6, High Street

House with shop. Originally dating to the 16th century with some work dated 1673, the front was reconstructed in the mid-20th century. The building is constructed of rubble with painted brickwork to the front elevation and a hipped Welsh slate roof behind a parapet. The rear ranges are covered with asbestos-cement slate.

The original plan appears to have been a double-depth house with a central transverse staircase, to which a third range was added across the rear. All three ranges have gabled ends to ridges running parallel with the High Street. Part of the property may have been absorbed later into the adjoining No. 4.

The exterior presents three storeys and a basement over three bays. A late 20th-century shop front in hardwood occupies the ground floor, largely deeply recessed. Above this are two three-light transomd casement windows to the first floor and three two-light casements to the second floor, all with rectangular leaded panes set under brick soldier arches. A dentilled brick cornice and stepped parapet complete the facade detail, which continues across No. 8.

The rear wall contains, at first-floor level, four 17th-century wood casements: two are two-light with mullion and transom, and two are three-light with a central opening unit flanked by horizontal bars. In the east gables at first-floor level is a long shallow six-light casement with horizontal bars.

The ground floor has been opened up by removal of partitions. The shop retains cased ceiling beams, and at the centre, rising through from ground to second floor, is a very fine wide early 17th-century dog-leg staircase with strapwork-panelled and capped newels, deep handrails, and elaborate scrolled and carved balustrade panels with turned balusters (some modern) to the outer balustrades. In the rear wall of the middle range is a wide three-centre chamfered arched fireplace with ornamental brick and tile fireback dated "E.G. August 6 1673". The rear range contains, to the left, an early 17th-century newel staircase with traces of timber-framing in the rear wall. In the east party wall are two recesses revealing parts of blocked arches of uncertain date and a wide six-light casement in deep reveals set high.

At first-floor level, the main stair landing features a fine two-panel 17th-century door with cambered head on scrolls in a 16th-century moulded frame. Opposite this, on three steps, is a two-panel fielded door in an ovolo-moulded frame, and there is a twelve-pane sash to the west. The front room has a cornice moulding, and the middle room an early four-light casement with horizontal bars and a very large square beam. The rear room is divided into four bays with very broad ceiling beams, that to the middle bay with mortices on each side. The rear wall contains four 17th-century windows in two patterns. A 16th-century stone fireplace with square opening to a moulded stopped surround is located in the east wall. The room has an early moulded skirting, and in the south-west corner is an entrance to the newel stair.

At second-floor level are two borrowed lights in the partitions to the staircase, unglazed, with fine turned balusters. Some large roof principals are visible above the stair. The rear range has some early floor-boards but a 20th-century roof structure. The middle range retains four bays of collar trusses with the collars removed and two purlins; this roof is in two sections of differing date with a central partition, and the purlins in the east section are heavier than the others. The cellar was not accessible.

The property, which was extended to the north soon after completion of the front ranges, was clearly a town house belonging to a merchant of considerable wealth and retains some fine features, especially of the 17th century. Its architectural quality is belied by the bland 20th-century frontage.