79 And 79A, Gloucester Street

This is a pair of houses located on the north side of Gloucester Street in Winchcombe. The front facade dates to the late 18th century, but there is evidence of earlier work dating back to the 16th or 17th century behind the visible front. The houses are constructed from fine limestone ashlar, with a decorative string course at the first floor level, now covered in cement render. The roof is covered in Welsh slate and features a moulded cornice and plain coping. The coping is cut back at the right-hand end to match the returns of the cornice of the adjacent property at number 77. Originally, the houses were built as two deep properties, reflecting the burgage plot layout. The rear of the houses contains box timber framing, including haunched corner posts and bracketed jetties, with Fletton brick infill. The houses are two storeys high and originally had a two-window front. They now have replacement sash windows with glazing bars and stone sills, with a blank panel in the centre of the first floor. The ground floor was reconstructed in 1983, and features sash windows and glazed doors set within neo-Georgian door surrounds. Internally, remnants of original fireplaces remain, although these have been substantially modified. Despite later changes, the two houses retain a distinct sense of their original historic form.