Guildhall

TM 26 NW 5/116 29.7.55

WORLINGWORTH CHURCH STREET Guildhall ( formerly listed as Guildhall Cottages)

II

Former guildhall, subsequently parish workhouse and then cottages; now a single dwelling. Circa 1500. Timber framed and plastered with thatched roof. 2 storeys and attics. Jettied gable end to left, largely obscured by lean-to addition. 5 windows, mainly C18 3-light casements without glazing bars. 2 doorways with mid C20 plank and 6-panel doors. 3 flat-roofed dormers with old 2-light windows. Internal stack and gable stack to right, both with cross- axial shafts. The frame is in 5 bays. There was a single 4-bay room on each floor, with one-bay rooms at the west end (ground floor) and east end (first floor). The cross-partition on the ground floor has been lost but evidence for 2 doorways survives in the girding beam. Heavy bridging beams with solid arched braces to the wallposts; exposed joists on ground floor, mostly replaced by material brought from elsewhere. First floor has largely intact plain studding with evidence for original windows with square mullions; 2 deep sills for oriel windows. Heavy arched braces to the tie beams. The wallplate has very short edge-halved and bridled scarf joints. In the east gable end is the lintol of a former C16 fireplace, the associated stack largely replaced in C18. East bay has C17 ceiling with plain joists set flat. The pitchpine floors in the other bays date from c.1750 when the workhouse conversion was made. The internal stack is also an C18 insertion. Queen-post roof, with curved tension braces from the jowled head of each post to the end of the tie beam. There are slo king-posts, springing from the tie beams and halved over the collars, braced to a substantial ridge-piece.

Listing NGR: TM2342168778