Nos 49-53 London Street

Nos 49–53 London Street

A timber-framed building of the 16th century, possibly with earlier origins, standing on the east side of London Street. It was re-fronted and remodelled into a pair of dwellings probably in the 18th or 19th century, with shop fronts added in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The building was further remodelled and extended in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The late-20th-century double-pile steel, breeze block, brick and timber extension to the rear, and its ground floor link to the rear wing, are excluded from the listing.

Materials and Construction

The London Street elevation is rendered timber frame and red brick, with late-20th-century structural steel and breeze block in places. The roofs are covered with clay tiles, and the chimneys are of brick.

Plan and Layout

The earliest building may have been an open hall with a rear-projecting cross wing at the north end. It was remodelled to form a pair of dwellings with a central open passageway. The building now has two separate shop fronts, with a shared first floor accessed from the enclosed passageway and internally by a stair within the rear wing.

Exterior

The building is two storeys high, with a basement to no. 49 and an attic storey to the rear wing. The timber frame comprises four bays. The west-facing façade has two shop fronts separated by a central passageway to the ground floor, which leads to the rear and is enclosed by a 21st-century external door. The shop front to no. 53 is a late-20th-century reconstruction. That to no. 49 is late 19th century, with pilasters supporting carved brackets to the fascia; the glazing is modern. To the north of the shop front to no. 49, and above at the first floor, are sash windows with margin lights; the windows to no. 49 have blind boxes. A parapet obscures the gable roof to the linear range; the rear wing has a hipped roof. 19th-century chimneys rise from the front pitch of no. 49, the rear pitch of no. 53 and the ridge of the rear wing, all showing evidence of brick renewal, probably dating to the late 20th century.

The rear elevation has extensions, most of which retain their historic character and scale but were rebuilt in the late 20th century. The rear wing was extended to the east of the chimney at the same time with a gable roof. The fenestration comprises late-20th-century sashes.

The north elevation displays an exposed timber frame comprising a sole plate on a plinth and a front corner post rising to the roof, adjoining the 18th or 19th century front. There is a curved front brace to the midrail and two to the tie beam. Exposed above are close studding to the gable end and the rafters and collar of the 'A'-frame roof. These elements are pegged and jointed and appear in situ. The current roof line is set slightly above, suggesting that the roof structure to no. 49 has been raised slightly and probably strengthened. To the left of the front range, and projecting slightly forward, is some exposed framing to the rear wing, with a configuration suggesting some reproduction, though a possible window surround may be exposed. Further east, where the rear wing has been rebuilt, the elevation comprises painted breeze block, linked to the rendered gable ends of the late-20th-century extension. The south elevation is attached to no. 55 London Street.

Interior

Much remodelling has occurred, particularly to the ground floor plan-form, together with renewal of plasterwork and structure, almost certainly as a result of remedial works undertaken during the late-20th-century alterations. Nevertheless, significant elements of timber-frame survive in situ, some restored but in the original configuration.

The basement to no. 49 appears to have been extended beneath the pavement in the late 20th century. A basement existed in the post-medieval period, as evidenced by historic brickwork and timber in the upper part of the basement stairs. The lower stairs are entirely new and the cellar brickwork is renewed. The plinth, sole plate and corner post of the rear wing are exposed here.

The ground floor of the linear range forms offices and a salon respectively (as of 2016), remodelled for these purposes. In no. 53, the floor frame, comprising transverse bridging beams and joists, is exposed. The bridging beams have empty mortices and some joists have scarf joints; the floor frame appears to have been taken down and re-erected in the late 20th century. The cross frame of the south gable end at ground and first floor is in situ. At ground floor, it is partly obscured by modern plaster but comprises front and rear corner posts and midrails of large scantling and close studding. In no. 49, the floor frame is not exposed and may have been replaced with structural steels.

Near the centre of the rear wall of no. 49 is a rebuilt brick fireplace with a bressumer and an exposed chimney stack, repointed and with some renewed brick. At the back is the base of an opening leading to a vaulted passageway to the rear of the stack. It has been suggested that this may be a former priest's hole, also accessible through two half-arched openings found to the rear of this stack: one leading from the stairs in the rear wing and the other from the rebuilt 18th-century rear extension (a kitchen as of 2016 with reconfigured floor levels).

To the left of the fireplace is some raised and fielded panelling of 17th-century date, with a cupboard noted in the 1978 List entry above, both beneath the remaining part of the midrail to the rear wall frame. More panelling exists at the end wall of the left-hand room, where the front and rear corner posts and midrail of the timber frame are also exposed. The rear wing is accessed from an opening in the north-east corner and accommodates the dog-leg stairs to the first floor of the linear range and the upper floors of the rear wing. The stairs lie to the left of the main chimney, which heated both the main range and rear wing from fireplaces (renewed) at each floor. On the second flight is a most unusual, simply-shaped newel post formed from a solid plank. Vestigial timber framing is found in the rear wing, including sections of partition wall, corner posts and close studding. At attic floor, the roof structure is exposed, comprising tie beams, side purlins, principal rafters supported by diagonal straight braces and close studding to the apex of the gable end. In the rear wing, rooms to the east of the chimney have chamfered, transverse bridging beams, but these do not appear to be in situ. All other timber framing was removed when the rear wing was extended in the late 20th century. The extension contains no historic fabric.

The first floor of the main range has modern partitions, but the rear wall plate with scarf joints, close studding to some of the rear wall, cranked tie beams (some with arched braces), and corner posts remain. The feet of the principal rafters to no. 49's 'A'-frame roof are exposed at the rear; smoke-blackened timbers are said to remain here, though they were not observed. The fireplace in what would have been the second bay from the north has much renewed brickwork and a chamfered bressumer. At the south gable end, the wall plate, close studding, midrails, intermediate and corner posts of the cross frame are exposed and in situ. 17th-century panelling is said to exist in the northernmost room of the floor, though it was not observed.