25, South Quay

25 South Quay, Great Yarmouth

A house dating from 1644, partly remodelled in the late 18th century (probably 1772), and converted to offices in the 20th century. The building is constructed of red brick with decorative burnt header brickwork, and features a slate roof to the front and pantiled roof to the rear, with slate in the valley between. The structure comprises two parallel ranges.

The front facade rises three storeys across four irregular bays, with a total of five windows. The ground floor is rendered and colourwashed, with a 6-panelled door positioned left of centre. The doorcase comprises a pair of engaged fluted columns supporting block entablatures, between which is a reeded frieze. The ground floor has one 20th-century horned sash window to the left and two to the right, none retaining glazing bars. The upper floors display brick laid in Flemish bond with a zig-zag pattern of burnt headers. Each floor carries four 20th-century sashes without glazing bars, all with rendered surrounds, and a small additional sash appears to the right of the first floor. A modillion eaves cornice sits below a gabled roof, with internal gable-end stacks to north and south. The south gable head has been rebuilt and features an 18th-century sliding 4/4 sash window and a mid-17th-century 2-light mullioned window.

The rear block forms a separate parallel range of two storeys with dormer attic. Originally this elevation had a central door flanked by wide mullioned windows on each floor, all four set beneath moulded brick pediments. The pediments survive, though the 17th-century windows have been replaced with pairs of 2/2 horned sashes. A panelled door sits beneath a 20th-century gabled porch hood. Above this is a date plaque bearing a coat of arms and the date 1644 with initials G and S surmounted by an E. The brickwork displays diaper patterns of burnt headers and irregular bonding. An ovolo-moulded eaves cornice runs below the gabled roof, which features a sloping 20th-century dormer and internal gable-end stacks to right and left. To the left is a lead water hopper and downpipe dated 1772 with initials A A under a T. The north return contains a mid-20th-century extension in which an original entrance has been re-set, comprising a 20th-century replica door and a 17th-century surround with wave and ovolo-moulded jambs and lintel, the mouldings separated by a keel. The base stops feature triple fluting, a floriated bar, and an acanthus leaf-stop. Above is the date 1644 within a strapwork field.

Internally, the first and second floors are contiguous with No. 26 to the south. A late 18th-century stick-baluster staircase features a turned and reeded lower newel and plain turned upper newels.

On the ground floor, the front and rear rooms contain bridging beams bearing double ovolo mouldings, with fluted stops on one beam in each of the two rear rooms. Remains of mid-17th-century small-frame panelling survive on the ground floor.

The first floor's rear south room retains complete mid-17th-century small-framed panelling except where large-framed panelling was added in the late 18th century to the overmantel. All three rear rooms feature bridging beams with double roll mouldings. The front room was altered in the 20th century. The roof of the front range comprises principals with two tiers of taper-tenoned butt purlins and arched windbraces to the west side. The rear roof contains five bays of upper crucks, surviving only to the east side. A door into this roof dates from the mid-17th century, hung on two peg and strap hinges and set within a chamfered surround.