12 And 14, High Street

Nos 12 and 14 High Street are a pair of former houses, likely with shops, now functioning as a shop with offices. They date from around 1500, with later additions, and are positioned end-on to the street. Originally, each house probably followed a standard two-cell layout with the shop facing the street. No 14 was extended to the rear at an early date, possibly in the first quarter of the 16th century, as indicated by a blocked window and an early door. There are lateral stairs, dating from the 17th century, that may be in their original position. The buildings are timber-framed with plaster infill, featuring close-set studs with downward braces and crown post roofs. They are two storeys high with a gabled attic and have Kent tiled roofs, with brick stacks in the valleys.

The exterior of No 12 has a late 20th-century shop front and door, while No 14 features a circa 1900 shop front with fluted end pilasters, large glazed windows with decorative uprights, a small rectangular overlight, a tiled plinth, and a panelled reveal. The first floor jetties out, with exposed floor joists. Most of the framing remains intact in No 14, but a significant central section of the first-floor framing in No 12 has been altered. Intermediate studs may have been added when paired leaded casement windows were installed under the tie in the 17th century, with four pairs in No 14 and two in No 12, alongside some 20th-century renewals. The lower rails of No 12 may indicate the position of the original windows, and the gable framing is identical. No 14 has some jettying at the rear and a 19th-century warehouse or workshop with a hoist located behind it.

Inside, the buildings have been extensively remodelled. The internal party wall contains downward braces and studs, and there was formerly an external doorway with a four-centred arch next to a five-light blocked window with diamond mullions, which is now part of the party wall. The crown post roofs are present, with No 12 featuring a slightly non-standard crown post with run-outs. The 17th-century stairs leading to No 14 have stout turned balusters, and there is a plain vaulted cellar.