Description

SAFFRON WALDEN

TL5338 MERCERS ROW
669-1/1/296 (South side)
01/11/72 No.1
(Formerly Listed as:
MERCERS ROW
No.1
The Coffee House)

II

Shop with restaurant over. C17 with later additions and C20
restoration. Timber-framed and rendered, peg tile and slated
roofs. 2 storey and attic. Irregular rectangular plan of
original L form with infilling of rear internal angle.
N front elevation to Mercers Row: broad wing at E end, gable
to street, right-angled range parallel to street. Red brick
stack through roof apex at junction of blocks. Frontage mainly
C20. All windows have glazing bars. Ground floor, W-E, C18
door with 6 fielded panels, upper panels now glazed, simple
C20 doorcase. C20 fixed light, 2x3 panes. C19 triple sash
window, 1x4, 3x4, 1x4 panes. C20 polygonal shop window taken
round corner to Market Passage on E side comprises 7 similar,
top opening glazed units, each of 2x4 panes and iron corner
support pillar. First floor, under gable, 2 similar C20
2-light casements, each 4x4 panes. To W, C20 2-light casement
6x2 panes, C20 gable barge-boards.
Rear, S elevation: gable of E block with smaller gable of
infilling to W set forward with short slated lean-to range at
right angles to W. Windows similar to front. Ground floor,
E-W, C20 polygonal shop window of five 2x4 units (corner
pillar). C20 2-light casement window, 4x4 panes. Projecting
wing, C20 casement 2x3 panes, plain C20 door, C20 3-light
casement window 6x3 panes. First floor, E-W, below original
gable two c1900 sash windows, 3x4 panes, return E face of
later addition. C20 sash window 4x4 panes. E elevation to
Market Passage: ground floor polygonal shop windows at N and S
ends. Central C20 door with upper glazing, 3x4 panes, directly
above, on first floor, early C19 sash window 3x4 panes. Simple
cornice between floors.
INTERIOR: heavily restored C17 framing exposed with much
reused timber in C20 work. Primary braced studding.
Face-halved bladed scarf joint in wall plate. Broad gabled E
end has pair of bridging joists to span width with original
lamb's tongue chamfer stops. Floors, first and attic, have
deep set diminished haunched tenoned common joists, roof of
strong construction, triple butt side purlins, middle run
joggled, with collars, half bay upper collars trapping upper
purlin run. Common rafters butted and pegged to central
purlins but ride behind upper and lower ones. Right angle
range parallel to street less well preserved but roughly
similar consruction. Lower part of stack, between units, of
later C17 brickwork in English bond.

Listing NGR: TL5382438464

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26585290

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)