20A Chamberlain Street

Dwelling, one half of a formerly larger house; the other half is 22 Chamberlain Street (Grade II*). Medieval origins, with later alterations, including refronting and internal refurbishment probably in the first half of the C18. Further alterations in the early C21.

MATERIALS: the building is constructed of stone rubble and brick, and is rendered and colour-washed, except the single-storey part of the rear range. The roofs are clad with triple-roll clay tiles and slate. There is a brick chimneystack to the far right of the front range, and two ridge stacks to the rear range which have been rebuilt and are also of brick.

PLAN: it has an L-shaped plan; originally part of a larger L-shaped house, and comprises a front range of three bays and a long, rectangular range to the rear.

EXTERIOR: the building has two storeys with attics; the long, rear range is one and a half storeys. The principal (south) elevation fronts onto the street and has a plinth, a moulded cornice and a plain parapet. These continue onto 22 Chamberlain Street (Grade II*). To the left-of-centre is a six-panel door in a panelled recess with timber architrave. The twelve-pane sash windows have exposed boxes and architrave surrounds. There are two small dormer windows. The windows and doors in the rear elevations of 20A are early-C21 replacements.

INTERIOR: the entrance door opens onto an L-shaped room created by the removal of a partition wall in the front range in 2004. An early-C21 open-well staircase has been introduced at the rear of the room. Some historic fittings have been retained on the ground floor of the rear range, formerly the service wing, including a large segmental-arched fireplace with ashlar jambs and lintel and a chamfered ceiling beam with runouts (dining room), and a further fireplace in the current kitchen. One of the front bedrooms has a fireplace with a simple flat-arched surround and a hob grate dating from the early C18. The roof to the front range retains pegged principal rafters and threaded purlins.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the large garden plot (sub-divided with 22 in 2004) to the rear is bounded by random stone rubble walls of varying heights and different dates of construction. The most intact length of walling forms the eastern boundary and dates probably to the C18. It is coped and appears to survive to its full height of approximately 2.5m.