The Lamb Hotel

The Lamb Hotel

A former hotel now being converted to domestic use, dating from the late 16th or early 17th century with additions and alterations from the 19th and 20th centuries.

The building comprises timber-framed construction with later brick infill and tiled roof, arranged in an L-shaped plan with a northern range running east-west and an eastern range running north-south on the western side of the High Street. The structure is two storeys throughout.

The eastern front facing the High Street divides into three distinct parts. The middle section, which is tallest, appears to be an almost complete rebuilding of the later 19th century, featuring applied timbers in imitation of framing. It is flanked by lower gabled wings: the right wing is a 19th-century re-facing of the gable end of an older wing, while the left wing is timber-framed to the first floor and of similar early date. The brickwork walling and infill along the front is now colourwashed, though old photographs show that the original brickwork featured various diaper patterns.

The left southern gable has brick walling to ground floor with a square-headed carriage way flanked to its right by a four-pane sash window with cambered head. At first floor level is an exposed truss to the gable, with tie, collar and yolk, and a three-light casement set between queen struts which connect the tie to the collar and support the purlins. To the right of this, the rebuilt 19th-century section has applied timber framing to its upper body, including X-bracing and long diagonals. At ground floor left is a wide five-light sash window, with two-light and one-light sash windows to its right, the latter replacing a former doorway. The first floor has two four-light sash windows. The re-fronted gable end to the right again has a door at left with moulded surround and paired four-light sashes to its right, with a further four-light sash at first floor level.

The northern flank has late 16th-century timber-framed walling with four principal bays subdivided by small framing. Heavy arched braces at far right and left connect uprights to the wall plate. Fenestration comprises randomly positioned 19th or 20th-century casements, with blocked windows evident at first-floor level and at least one blocked doorway to the ground floor. Beyond this, a further bay is clad in brick but continues the building line and ridge. At right of centre is a 19th and 20th-century addition at ground-floor level with lean-to and flat roof. At right again is a lower late 19th-century service range with blank brick walling.

In the yard at the rear, the south front of the northern wing has an extensive late 19th-century addition with lean-to roof masking the ground floor. Above this, recessed at first-floor level, the original wall is colourwashed, with the outline of an arched brace and upright visible. The rear of the late 19th-century central section of the road front is blank at ground floor level with two windows to the first floor. At right, the rear of the former carriage way is masked to its lower body by a 20th-century gabled addition at ground-floor level, and a 21st-century ground-floor brick extension with flat roof extends to the left of this, though the timber-framing above the carriage entrance remains visible behind it.

Internally, the north wing has chamfered ceiling beams and joists with stepped end stops to the ground floor. At first floor level are jowled posts, arched braces and close-set uprights to partitions and external walls, with wide elm floorboards. At the western end, planted timbers have been used as supports where the space has been opened out by later additions, and a steel beam supports a section of the ceiling joists.

The later 19th-century middle portion of the street front range has been opened out internally with dividing walls removed on both floors, leaving few original features in this part of the building.

The upper floor above the carriage arch has timber-framing to both gable walls and exposed purlins.