Conservative Club

The Conservative Club is a building comprising offices and a club, dating back to the 18th century, with later alterations and extensions. It is located on Museum Street in Saffron Walden. The building is arranged as a three-part street range, with a central 18th-century house flanked by brick and timber-framed units added in the 20th century. A large, single-story meeting room was constructed at the rear in the 20th century. The building has a T-shaped plan and includes attics and a cellar.

The front, or southwest, elevation features a central unit of orange/red brick with ruddled mortar and white tuck pointing, displaying a three-window range. A central doorway has a flat cornice hood, stucco surround, recessed panelled doorcase, overlight, and a six-panelled door. Above, the first floor has a sash window with brick voussoirs. Flanking the central unit are two-story canted bay windows with an articulated modillioned cornice and a plain parapet. The bay windows contain sash windows; the ground floor windows have panes arranged as 2x4, 3x4, and 2x4, while the first-floor windows are 20th-century restorations that replicate the original design and include a panelled wooden frieze above the windows. Steps lead to the front door, with a cellar grille to the north.

To the north of the central unit is a stuccoed brickwork section with remnants of ashlar lining, topped with a slated, hipped roof that is largely obscured by a prominent 20th-century fascia boarding. A brick stack is located at the southeast end, adjoining the stack of the central unit. The ground floor has a 20th-century six-panelled door and a sash window with 4x4 panes. The first floor features a 20th-century two-light casement window with 4x4 panes. To the south of the central house is a timber-framed and rendered unit, with all features dating to the 20th century, topped with a hipped, slated gambrel roof. This section has two dormer windows. The first floor has a large three-light casement window, and the ground floor has a mock bow shopfront window and a six-fielded panelled door with overlight, alongside a cellar grille.

The rear, or northeast, elevation’s central unit is rendered and likely timber-framed, with two large 20th-century casement windows. A north-facing stack is partly exterior. The ground floor is obscured by the flat-roofed meeting hall with a French window. The wings have slated roofs and a variety of 20th-century casement windows and doors. The north end elevation displays red brick walling extended back for a two-story integral lean-to with a hip, peg-tiled roof. At ground level are two small 20th-century casement windows, and one blocked original window. The first floor has a segment-headed sliding sash window with 4x4 panes, and the attic has a 20th-century two-light casement window.