44 And 45, New Park Street

Nos 44 and 45 New Park Street date from around 1743, following an original lease from the Borough in 1663. The buildings are three storeys high and have a red brick facade on a timber frame. A rendered plinth and brick bands separate the floors, with an eaves band visible. The slate roof has hipped gable ends. The upper floors have three windows each, with recessed sash windows, each with three panes and cambered heads within moulded frames. Segmental brick arches support the sills of the first-floor windows. To the left, there is a yard entry with double plank doors set within a timber frame visible on the side wall. The ground floor also includes an early 19th-century shop window of six panes and a door of four panes with flush panels. A recessed house door of four fielded panels features a lion’s head iron knocker, flanked by Doric pilasters with a common frieze and cornice. The door to No 45 has six molded panels with a fist and ring knocker. A small early 19th-century shop window of six panes is on the far right, flanked by pilasters with a frieze and cornice hood. The shop interior of No 44 has fielded panelling, with a bowed, panelled chimney breast in the corner. The yard entry dates from around 1840, when a malthouse was added to the rear, which survives and was in use until 1905. A print works adjoins the yard and was formerly part of the malthouse. It remains in use and contains a very fine cast iron press of around 1860, decorated with representations of the press staff of Mercury. Nos 43 to 46 form a group.