No 31 And Arched Doorway

No. 31 is a house in a row, likely originally part of a larger house, dating from the 16th century or early 17th century, with later alterations including a mid-19th century remodel. The building is constructed of rendered stone and has a dry slate roof with gabled ends that abut the adjoining buildings on either side, maintaining a continuous roof line with the Ring of Bells Guest House to the left. There is a projecting granite rear lateral stack, featuring granite thatched weathering and a tapered shaft and cap. The plan is uncertain, but it appears to be a section of a house possibly designed with three rooms, likely including a hall with a rear lateral stack and part of the lower end containing a passage. The eaves seem to have been raised. The interior was not inspected, so the internal layout is unclear, but a later passageway has been created through the left-hand end.

The building is two storeys high and has an asymmetrical but regular three-window range. The first floor features three mid-19th century 12-pane sash windows, while the ground floor has two similar but 4-pane sashes on the right. To the left of centre is a granite chamfered 4-centred arch doorway, likely from the 17th century or early 17th century, although the stops, if they existed, have been trimmed off. There is also a segmentally headed narrow doorway leading to the later passageway on the left. At the rear, there are 20th-century windows and a large projecting granite lateral stack. Attached at right angles to the stack is a late 19th-century single-storey brick outbuilding. Although the 19th-century remodelling has altered some features, No. 31 remains an early building with an impressive granite lateral stack at the rear, and the front, with its original granite doorway and 19th-century windows, makes a valuable contribution to Ford Street.