Old Tiles And Beecholme

Old Tiles and Beecholme are two houses located on the south side of Front Street in Mendlesham. The buildings consist of two main sections: a slightly lower corner block on the left, which dates from the 15th or early 16th century, and a main range that is from the 16th century. No. 3 has large rear additions from the mid-20th century.

The houses are timber framed and rendered, with the main block featuring a wooden modillion eaves cornice. The roof is covered with plain tiles and is hipped to the right. Both houses are two storeys high, with an attic to the right. The 18th-century casement windows have square-leaded glass, some of which is old.

No. 1 has an early 19th-century doorway with a fluted architrave, corner squares, and a segmental head, leading to a six-panel door. The doorway to No. 3 features an eared architrave, a frieze, and a dentilled pedimented cornice, with a door that has six flush panels. The stack has a heavy axial shaft, partly in a sawtooth form, topped with a 19th-century sawtooth cap. To the right of No. 3 is a wall made of colourwashed brick, which includes a 20th-century two-centre arched doorway.

Inside, the corner block has very heavy plain joists and evidence of a former jetty towards Front Street. The remainder of No. 1 has been considerably modernised, but it features an early 19th-century upper fireplace with a moulded surround and corner squares. The interior of No. 3 has not been examined.