Tools And Things

Tools and Things is a shop located at No. 21 Churchgate Street in Bury St Edmunds. This building dates back to the 17th century, although it has an earlier core and has undergone later alterations. It features a timber-framed structure that is rendered and topped with 20th-century plaintiles. The building is L-shaped, consisting of two separate ranges on a corner site, with a return front to Hatter Street. The roof of the Hatter Street range extends over the Churchgate range, which has a gable end facing Hatter Street.

The exterior of the building has two storeys and attics. On Churchgate Street, there are two windows, which are 16-pane sashes set in flush cased frames, along with three similar windows on Hatter Street. The Churchgate Street side also features two flat-headed dormers with 20th-century windows. The ground floor has a shop front that was added in the 20th century.

Inside, the two ranges of the building have been used as separate dwellings, but they were likely part of one house originally. The Churchgate Street range consists of three bays, with most of its timbers covered or boxed-in, except for one trimmer that has a very wide chamfer and broach stops, indicating a late 15th or early 16th-century date. The Hatter Street range, which has two bays, was formerly jettied and features an exposed ceiling from the early to mid-16th century on the ground floor. The main cross-beams have a roll-and-hollow moulding with run-off stops, and the joists are ogee-moulded. Although the rear wall has been removed for a later extension, a beam with embattled ornament remains at ceiling height. In the southern bay, there is a well-preserved blocked stair-trap with moulded surrounds to the former opening. There are no exposed timbers on the upper storey or the roof, which may have been replaced when the attic storey was created.