4, Fore Street

This is a late medieval house, likely dating to the 15th century or earlier, forming part of a row in Fore Street, Silverton. It is constructed of cob with stone footings, and has a thatched roof. The building probably originally featured a 3-room, cross-passage plan, adapted to fit within a subdivided medieval tenement site. The original layout included a hall and service room fronting Fore Street, with a large external stack positioned laterally on the front to heat the hall, and an inner room to the rear. The front of the house has a 2-window range to the first floor, with one 2-light and one 4-light casement window, and two 2-light windows to the ground floor. A door is located immediately to the right of the stack. The stack has stone set-offs, a moulded cap, and a brick extension to the shaft. The interior has not been inspected. The building represents an interesting example of a late medieval urban plan type, as discussed by J R L Thorp in "Two Hall Houses in a Late-Medieval Terrace: 8-12 Fore Street, Silverton.”