54,56,58 AND 60, HIGH STREET

Nos 54, 56, 58, and 60 on High Street in Puckeridge are likely remnants of a guildhall, now converted into four houses. The building dates from the 16th century or earlier and was given a Gothick style in the late 19th century. It features a timber frame set on a high red brick base, with the frame exposed and herringbone red brick infill on the southern half of the street front and the ground floor of the northern half, topped with red tile hanging. The roofs are steep and covered with old red tiles. The southern end is made of red brick and has a half-timbered gable. This long, picturesque building rises up a hill, with the northern part consisting of two storeys and projecting gabled wings at each end, while the southern part has one and a half storeys and four large gabled dormers that extend above the eaves. The building features cusped bargeboards with finials, small flush box sash windows with 6/6 panes, and lean-to tiled bracketed hoods over doors that are accessed by steps. The dormers have casement windows with small panes. On the southern end (No 60), there are flat three-light casement oriels with small panes and cusped-tiled lean-to roofs. The tall brick chimneys, which have diagonal grouped shafts, were rebuilt in 1900, as indicated by the date on the chimney.