Ken'S

Ken's is a house that has been converted into commercial premises, dating from the 17th century or earlier, with later alterations, including a refronting in the early 20th century for the International Stores. The building features a timber frame with later brick nogging, some stone, and a brick frontage facing High Street. The roof is covered with plain tiles on the front range and slate on the rear wing, with brick stacks. It is one and a half storeys high, consisting of three bays, and has a long rear wing that is two storeys tall and built in two sections.

The High Street elevation showcases a tall polished black marble shopfront, alongside a side entrance with a six-panelled door. The upper floor has three narrow moulded brick panels and a steep roof with two dormers. At the rear, there is a short stone wing on the east, which is extended by a long two-storey wing that is partly timber-framed and features a brick gable-end wall, a dormer on the east roof pitch, and blocked windows in the gable end.

Inside, the ground floor of the front range has a suspended ceiling from the 20th century. The rear range includes a chamfered spine beam. The rear wing boasts a clasped purlin roof above cambered tie-beams and long diagonal braces.

Historically, in the mid-18th century, this building operated as a Coffee House owned by Walter Beaty. It later served as a public house, which closed by 1862. In the early 1900s, it became part of the early grocery chain, the International Stores, which led to its refronting. The property is primarily listed for its group value with adjacent buildings on High Street.