1, Freshwell Street

SAFFRON WALDEN

TL5338 FRESHWELL STREET 669-1/1/146 (South East side) 28/11/51 No.1

GV II*

House. C15. Timber-framed and plastered, peg and clay tiled roof. Narrow rectangular plan on street corner with gable to Bridge Street. E elevation to Bridge Street: jettied with corner angle post and bracket emerging from plaster on N side. Central ground floor casement window with glazing bars, 4x3 panes and second jetty bracket to S. First floor, shallow pantiled gabled oriel window, casement of moulded C15 mullions, 4 lights and single side lights, now with simple glazing and plasterwork below swept out to sill. Horned wall plates each side. N side elevation to Freshwell Street: although underbuilt, the jetty shape is seen along the elevation with corner bracket at E end. Ground floor, W end, present front door, C20 boarded and battened with adjacent early C19 sliding sash window, moulded architrave, glazing bars, 4x3 panes. Above, first floor, W end, simple 2x2 paned casement window and adjacent single paned window. Stack to E through roof pitch. INTERIOR: exposed framing on ground floor of 2 bays. Heavy diagonal dragon beam to street corner with similar gauge centre tenoned common joists fanned to corner. N wall timber-framed, inferior work and clearly later but removal of the original supporting inner wall reveals series of carpenters' marks, now intermittent but 2-7 and 9,12 and 13 remain. E wall framing clearly shows 2 medieval shop openings with arched heads, one to S has lost S post and half of curved head but joints remain. Sills have gone but recesses and pegholes show former position. Also shallow wear indentations show position of original internal shutters that upper pegged recesses show were top-hung. Original stair trap in SW corner of rear bay, stack through central partition wall with small C19 cast-iron decorated grate to front bay. First floor, simple 2-way braced crown post roof. Oriel window to Bridge Street clearly reworked in C19. Original window evidence, in each bay to Freshwell Street, shutter groove and sill to W, rebate and flame burn marks to E. Also rectangular pattern of peg holes in S wall with accompanying flame marks, probably site of weaver's warping frame. Weavers are recorded in Bridge Street. Good oak floor boards and several old thin oak doors. (Vernacular Architecture: Stenning DF: Timber Framed Shops, 1300-1600: Comparative Plans: 16: 1985-: 36).

Listing NGR: TL5355538642