Crown House

Crown House

This is a three-storeyed building of four windows across its main range, with the central two bays advanced as a separate hipped-roofed block. The front elevation is finished in lined stucco under a slate roof, sitting on a plinth, with a brick and stone end stack to the left. The windows are hornless sashes with flat heads.

A timber-framed rear wing extends from the back, marked by a brick ridge stack at its junction with the main range.

The ground floor of the central projection contains the principal entrance and shop front. The entrance is a 6-panel door reached by two stone steps and surmounted by a decorative overlight with octagonal panes. It sits within a doorcase featuring fluted columns with semi-cylindrical capitals supporting an open triangular pediment. To the right is a shop window with plain pilasters and a dentilled cornice supported on decorative scrolled brackets, containing a 3-light transomed window with octagonal panes above the transom. A shop door formerly occupied the right-hand return but has been blocked and replaced by a 12-pane sash. The first floor of the central projection has 12-pane sashes, while the second floor has 3-over-6-pane sashes. Between the windows hangs a large wrought iron sign bracket decorated with leaves and scrolls, possibly of early 19th-century date. To the left return of the projection is a 12-pane sash at ground floor level. To the left of the projection, the ground floor opens into a wide rectangular through-passage; the floors above have 16-pane and 4-over-8-pane sashes respectively. To the right of the projection, each storey contains a 3-over-3-pane sash.

The rear elevation displays a large timber-framed wing. To its right, the main range has a rear opening to the through-passage and a small wooden light to the second storey. To the left, the main range has a small 3-light window to the second floor, with a shallow lean-to below featuring a 3-light casement to the first floor and a boarded door under a segmental head at ground level. The east gable end of the main range is of stone at ground floor level and shows signs of alteration. In the angle with the rear wing stands a narrow gabled staircase projection facing east, with 3-light casements at mid-level. Above to the left is a fragment of a gable end with higher eaves and a slate-hung front.

The rear wing is constructed of random stone at ground floor level, close-studded timber at first floor and attic levels, under a slate roof. The west side sits on boulder footings; to the left of these, the wall is slightly set back. Two tiers of close-studding are visible; the gable end has diagonal braces beneath the tie-beam. The gable features a high collar with raked struts and two panels of decorative framing with quadrant circles, beneath the attic window. The windows are small plain-glazed wooden casements, installed during early 21st-century restoration. The west side has two top-hung lights at ground floor, a 3-light casement to the first floor, and two skylights to the roof pitch. The east side has a boarded door with sidelights; the first floor has a 2-light window to the left and a 4-light window to the right. The north gable end has a boarded door with sidelight, and the first floor and attic both have a central 4-light casement.

Interior

The through-passage gives entrance to the main range on the right. The interior features boarded doors and plastered walls, part of the early 21st-century restoration. The entrance hall is spanned by a ceiling with two plain cross-beams. To the left of the entrance hall, within the narrow gabled bay to the rear, stands a fine early 18th-century dog-leg staircase rising to the attic. It has wide treads, barley twist balusters, heavily moulded handrails, and deeply panelled square newel posts with flat moulded caps, with a balustraded balcony to the upper storey. A short flight of stairs, probably of early 21st-century date, descends to a cellar; on its right side are the remains of an ovolo-moulded mullioned window of at least four lights. The staircase projection has stop-chamfered spine and cross-beams to the ceiling, some with cut stops.

The rear wing contains a large infilled fireplace at its south end, with a basket-arched timber lintel and stone jambs, cut away on the left-hand side. The ceiling is spanned by two spine-beams and one cross-beam, medium-chamfered with cut stops. On the first floor, the ceiling beams follow the same arrangement, supported on slightly raked posts. These posts form part of a substantial jointed arched-brace truss, visible at attic storey level; the purlins have been replaced. At the junction with the main range is a tie-beam truss with an arched collar. To the southwest is some heavily battered stonework, possibly related to the chimney.

The main range currently accommodates a café at ground floor level, replacing the original shop. The ceiling has stop-chamfered cross and spine-beams, as in the rear wing, and stop-chamfered joists, though these do not extend into the projecting central bay. Some signs of fire damage are visible. The first floor ceiling contains five chamfered cross-beams, also not projecting into the central bay. The attic includes a tie-beam truss with closely-spaced struts positioned above tie-beam level.