25 Church Street

25 Church Street

This building was possibly constructed originally as a house around the 15th century, later becoming a shop with accommodation above. It was extended to the rear during the 17th and 18th centuries, then re-fronted and partially rebuilt in the 18th century, with a mid-20th century shopfront added subsequently. The late-20th century pitched-roof wing and former outbuilding to the east are not included in the listing.

The structure is timber-framed, refaced in brick, beneath mostly clay-tile roofs. The building occupies the western end of a long narrow plot extending eastward that has largely been built over. It stands at the end of a terrace.

The front range is two storeys with an attic and cellar, topped by a pitched tile roof with the east pitch partially raised. A mid-20th century shopfront dominates the front elevation. Above this, the first floor is brick laid to Flemish bond, containing a pair of 19th century two-over-two sash windows. The surrounding brickwork shows evidence of historic modifications to the original window openings. Two dormers in the roof's west pitch contain 20th century single-pane timber windows. To the south is a narrow, recessed gable-end bay with mid-20th century windows and shopfront. A south-end door gives access to a side passageway bounded by the front range's original south elevation, which retains exposed box framing including a chamfered corner post and mortice holes indicating an early timber window. South-east of this is a pitched-roof cross wing, partially clad in tiles with a brick gable end topped by a brick stack. In the north-east corner stands a further two-storey rear range, partially clad in tiles. To the east is a single-storey mid-20th century brick addition with a terrace accessed by an external staircase.

The interior of the front range retains early timber-frame elements on the ground floor. Behind the modern shopfront are remains of the original jetty construction, including a storey post and angle bracket in the south wall, another storey post in the north wall, and a mortice for the lost jetty plate within the south storey post. Extending towards the shopfront are chamfered and stopped jetty joists, along with substantial stopped and chamfered cross beams and joists. These timbers have been reinforced with later supports as walls were removed to create a largely open-plan ground-floor shop space; some timbers have been replaced. Empty mortices in the joists mark the positions of earlier partitions. The former east wall at ground-floor level has been largely removed to open the shop through to the later rear additions. A wall subdivides the rear half of the shop, with more recent partitions creating a staff area in the centre. Ground-floor fireplaces are later insertions, possibly dating to the 18th century. Access to a cellar is provided via the floor. The first floor, reached by an external staircase, retains exposed box framing with straight bracing in the front range. Two-panel doors with architraves are visible here, as are the tops of jowled posts. At attic level the roof structure is visible. The front range roof trusses featured substantial cambered collars and a pair of butt purlins which appear to have been reused from earlier roof construction. Empty mortices in the collar suggest the original roof structure may have been a fan-truss with raking queen posts and a central kingpost, later replaced by 18th century struts. Doorways have been inserted into the trusses. The south-east cross wing, dating from around the 17th century, retains sections of box framing with straight braces at first-floor level and jowled posts.