56, High Street

56 High Street is a house with a shop, likely dating from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. It features a timber-frame construction that is rendered and colourwashed, topped with a clay pantiled gabled roof that runs at right angles to the road. The building has a narrow frontage and a two-room plan with low ceilings, along with a later store added to the rear.

The exterior consists of three storeys and two bays. The ground floor has a simple shop front with a central doorway under a jetty, and a slim fascia that conceals the joist-ends. On the first floor, there are two 12-pane sash windows, while the second floor has one centrally located sash window, all featuring timber architraves. The bargeboards are highly ornamental and likely date from the 19th century.

Inside, the shop has been altered, but the original stair with winders remains in a central position. At the rear, there is a lofty store that was once a bakehouse, featuring kingpost trusses and a straight stair that returns to the early range. The first floor contains 19th-century partitioning, wide elm floorboards, and 17th-century chamfered crossbeams with run-out stops. The front room includes a thin 17th or 18th-century door with early L-hinges. The upper stair, located at the right rear, is from the 19th century and has a stick balustrade with turned newels. The second floor also has 19th-century partitions.

The front wall has some timber-framework that is partly exposed, revealing remnants of substantial timber-framing, including a heavy tie-beam that is also partly exposed in both party walls. The rear room features a three-light casement window with leading and early glass. The three-bay roof frame includes cambered collar trusses, some curved and chamfered windbraces, and chamfered butt purlins. The rear truss is slightly set forward from the stack, and many of the rafters are early.

Overall, this building presents an unassuming facade but is one of the more interesting historical survivals in this street, with the upper storeys being unused at the time of the survey.