Castle Inn, 91 High Street

Castle Inn, 91 High Street

A public house dating to the 17th century, built on the site of an earlier building. The front elevation was modified in the early 20th century, and a rear extension was added and extended in the late 1960s.

The building consists of a rectangular front range oriented east-west, parallel to the High Street, with a rear extension oriented north-south connected to its north-eastern corner.

The front (north) elevation facing the High Street is two storeys and four bays wide, faced in brick in various bonds, predominantly Flemish bond with grey headers and red stretchers. Alternate quoins mark the western edge. A single doorway in the second bay is bounded by plain pilasters and topped by a lintel with lead flashing. Six recessed, timber-framed windows from the 20th century are set across the elevation (three at ground floor and three at first floor). These consist of three panes of leaded lights separated by plain timber mullions, with block sills. The ground-floor windows have thick lintels. The ground-floor window in the third bay contains four panes instead of three. A small terracotta plaque in the second bay at first-floor level bears the date 1684 and the initials R E A. Brick chimney stacks rise at either end of the elevation, with a third chimney stack at the rear where the extension meets the main building.

The side (west) elevation facing Mill Street is of rubblestone, predominantly blank and fronting directly onto the pavement. The gable roof outline is picked out in bricks, and the brick chimney stack extends partially down into the gable end. The rear (north) elevation of the main range has a catslide roof with two window openings: one infilled, positioned between ground and first floor towards the centre; a second, modern window has been inserted at the northern end.

Where the front range meets the rear extension is a small first-floor gable-end projection with a blank north face of painted brick. A second brick chimney stack stands to the western side of this projection. The first floor of the rear extension consists of painted brick, with two windows of at least twelve panes partially visible. The rear elevation of the main building and the western elevation of the rear extension are of painted brick.

The building has pitched roofs covered in clay tiles. The roof over the front range is oriented east-west, with a small northwards projection featuring a gable end at first-floor level where the front range meets the rear extension. The rear extension roof is oriented north-south.