2 and 4, Cross Street is a Grade II listed building in the Uttlesford local planning authority area, England. First listed on 1 November 1972. Offices and shop. 1 related planning application.

2 and 4, Cross Street

WRENN ID
forgotten-basalt-thyme
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Uttlesford
Constituency
North West Essex MP: Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
1 November 1972
Type
Offices and shop
Address
2 and 4, Cross Street, Saffron Walden, CB10 1EX
OS grid reference
TL 537 384
Coordinates
52.02289, 0.24013
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: EPC · related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

2 and 4 Cross Street are offices and a shop dating from the early 19th century, with an earlier core from around 1500. The building is located at the corner of Cross Street and George Street and is likely contemporary with Nos 17 and 17A George Street. It is constructed of gault brick with slate roofs and features interior timber framing. The structure has a rectangular plan, although No. 4 is less deep than No. 2.

The east front elevation of No. 2 has three storeys and six bays, with brick pilasters. The southern end has three bays that curve around to George Street, featuring deep eaves with paired modillions and a stack located behind the ridge towards the southern end. The ground floor has a 20th-century shop front with plate glass windows between the original pilasters, along with two similar doorways. The southern end bay in George Street has an early 19th-century doorway with a moulded panelled doorcase, which includes upper glazing and a lower moulded panel. The first and second floors have sash windows with glazing bars, with the first floor primarily having 3x4 panes, while bay 2 has 4x4 panes and bay 3 is blocked. The second floor consists entirely of 3x3 panes.

No. 4 is two storeys high, but the upper floor serves partly as a screen wall to the rear yard, featuring a dentilled parapet and two blind windows. The ground floor has been altered to include a 19th-century shop with a consoled cornice and shop fascia board, a six-panelled door with an overlight, and an adjacent 19th-century horned sash window. There is also a 20th-century plain door leading to the yard.

The rear west elevation is mainly obscured by Nos 17 and 17A George Street and is rendered, with the gable of No. 4 being lower than that of No. 2. Each unit has a 20th-century two-light casement window in the upper gable wall.

Inside No. 2, exposed principal ceiling joists from around 1500 can be seen in the shop, which includes bridging and binding joists running the entire length and turning the corner into George Street, passing into No. 17. There is roll moulding with some leaf stops, and it was originally jettied to the street. The heavy end rail at the junction with No. 4 was originally studded but now features light post-medieval studding and joists. The upper floors are plain with no exposed timber framing. The layout of Nos 2, 17, and 17A George Street appears to have been influenced by the earlier medieval building that once dominated the area.

Local climate

2 and 4, Cross Street sits in one of the driest parts of the UK, with an average of 700 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 91% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 80% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 34 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 53% of listed buildings. Of these, 17 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.4°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • Related listed building consents — 1 application
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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