40, High Street

WELLS

ST5445 HIGH STREET 662-1/7/112 (North side) 12/11/53 No.40

GV II

Shops in former house. Probably C16, with C19 facade. Timber-framed with brick facade, rendered on side elevation, all colourwashed, hipped clay pantiled roof of U-plan. Brick chimney stack. Right-angle plan. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 2 bays. Early C20 shop front across whole ground floor, with left-hand door to upper floors and central door to shop, thin fascia, plain sash windows to upper floors. On side elevation to Union Street the first floor jettied over a brick base, and signs of rear jetty at second floor level, sundry casement windows including display window to ground floor. INTERIOR: the shop has a heavily moulded crossbeam behind the display window, chamfered ceiling beams with a dragon beam to the outside corner. On the first floor some of the timber-frame exposed, showing vertical members with curved windbraces, central post in front wall, chamfer-with-runout-stop beams to ceiling and dragon beam to corner. Second floor displays double roof with collar trusses and exposed purlins, one framed partition and one low chamfered doorway-other work possibly behind plaster. In all, a good surviving frame.

Listing NGR: ST5486245686