55 And 56, Churchgate Street

BURY ST EDMUNDS

TL8564SW CHURCHGATE STREET 639-1/14/258 (South side) 12/07/72 Nos.55 AND 56

GV II

House, divided into 2. Early-to-mid C16 with extensions of c1700 and an early C19 front. Timber-framed and plastered with traces of lining; C20 plaintiles to front slope of roof, clay pantiles to rear. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attics; basic 3-cell plan. A jetty along the street frontage is now underbuilt, leaving a minimal overhang. 3 internal chimneys, 2 in the rear slope of the roof, all with plain red brick shafts. 4 window range: all 16-pane sashes in cased and moulded flush frames. 3 flat-headed lead-covered dormers, 2 to No.55 with 6-pane sashes, one to No.56 with a C20 casement window. 2 matching door surrounds with plain reveals and architraves; a moulded cornice below the jetty. A 6-panel door to No.55 with raised fielded panels, and a 6-panel door with sunk panels and moulded surrounds to No.56. Both have plain rectangular fanlights. INTERIOR: No.55 has a Georgianised interior with only one exposed main beam on the ground storey. It seems likely to contain the service area and hall of the original house with a cross-entry between them. No.56 contains a single bay of the front range, apparently the parlour, with a fine exposed timber ceiling to the ground storey room. The main beam has a double roll-moulding and the joists a smaller single roll, both with cut-off stops. The original line of the jetty is indicated by the bressumer which has a face-halved and bladed scarf and empty mortices for studs. The ceiling timbers are hidden by plaster near the west wall of the room and the junction with No.57 (qv) is not entirely clear. At the rear there is a slight overlap between the 2 properties. The timber rear addition of c1700 is linked to the front by a small chimney-stack with a bolection-moulded fireplace surround. In the room above the parlour a section of square Jacobean panelling has been made into a cupboard door with H-hinges and a cast-iron Victorian grate has unusual floral decoration.

Listing NGR: TL8537264031