28,30,32, KING STREET

This is a substantial stone house on King Street, dating back to around 1180. It likely originally comprised a house with a warehouse on the ground floor and a hall above, with later rear extensions from the 14th to 16th centuries. A timber-framed shopfront was added to the southern half of the facade in the late 14th century and early 19th century brickwork was applied to the northern section. The building was restored between 1978 and 1982.

The facade presents a two-storey timber-framed element. It has three bays on either side of a central doorway, featuring vertical studs with rectangular lights at the top. The studs show mortices for a pentice hood. The first floor is filled with colourwashed brickwork, while the studs have straight braces and renewed windows. To the north, the early 19th century section is faced with colourwashed brick and rises three stories, featuring horned sash windows and a gabled slate roof. Pantile roofs cover the rear slopes.

Two two-storied gabled rear wings exist, both lower than the front ranges; a third wing to the south has been demolished.

The interior is dominated by a Norman hall, running from the north wall of number 32 to the centre of the timber-framed section. A main entrance passage sits to the south of the hall's south wall. The hall is constructed of limestone and brick. Round arches in freestone, resting on short chamfered piers with spurs, are visible in the north and south walls. Ground-floor arches on the south side are missing, presumably removed when the shopfront was built, and only the springer of the west upper arch remains. The north wall arches remain complete. A north-south wall was inserted around 1400 using rubblestone, dividing the hall. A late 15th century brick stack was inserted into the east wall of the south compartment, and the east wall itself was rebuilt in brick. A late 20th-century staircase balcony has been inserted on the north and west sides of the first floor in the south compartment, which is open to the roof. A late 14th century shop, now offices, is connected to the entrance passage. Inside, a heavy, roughly-cut chamfered bridging beam with mortices for arched braces to the principal studs is visible. Heavy joists on straight braces approach the shopfront. The northwest corner retains an area of ashlar. The south cross wing is two stories, with the eastern part open to the roof. A brick stack with an external flue is in the east wall, and a doorway with a pointed arch is located on the north side. The open hall has four bays of a crown post roof, with square section posts, arched braces to the crown purlin, and dropping braces from the post to the chamfered tie beams. A blocked fireplace exists at first floor level, a remnant of a previous floor layout. Matching 4-light chamfered mullioned windows are located under the eaves on the north and south sides. The north cross wing retains one crown post of a similar design.

This building is an exceptionally rare and important example of an upper-hall house from the 12th century, situated within an urban setting.