40, High Street

No. 40 High Street is a building that likely dates back to the 16th century, with a facade added in the 19th century. It features a timber-framed structure with a brick facade that is rendered on the side elevation, all of which is colourwashed. The roof is hipped and covered with clay pantiles, forming a U-plan, and there is a brick chimney stack.

The exterior consists of three storeys and two bays. The ground floor has an early 20th-century shop front that spans the entire width, with a door on the left leading to the upper floors and a central door for the shop. The upper floors have plain sash windows and a thin fascia. On the side elevation facing Union Street, the first floor juts out over a brick base, and there are signs of a rear jetty at the second floor level, along with various casement windows, including a display window on the ground floor.

Inside, the shop features a heavily moulded crossbeam behind the display window, with chamfered ceiling beams and a dragon beam at the outside corner. The first floor reveals some exposed timber framing, showcasing vertical members with curved windbraces, a central post in the front wall, and chamfered beams with run-out stops on the ceiling, along with a dragon beam in the corner. The second floor exhibits a double roof with collar trusses and exposed purlins, one framed partition, and a low chamfered doorway, with additional work possibly concealed behind plaster. Overall, the building retains a good surviving frame.