, one plain, other double casement 4x3 panes. Side stack beyond to N. Straight-joint of frontage brickwork to side wall clear as on W side. INTERIOR: essentially plain but schoolroom has 3 cambered tie-beams, now boxed and with reinforcing metal corner brackets. Ceiling rises above as `waggon' roof. Within house is window, once external, surviving on ground floor at junction of 1825 house and 1852 extension.

Listing NGR: TL5367438678