14 and 16, Castle Street (the Sun Inn)

Inn, thought to be C17 with earlier origins, extended in later phases during the C19 and C20.

MATERIALS: the building is of timber-frame construction, faced in painted render, later extensions of painted or rendered brickwork. The roof covering is clay tile.

PLAN: the building is of two storeys with cellars and attics. The plan is accretive, with a principal, hipped roof range to the south, facing Castle Street. There is a half-hipped cross wing to the east, and to the east of this, a further half-hipped bay with a rear wing which is understood to have once been a separate dwelling, later amalgamated with the pub. To the west is a long rear wing. Space between the rear wings is partially infilled with additions of various dates.

EXTERIOR: the principal elevation onto Castle Street is irregular, punctuated off-centre by the projecting southern end of the cross-wing, which contains the main entrance in the form of a plank and batten door with a flat canopy over and a six-over-six sash window with side lights. Above are first-floor and attic windows. A tall, narrow chimney stack rises at the junction between the cross-wing and the bays to the west. To the west, the elevation is built out at the ground floor as a large square bay with a continuous row of six-over-one sash windows. There are two six-over-six sashes at the first floor. Set back to the east is a further one-and-a-half bays with six-over-six sashes and a second door; this range was once a separate dwelling.

The east and west elevations are largely blind. The rear is an irregular composition with three historic wings and several infill extensions. Windows are a mixture of sashes and casements and some of the framing of the east wing is exposed in its gable wall.