5 5A, Guildhall Yard

Nos 5 and 5A in Guildhall Yard were formerly part of the Priory of St Mary and include a vaulted undercroft with loops on the north side, which may be remnants of the Prior's lodging. After the Dissolution, a Grammar School was established in 1553 in a single long room above the undercroft. The school was reconstructed in 1630 into two levels, with a writing school below and a grammar school above. The school operated here until 1887 when it relocated to No 36 Fore Street. The building was later remodeled, and the undercroft vault was removed. It has two storeys and a basement, originally featuring four window bays. The roof is made of Welsh slate and has a gabled belfry at the west end. The exterior is constructed from random Devonian limestone rubble, with openings that have been altered, although the first-floor windows still retain their stone hood moulds. There is a modern external staircase leading to the first-floor flat.