15 Castle Street

House of the 16th century with later alterations and a rear extension of 1982, when the building was refurbished. Mostly in office use since the 20th century.

The front and west elevation are of over-painted brick at the ground floor and rendered above. The 1982 rear extension is of part-rendered brick. The roofs are tiled.

The earliest phase comprised a jettied front range with two rooms to each floor and a rear wing in a T-plan. The current 18th century entrance at the west end of the frontage is probably the location of the original entrance and led to an entrance passage. Currently, the ground-floor room is a single space, but the two-room plan remains on the upper floors. The stairs are arranged parallel to the rear of the front range, from which modern stairs lead down to the rear wing (known as the conference room in 2023). Beyond is the double-piled rear extension of 1982.

The front range is of two bays over three storeys with an attic and a part-cellar. The rear wing is a single bay wide and is of two storeys. The gable roofs are tile-covered; a partly rebuilt ridge stack is apparent at the east gable end of the front range.

The principal front of the 16th century range is double-gabled with moulded timber jetties to the oversailing first and second floors. The ground floor has 18th century panelled shutters to the rectangular sash windows, the shutters attached to the architrave of the window by H-L hinges to the top and bottom corners and resting on the cills. Secured by a modern hook attached to an 18th century plate, the position for a bar is evident on the shutters' central frames. To the west is a stepped 18th century entrance with flat hood supported on brackets and a moulded door case. The panelled door is 20th century with a rectangular overlight with diamond pattern glazing.

At the first floor are two small angular bay windows each with six-over-six sash windows at the centre flanked by two-over-two sashes to the side. Each gable above has one horizontal sash window (Yorkshire sash) of four lights to each sash.

The west elevation, exposed in the vehicular access to number 17, has exposed box framing on a painted brick plinth with rendered or over-painted brick panels.

The rear elevation of the 16th century range is mostly obscured by the rear wing, but two dormer windows are apparent in the attic. The rear wing has a partially remodelled roof structure, broader and not as high.

The principal components of a 16th century oak timber frame of substantial scantling with clear adze marks, employing good quality pegged and jointed carpentry are apparent on all floors of the front range. Other elements of the frame may survive beneath modern finishes. Floor frames with chamfered and stopped axial and transverse bridging beams in addition to midrails and wall posts are evident. Most door frames are standard late 19th century or later.

On the ground floor main room, there are exposed joists over the former passageway. The earliest wide floorboards survive, at least in part, beneath a later 19th century floor. There is modern wall panelling to the north, east and west walls but 18th century panelling attached to the rear south wall. At the east end is an 18th century bolection fireplace with moulded and decorative surround and mantelpiece. The grate appears to have been removed. A door at the rear leads into the rear stair hall, extended to the west, from which the 19th century staircase rises to all floors; the banister is truncated in places. Bridging beams are exposed in the first-floor rooms, and in the east room there is a 19th century fire surround. The attic rooms, lit by dormers to the front and rear, have exposed tie beams, wall plates, purlins, collars and windbraces. Some of the framing to the front dormer openings has been replaced with later timber and structural steels.

The single-bay rear wing (known as the ground floor conference room in 2023) is accessed by steps down from the stair hall. Here, a floor frame with a chamfered and stopped axial beam and joists are exposed, strengthened with a modern RSJ; a transverse beam is more crude in its dressing. No other timber framing is exposed. UPVC windows inserted through the west elevation light the room. The first floor is subdivided by modern partitions, but the tie beams, collars, principal rafters and purlins are exposed, although the upper roof structure has been renewed with light scantling machine-sawn timbers arranged as an A-frame. In the southern room there is a possible jowled storey post and late-19th century joinery.

The cellar is understood to have a concrete floor.

The attached 1982 extension has no historic fixtures or fittings.