4, South Quay

GREAT YARMOUTH

TG5207SW SOUTH QUAY 839-1/15/165 (East side) 27/06/53 No.4

GV I

House, now museum. Built as a smaller house in 1596 for Benjamin Cooper, expanded into a courtyard house (in addition to No.3 (qv)) 1603-10. Alterations early C18, refronted early C19, restored 1833. Gault brick facade, red brick elsewhere. Pantiled roofs. EXTERIOR: facade of two 1/2 storeys in 6-window range. Panelled door under an overlight with a porch supported on a pair of Roman Doric columns. Windows are 6/6 unhorned sashes under gauged skewback arches. Top floor with blind windows added in 1809. First-floor windows with iron balconies. Gabled roof with a ridge stack to left of centre. Round arch to right leads to Row 83. South return along Row 83 of 2 storeys and dormer attic. Red and yellow brick. Ground floor with a 5-light mullioned window renewed C19 and an early C17 6-light ovolo-moulded mullioned window with a central king mullion. Arched staircase window. Mansard roof with 3 mid C20 sloping dormers. East gable rebuilt by National Trust after 1943. INTERIOR: entrance hall with large-framed panelling of c1730. South front room sub-divided in C19, but retains cruciform bridging beams with sunk-quadrant mouldings. Dining room to north with small-framed panelling with reeded and fluted Ionic pilasters. Oak chimney-piece with a 3-bay arcaded overmantel and initials and date: C over B A (Benjamin and Anne Cooper). Storeroom to east has one unfluted Ionic column which represents only remains of an open courtyard loggia. Staircase of 1809 with turned balusters, ramped and wreathed handrail and a Chinese-pattern late C18 dog gate. Kitchen in rear wing with small-framed panelling and, in the north wall, a C13 double trefoiled aumbry taken probably from the Greyfriars. Courtyard side lit through a 6-light ovolo-moulded mullioned window with a central king mullion. Rear kitchen further east with sunk-quadrant bridging beams. Drawing room on first floor at front. Continuous arcaded panelling with fluted pilasters. Chimney-piece with 2 tiers of paired Corinthian columns, at the upper level framing 3 arcaded panels. In the centre the Arms of James I. Plastered ceiling of c1600: high-relief ribs in a pattern of squares with concave sides twisting round each other and developing short pendants. Lower relief vine decoration. Room to north with small-framed panelling and an early C17 chimney-piece: 3

arcaded panels separated by reeded and fluted Corinthian columns. Initials C over B A. Upper rear corridor with two 3-light C17 cross casements with roundels of painted Flemish glass dated 1612. Roof with arched braces to tie beams, 2 tiers of butt purlins, curved windbraces and plain collars.

Listing NGR: TG5235207360