40 And 42, Church Street

This is a house, originally comprising a front range dating back to around 1530, with a cross wing added at the east end around 1580, likely as a separate dwelling. It was altered in the 19th century and converted into a single residence in the mid-20th century. The front of the house is rendered and roughcast, while the rear is plastered and whitewashed. The front has a slate roof, and the rear has plain tiles.

The two-storey facade has a five-window range. The left bay of the front facade angles back, following the line of the street and belonging structurally to the rear wing. There are two six-panelled doors within simple timber doorcases under floating cornices. Four mid-19th century three-light metal casement windows are present, with late-19th century hoods on labels. The first floor was formerly jettied. Five first-floor three-light casements, similar to those below, are also present. The roof is gabled with a hip to the east end to accommodate the later rear wing. External gable-end stacks are located to the east and west; the eastern stack is now a ridge stack due to the addition of a canted bay window around 1580. The east return features a doorway and a two-storey canted bay window fitted with 8/8 unhorned sashes, along with assorted 19th and 20th century casements. An internal gable-end stack is visible on the south side.

The rear of the front block and the added wing both have ground-floor outshuts, with the front part interspersed with a 20th century conservatory. The rear includes 19th and 20th century casements, and three gabled dormers are present within the main roof slope, each with a casement.

Inside, the early 16th century front range retains early 16th century brickwork in the cellar. A central ground-floor room features a hollow and double wave-moulded bridging beam, while elsewhere, chamfered bridging beams are visible throughout. A stick-baluster staircase with a ramped handrail is also present. A second, similar staircase is located within the west room. A rear wall contains a 17th century ovolo-mullioned window. The crown post roof, which extends the full length of the front range, features square-section posts with jowled tops. Originally, it had arched braces to the crown purlin. In the attic, a doorway is visible, formed from re-used early 17th century small-framed panelling hung on cockshead hinges. The rear wing exhibits exposed late 16th century studwork of heavy timbers. One north room has a 20th century fireplace with a winder on one side. The room above features a chamfered bridging beam with nicked tongue stops. The roof in this area has clasped purlins and a lower tier of butt purlins.