31 And 32, Abbeygate Street

31 and 32 Abbeygate Street are two shops with offices and storage above, dating from the 18th century, with earlier cellars. The front is believed to have been added in 1834. The building is timber-framed and roughcast, topped with a hipped slate roof featuring paired modillions along the wide eaves cornice.

The exterior consists of three storeys and cellars, situated on a corner site. There is a five-window range facing Abbeygate Street, with small-paned sashes in flush cased frames, except for three on the first storey that lack glazing bars. On the Angel Hill side, there is a two-window range, also with small-paned sashes in flush cased frames. The ground storey showcases a striking Greek Ionic colonnade with wooden unfluted columns, with the spaces in between filled with 20th-century plate glass shop windows.

Inside, the cellar of No.31 is deep and appears to be medieval, lined with a mix of flint rubble, old brick, and small stone blocks. Its ceiling is supported by a heavy chamfered main beam with lodged joists, some of which are reused. A low vaulted tunnel, partly lined with old brick and numerous old tiles, extends beneath Abbeygate Street. On the Angel Hill side, there are splayed reveals of a window that is now blocked but was formerly at ground level. Historical records indicate that this cellar was used as a tavern until the early 19th century; in 1833, the tenant, Thomas Bridgman, was also the landlord of the Angel Inn. The cellar of No.32 contains the remains of a stone doorway leading into No.31, while there are no exposed features of interest in the rest of the interior.