Building record 0422700000 - KING'S ARMS HOTEL

Grade II*. C16 and later; formerly two properties, combined, renovated and altered in 1936. Timber framed with colour-washed plaster infill, red brick infill to east flank wall. Old tile roof, two large brick stacks with octagonal shafts. Two storeys. Central carriage arch. Sections east of this refaced 1936 and eastern gable and dormer added. Modern oak doors and leaded windows. Section west of carriageway is original, hall and cross-wing plan, two gables, jettied with first floor. Blocked arched openings between western gable, modern oak door and leaded casement windows. Rear elevation has three gables with exposed timber framing, two sash windows to first floor, small tiled lean-to east of carriageway along east wing, short central wing, and rear of 16th century cross-wing at west end. (RCHM I p8 MON 36 (east section) MON 37 (west section)) (B9).
KING'S ARMS HOTEL EXPANDED IN MID-1930'S TO INCLUDE TWO 16 CENTURY BUILDINGS (No 47 High Street, next door). (B1)
The King's Head has 3 storeys and an L-shaped plan form. Built in the 16th century of brick and timber (now much altered), the roof is tiled and the front modern with a large gateway at the western end heightened in the 18th century to admit stage coaches. At the back there are three gables and at the southern end there is a short gabled wing. A room on the ground floor has an original moulded ceiling beam. The stable at the back of the building is probably also 16th century. No 47 High Street was built in the 15th century, enlarged in the 16th century, and again in the 17th and 19th centuries. It is of two storeys, H-plan form, and built of timber frames with brick filling covered with plaster. It has been partly restored with modern brick. The roof is tiled. It is particularly interesting because of the medieval work that remains (B2).
Background history is provided in the report of a building investigation undertaken in 2001. Old Amersham stands on one of two old roads running through Buckinghamshire. In 1637, 33 stage coach services per week were passing through the town. The earliest refernces to the Kings Arms appears in the Quarter Sessions Records of 1756, which refers to licences granted to innkeepers. From 1756-62 the licence was held by James Wilson; 1767-8 by Francies Purdames; and 1772-81 by John Cook. A map of Amersham dated 1742 shows the property belonged to a Mr Wingfield. The OS map of 1925 shows the existence of two outbuildings at right angles to the Harness Room. The front of the building running parallel to the street is the oldest structure. The roof shows two bays exposed to an open hearth and one bay free of soot as a result of a closed truss. This suggests that the structure was originally a 15th century open hall with a chamber block on the western end of the building. The floor boards are 17-18th century. The rafters at the front of the building were replaced in the 20th century. During the 16th century upper floors and a brick chimney were inserted. The longitudinal beam has double hollow mouldings typical of the later 15th century. During the 18th century a dog leg staircase was inserted with Tuscan columns balusters on squared blocks. At the western end another 18th century staircase has been inserted. The timber framed cross-wing on the eastern side of the complex is of later date than the original 15th century open hall, with the roof suggesting a 16th century build date with 18th century conversion. The SW facing gable demonstrates the structure's termination and timber weathering suggests the remodelling. There is a large chimney serving a former fireplace and bread oven. The buiilding has three significant floors (B6).






[SU 9568 9732] King's Arms Hotel, probably 16th century, brick and timber, now much altered. Of three storeys, the roof tiled, the plan is L-shaped. The front is modern, with a large original gateway at the W. end, heightened in the 18th c. At the back are three gables, and the S. end of the short wing is gabled. A room on the ground floor has an original moulded ceiling-beam. A stable at the back is probably also 16th-century. Sited from plan. [A0/59/400/8]

[In the mid 1930's the King's Arms was considerably extended by the addition of the property formerly No. 47 High Street.] [SU 9566 9732] House, No. 47, High Street, Amersham, 15th-century, with mid-16th, 17th and 19th c. additions, is especially interesting because of the medieval work that remains. Of two storeys, timber-framed with brick filling, covered with
plaster, and partly restored with modern brick, the roof tiled; the house is half H-shaped on plan, the unequal E. and W. wings projecting to the S. The original building had a large one-storey hall, with the solar in the W. wing, which was lengthened in the 16th c., when the central chimney stack was added. The lower, narrower E. wing was built probably early in the 17th c., when part of the hall was destroyed, and an upper-floor inserted in the remaining part. There is 15th c. timber-framing and flint foundations, probably also 15th c., in the N. elevation. Original timber-framing of the upper storey of E. and W. elevations remains, the ground floor being partly restored. A mullioned window in the W. wall is probably 16th c. The middle of the S. elevation is modern, with a central gable and an old oak mullioned, three-light window, re-set. The formerly projecting upper storey of the E. wing is under-built with modern brick. One mullioned, two-light widnow, and a gabled dormer window with modern additions, are probably original. The W. wing has a modern gallery with an outer staircase, the original timber-framed wall has a 16th c. doorway, now blocked, and a 15th c. oak screen of three bays which is probably not in situ. Inside, much 15th and 16th c. timber is visible, the W. wing has a 16th c. fireplace, and, at the back of the wing, walls of wattle and daub. Sited from plan [A0/59/400/8] (B2)

Used as a warehouse, tenements, etc., No.47, High Street, has been much neglected and many of the details mentioned by the Royal Commission [see (1)] have now gone. Restoration work has been carried out by Mr. C. M. Cheese, who came into possession of the property, and who has been to some care and expense to preserve the character of the building. During restorations fragments of wall paintings were found (B10).

"C.16, restored 1936. Timber frame and colour washed plaster with asphalt plinth and old tile roof with 3 gables 2 storeys, 7 ground floor, 5 1st floor modern lattice casements, 3 dormers. Central ground floor carriageway. Gables oversail on exposed corbels. 2 red brick chimney stacks, each with 4 octagonal shafts. 3 S. wings. Grade II."
[Refers to authority (1): V.C.H. and N.B.R.] (B12).

The King's Arms Hotel, centred at and marked on the Sp. 25", has by the addition in the mid 1930's of the fomrer No. 47 High Street been made into an extensive and important range of buildings. They are comprehensively described by the preceding authorities, in excellent condition, and fine examples of their type.
G.P. A0/60/49/8 : view from N.E. (B13).

NRHE insert 2003 (B14)