51 And 52, St Johns Street

51 and 52 St Johns Street is a house dating from the 16th century, which was divided into two houses in the early 19th century and has shops along the front. The building is timber-framed, with random flint on the upper storey and render on the ground storey, topped by a steeply pitched plaintiled roof. It likely has a basic L-plan shape.

The exterior features two storeys and attics, with two 12-pane sash windows on the upper storey in flush cased frames with flat gauged arches, flanking a blocked central window. There are three flat lead-roofed dormers with 2-light small-paned casement windows. On the ground storey, No.51 has a 20th-century door and shop window, while No.52 has an early 19th-century semicircular-headed doorway with a half-glazed door and a 6-pane shop window featuring vertical glazing bars, set within a surround with pilasters and a cornice. The rear of No.52 includes a rendered wing with a long 20-pane sash window in a flush cased frame on its north side.

Inside, No.51 is said to have a modernised interior. No.52 retains its timber-framed structure throughout, with the frame extending into the rear wing. It consists of three bays, but originally had at least one more bay. An exposed fully chamfered and stopped beam is visible in the rear outer wall. The upper storey reveals visible wallplates and main posts. The roof was raised to create a full attic storey, likely in the 18th century, before the building was divided and refronted. The original open form of the wing suggests it was initially designed for working and storage purposes.