42-48, Bethel Street

The building at 42-48 Bethel Street is a late 19th-century shop and printing works with a 15th-century undercroft beneath number 48. The ground floor is red brick, while the first floor is stucco and roughcast. The roof is covered with plain tiles, and the building is two storeys high. It has three bays plus a carriage entry. A 20th-century shopfront is on the left side. The first floor features four-light mullion and transom windows and “Elizabethan” stucco decoration. A heavy box cornice runs along the top, and there are four dormers. The undercroft, located beneath number 48, is constructed of brick and features a pointed barrel-vault section with an apex parallel to the road. A large side-chamber has a chamfered brick arch extending beneath the pavement. A smaller chamber is on the north wall, and a 20th-century wall closes off the east side. The building is designated as a Grade II* listed building due to the presence of the undercroft, which is part of an important group within the city walls.