History

A medieval hall and cross-wing of box-framed timber construction. The N cross-wing survives almost intact, but the S part of the hall was replaced by a late C17 2-unit block. This C17 block was partly raised and remodelled in the early C19. A detailed record of the house was made by RCAHMW in 1979, when the plaster had been stripped from the walls: the surviving part of the medieval hall was found to retain an open truss, a louvre truss, and a single purlin with curved windbraces beneath. The open truss had a cambered collar supporting a King-post. The cross-wing was jettied to the E, where it fronts the street.

Exterior

The house comprises a short main range to the centre, set back slightly between the advanced medieval crosswing to the right, and the C17 block to the left. Lined-out render throughout, with slate roofs. Main range has renewed brick stack offset to L, and eaves which project down to form a lean-to porch. Inside porch, the entrance bay has been slightly altered: it consists of double boarded doors under a 3-pane overlight, flanked by side-lights with gothic and quarry glazing, all under a long decorative cornice with brattishing, probably brought from elsewhere. Above cornice, timber-framing with arched panels and quatrefoils; box-panels flanking doorway. Skylight to main roof-pitch. Gabled front of storeyed cross-wing to R has a 2-light small-pane wooden casement to each storey. Redmodelled C17 block to left has modillion eaves cornice (probably C19) and plat band; the windows are 4-pane sashes in moulded surrounds; gabled attic dormer with 2-light wooden casement. The render continues for a short distance to L-hand return, then early brickwork is exposed in S side, with plinth, plat band and later cornice continuing. The wall has a number of former windows with segmental brick heads, blocked in brick. To L is a small light with gothic quarry glazing, and a small 4-pane casement above. To far L, a rendered panel with 2 casement windows with frosted glass; similar window above. To rear, gable end of S block has eaves swept down to R, a 2-light window with gothic glazing to 1st floor and a further 2-light window to attic; single-storey rendered block adjoining ground floor. The central range has been cut by the S block, and consists of one-and-a-half gables, slightly set back; rear entrance with lean-to porch. Gabled wing to L has end stack, and a later single-storey range adjoining beneath.

Interior

Open entrance hall with gallery opposite, the woodwork a modern composition, but including a quatrefoil frieze re-used from elsewhere. The medieval cross-wing to R is 3-unit, the upper storey of the front and central units retaining trusses with cambered tie-beams and collars, the former supported by substantial curved braces; curved wind-braces beneath the purlins. The upper storey is reached by a C20 flight of stairs leading up to the central bay. The ground floor of the central bay has a late C17 ceiling with medium-chamfered spine-beams and plain joists. The rear unit was partly remodelled in the C17, and contains a small brick fireplace, but wattle and daub infill has been found here. To L of entrance hall, the character is C17: Back-to-back fireplaces to front and rear rooms, both with cast iron firebacks which bear insignia of Charles I, but are not thought to be authentic. The rear dining room has a large segmental-arched fireplace of chamfered red sandstone voussoirs (possibly re-used from the castle) with a bake-oven to rear; the room is panelled. Large cellars, formerly service rooms, with late C17 detail: substantial stop-chamfered spine beams, with large fireplace to SW with cambered timber lintel, and fireplace stair on its R-hand side; former cellar windows to front, now infilled. Upper storey has rooms with stop-chamfered spine beams. Attic of S room has pegged tie-beam trusses with collars, probably early C19, with hip-rafters at the corners.

Reasons for Listing

Listed grade II* as a substantial medieval box-framed town-house, developed in the late C17, the interior retaining good detail from both these periods. Group value with surrounding listed buildings in Castle Street.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29481303

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

• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings