20, High Street

WARE TOWN

TL3514SE HIGH STREET 829-1/9/86 (North side) No.20

GV II

House, now ground floor shop with offices above. C16, altered C17, C19 and C20. Two bay timber-framed structure, originally jettied on front and west, dragon beam exposed in ground floor ceiling of modern shop. The front appears to have been cut back, the jetties underbuilding, and the front and east elevations encased in brick c1867 (bricks in quoins of left hand ground floor windows bear initials 'H.W.R.', with date below). Red brick, Flemish bond, with yellow brick quoins, and rubbed flat arches over windows on first floor and attics. Yellow brick dentil cornice across truncated gable. C17 moulded wood eaves cornice along New Road. C19 machine tiled roof with 4 courses of plain tiles alternating with three courses of fish-scale tiles, modern fretted ridge tiles. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attics, front elevation, 3 storey, with splayed parapet set across attic to left, which slices the original gabled front. First and second floors one recessed sash window with glazing bars, 2 first floor recessed sash windows with glazing bars on New Road frontage. Ground floor has 1970s small-paned window, replacing C19 shopfront, modern door, splayed corner, two 1970s small-paned windows on flank elevation to New Road, all apparently set in earlier openings. INTERIOR: heavy studding exposed in ground floor east wall, together with elliptical arched door head, further studs exposed in east wall of first floor front room, (now only accessible from first floor of No.18 (qv). Attic (accessible only from No.18) has exposed tie-beam of C17 date in north wall, also visible externally. This indicates that the roof was raised at this time to create a useable space. (Edwards E and Perman D: Ware's Past In Pictures: Ware: 1991-: 8, 21).

Listing NGR: TL3595514251