Provosts House And Number 4 Churchyard (Clopton Cottage)

The building comprises a group of almshouses, later adapted for use as The Provost's House and No.4 Churchyard (Clopton Cottage), built around 1744, following the will of Dr Poley Clopton, who died in 1730. From around 1890, it served as the Vicarage of St James' Church. Constructed primarily of red brick with stone dressings and quoins, it features a tiled roof with a parapet and stone cornice.

The building consists of a long central range flanked by two wings extending to the north and south. The main range has seven windows, all 12-pane sashes in plain reveals. The central section projects slightly and is distinguished by rusticated quoins, three windows, and a pediment displaying a stone coat of arms bearing the Clopton motto in Old French: "DORENAVANT OUBLIER NE DOY" (It must not be forgotten from henceforth). Each wing has two 12-pane sash windows on each storey to the south gable, with two blank windows on each storey facing the entry. The main entrance, approached by four stone steps with swept cast-iron railings, is an 8-panel door set within a doorcase featuring plain pilasters and a moulded cornice hood supported by enriched console brackets. A panel on the frieze includes a Latin inscription detailing Dr Poley’s bequest for the almshouses.

The interior retains some features of the original almshouse layout but was significantly altered when the building became the St James' Vicarage in the late 19th century. The extensive basement, comprising a half-cellar, served as the primary storage area and is brick-lined and vaulted throughout, with a corridor running along the front, leading to larders and stores. Larger rooms at each end of the basement were used for fuel storage. The ground storey entrance hall was originally a communal dining room. It retains two small 18th-century fireplaces with plain stone surrounds. A new, large, late 19th-century imperial staircase was installed, and numerous doors and doorways were altered. The interior is generally plain, with two Georgian-style fireplace surrounds – one on the ground storey and one above – made of painted cast-iron; one incorporates a shell motif, a reference to its later use as the Vicarage.

No.4 Churchyard, which was likely the residence of the almshouse master, has somewhat more elaborate fittings, most notably the fireplace surround in the principal ground storey room, which exhibits a complex bolection-moulded architrave with corner bosses.