9, Nelson Street

This is a late 15th-century house, likely originally designed as part of a courtyard plan, and extensively rebuilt in the early 19th century. It is now used as a solicitors’ office. The house likely had a timber frame, with a stop-chamfered spine beam with run-out stops, underbuilt in gault brick. The first floor is rendered and colourwashed, with a plaintile roof. The facade is two stories high. A central doorway is flanked by three 19th-century sash windows with glazing bars and gauged skewback arches. The doorway contains a magnificent 15th-century timber door and frame. The door has studded vertical muntins, set within a four-centred arched frame decorated with an ogee, crockets and a finial. A carved pelican is within the spandrel of the arch. Above the door is a four-centred arch and a classical frieze, dated to 1703. A moulded timber string course divides the two floors. The upper story is symmetrical, with a central six-light transomed mullioned window in a slight projection. Flanking this are two very late 17th-century two-light cross casements, with Ionic fluted pilasters on either side. The roof is gabled with internal end stacks, one in gault brick and the other in red brick. The rear of the building has been completely demolished and replaced with a mid-20th century brick wall. The lathing of the front and insertion of the frieze was undertaken by a new owner in 1703.