80 London Street

Timber-framed building constructed in the C17 or C18 (datestone of 1753), re-fronted in the mid-C19.

MATERIALS: the original structure is timber frame with brick infill. The street-facing elevation is stuccoed brick. The rear elevation is of red brick with a tile-hung gable. The half-hipped roof is tiled, and there are brick stacks.

PLAN: the original range is rectangular on plan, with a covered passageway, now enclosed to the south.

EXTERIOR: the street-facing elevation is arranged over three storeys with basement, and is rendered with stucco lined out to resemble ashlar. On the ground floor the southern entrance is now fronted by a C20 part-glazed door with overlight; to the north is a large C20 shop window in the C19 opening, with a basement light below. Piers between and flanking the openings have impost mouldings below a plain fascia with cornice. The first floor has three windows in projecting eared surrounds with cills supported by brackets; the openings contain six-over-one horned sash frames. These windows are set into projecting surrounds with cills supported by brackets. The second floor contains one central window of similar form, its cill set on a platband. The architrave around this window merges into a similar band above which is a heavy projecting cornice and parapet.

To the rear, the southern doorway is now covered by the extended passageway; the 1985 List entry noted that there was a ground-floor window with an original segmental-arched opening, partially blocked. There is a single segmental-arched window at first-floor level. The gable above is tile-hung, with a C20 casement window. A stone tablet set in a rear wall reads ‘w j March 25 1753’.

INTERIOR: it is understood that the interior has been little altered, retaining the original dog-leg stair with closed strings, and column-on-vase baluster from top to bottom, and the ground-floor front room has a simple wooden cornice and chimneypiece.