7, College Street

No. 7 College Street is a house that was formerly divided into two separate homes. It dates from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries and features a timber-framed structure that is rendered, with an old plaintile roof.

The building has two storeys, attics, and a cellar, consisting of a main range and a tall two-bay jettied cross-wing. The main range, located on the south side, includes a tripartite small-paned sash window in a heavy flush cased frame with a moulded frieze and cornice on the ground floor, and a 16-pane sash window above in a moulded flush frame, which has a 19th-century timber drip-mould over it. There is also a flat-headed dormer featuring a small-paned two-light casement window and a plain door set in a wooden surround.

The jettied cross-wing has one window on each storey: a 16-pane sash in a flush cased frame on the ground floor, a similar 12-pane sash on the upper storey, and a two-light casement window in the attic. The upper windows both have 19th-century timber drip-moulds.

Inside, the cross-wing retains its medieval character, with widely spaced substantial studding and main posts, as well as small solid braces supporting the chamfered ground-storey ceiling beam. The timbers show assembly marks, and the partition wall contains diamond-mullioned housings and a cut tie-beam. In the 16th century, extra main posts with very long mortices were added to raise the roof, which is an unusual alteration for a medieval cross-wing. The attic features the remains of a plain crown-post, which is braced only to the collar-purlin. The main range is a complete rebuild from the later 17th century, with joists in the ground storey ceiling set on edge.