Church House Incorporating Audley House

Church House incorporating Audley House, Crane Street

A group of buildings arranged around a courtyard, dating from the 15th century with significant later alterations. The complex was substantially rehandled in the 18th century and again in 1887, particularly the west river front, by the architect Crickmay of Weymouth.

The north block presents a two-storey ashlar stone front to Crane Street with an old tile roof. The composition is unsymmetrical, dominated by a large four-centred moulded and splayed arch positioned left of centre, with a contemporary oak double door featuring tracery and studding. To the right of the archway are two eight-light moulded stone mullioned and transomed windows with tracery in the upper lights, which illuminate the Hall that rises the full height of the building. Further right are two small two-light windows on each floor with tracery and drip moulds, topped by a small gabled tile-hung dormer. A gabled end projects on the west side of the courtyard with an overhanging tile-hung first floor and a chimney shaft. Two 18th-century windows were inserted on the first floor and one on the ground floor to the left of the archway; the glazing bars of the ground floor windows have since been removed.

The south elevation of the north block is 15th-century work with 19th-century restorations, built in flint with ashlar stone dressings and an old tile roof. It features a three-light gabled dormer above the archway and a two-light moulded stone mullioned window with drip mould on the first floor. Two eight-light mullioned and transomed windows correspond to those on the north elevation.

At right angles to the Hall stands a 15th to 16th-century wing, two storeys in ashlar stone with a tile-hung gabled end containing one four-light moulded stone mullioned and transomed window. The west elevation of this wing has one four-light moulded stone mullioned and transomed window at first floor and a four-centred arched doorway of 16th-century date on the ground floor. In the angle between this wing and the Hall is a two-storey angular bay with a hipped old tile roof, fitted with a five-light moulded stone mullioned traceried window at first floor and a twelve-light moulded stone mullioned and transomed window with tracery in the top lights on the ground floor.

The east elevation of the west block, facing the courtyard, dates from the 15th to 16th century and is two storeys with attic space. It is built in brick with a projecting plinth and moulded stone band at first floor level, roofed in old tile with three hipped dormer windows. The elevation features one three-light window with moulded oak mullions, one central rectangular single-storey bay on brackets, and two four-light moulded oak mullioned windows on the first floor. The bay has eight lights on its front and two on each side with moulded oak mullions; the bay and four-light windows are now glazed with plate glass. Five irregular windows and two doors occupy the ground floor: four six-light moulded oak mullioned and transomed windows and one four-light, all with modern leaded lights. Both doors have modern moulded and splayed surrounds with four-centred arches over.

The west elevation of the west block extends along the river and is 15th to 16th-century work, two storeys and attic, built in brick with tile-hung gables and an old tile roof. The ground floor features stone mullioned windows and half timbering above, with irregular windows to the upper floors. This entire river front was rehandled by Crickmay.

The south block, built in 1728, represents a recasing of a range added to the house in 1637 upon its conversion to a workhouse. It is three storeys of brick with a projecting plinth and stone bands at first and second floor levels. Windows have stone cills and keystones with moulded and coved eaves cornice beneath an old tile hipped roof. The elevation contains nine windows on the upper floors and six windows and two doors on the ground floor. The double doors sit within a moulded architrave surround, each door having three panels topped by flat moulded cantilever hoods with a deep mitred cove beneath.

Audley House was originally the residence of Webb, a cloth merchant. The south block served as a 'hospital' for old men.

The interior contains a hall roof with collar beams on thin arched braces, with tracery above the collars and two tiers of windbraces. Wall posts rest on stone demi-figures of angels bearing shields, one displaying a merchant's mark. A massive chimney piece has been reset, as has another with cusped quatrefoils in the entrance room to the front and in a ground floor room of the west range. The only chimney piece in its original position stands in the solar, its lintel decorated with three very large quatrefoils. An Elizabethan ribbed plaster ceiling is also present.

Numbers 87 to 101 (odd) form an important group.