55 Westgate Street

55 Westgate Street is a former medieval merchant's house that has been converted into a shop and dwelling. It likely dates back to the 15th century, with a 17th-century rear wing. The building underwent significant re-facing and other alterations in the mid- to late 18th century, with further changes made in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The structure features an encapsulated timber frame that is rendered on the sides and rear. It has an ashlar-walled cellar, a stuccoed brick front, and a slate roof that includes a hipped dormer and a tall brick stack. The plan consists of a double-depth block with parallel pitched roofs and an end-gabled 17th-century wing at the rear. Notably, the front left corner of the rear wing has a mortice for a horizontal rail, which may indicate where a former gallery connected the front and rear sections.

The exterior is three storeys high with an attic and cellar, while the rear wing is two storeys. The main façade features a 20th-century shopfront with a 19th-century fascia on end brackets. The upper floors are arranged in two bays, with a string course at the first-floor window sill level, a cornice adorned with closely spaced modillions, and a parapet above. Each upper floor has two plain horned sash windows of similar size in plain openings, with projecting sills on the second floor. The roof dormer contains a pair of plain casements.

Inside, the cellar has ashlar side walls, with remnants of stone springers from a former barrel vault that has since been replaced by a timber floor. The shop area features exposed lateral bridging beams and an early 19th-century dog-leg staircase with winders at the turns and a stick balustrade. On the second floor, there is an 18th-century two-panel door. The layout of the walls and floors suggests that timber framing is concealed by later linings.