8, Westgate Street

BURY ST EDMUNDS

TL8563NE WESTGATE STREET 639-1/11/665 (South side) 07/08/52 No.8

GV II

House, later divided into 2; now offices. C16 core; C18 front; C19 alterations and extensions. Timber-framed and rendered; red brick to the east gable and one rear wing; C20 plaintiled roof; paired modillion eaves soffit. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attics. 4 window range: 12-pane sashes to the ground storey, 9-pane to the 1st storey, all in flush cased frames. 2 matching doorcases with plain fanlights, reeded pilasters and pediments. 2 matching doors with 8 raised fielded panels. A foot-scraper by one door. A high red brick chimney-stack has 4 attached shafts with moulded caps set diagonally on a rectangular base. The rear has a rendered gable on the left with two 6-pane sash windows to the 1st storey and 2 sashes with a single vertical glazing bar on the ground storey, all in flush cased frames. The back door has a moulded architrave and a flat cornice hood on shaped brackets. The longer C19 gabled wing on the right has sashes with single glazing bars. INTERIOR: timbers are exposed only on part of the ground storey, in the rooms to each side of the internal chimney-stack. To the left of the stack the ceiling beams have a double ogee moulding with run-off stops: the main transverse beam is in front of the stack and is not moulded on the inner face, which suggests that the stack may be a later insertion, replacing a smoke bay or plaster flue. The straight chamfered timber lintel has 2 large peg-holes which may have been for an initial timber frame. The rounded back to the fireplace has an unusual brick grille set into one side. The brickwork has considerable traces of original red ochre colouring and lining. In the 2-bay room to the right of the stack all the ceiling timbers are exposed: the main cross-beams have a very wide chamfer and the closely-set joists are plain and very wide. The bay spacing is irregular and the building may have been shortened at the west end. The rear wall has been removed and a long C20 extension added. The stack on this side has stone blocks to the sides and jambs and a straight chamfered timber lintel. The remainder of the building has no exposed framing and the roof is inaccessible. The stair, within the entrance hall, has reel-and-bobbin balusters, open bracketed strings and moulded newels and

handrail.

Listing NGR: TL8553163773