Building record 1151000000 - 2 CHURCH STREET

Grade II. Small House. C15 and early C16, altered C19 and later. Timber frame with curved braces to front elevation, brick nogging mostly C19, some herringbone pattern. One rendered panel to front of stack. Rubble stone plinth, stack of slender red bricks to right bay, tiled roof. Three bays, two storeys and cellar, upper floor jettied to road with fine moulded bressumer. Ground floor has a small paned paired timber casement and a single fixed leaded light in a metal frame. First floor has C20 paired leaded casements. Door to left bay in doorcase with four centred head with carved spandrels. Right gable shows part of roof truss with arched braced collar. Rear timber casements are C20. Interior: Three bay frame. Ground floor chamfered beams with double stops on hefty braces. Fireplace bressumer partly papered over. The upper floor formed a single chamber. First floor inserted ceiling, replaced and strengthened 2003-4, cutting into previously truncated tie beams on knee braces, possibly a false hammerbeam roof. Very fine roof with three open trusses with large arch braces from collar to rafters. Central truss smoke blackened although wattle and daub panel above is not. Curved tension braces and arched wind braces to the purlins. This fine upper chamber is thought to have formed the solar of a larger building (B1).
Surviving building interpreted as former solar of a larger building. Hammer beam truss ('false hammer beam' or 'vernacular hammer beam') roof, possibly of early 15th century date. Solar of 3 bays with stone cellar beneath (B2).