Building record 1245707000 - 56, 58 & 60 HIGH STREET

Summary

Sixteenth century timber-framed house with contemporary wall paintings, now divided into three houses.

Protected Status/Designation

  • Listed Building (II*) 1222344: NOS 56, 58 AND 60 HIGH STREET

Map

Type and Period (3)

  • HOUSE (16th Century to 17th Century - 1500 AD to 1699 AD)
  • WALL PAINTING (16th Century - 1500 AD to 1599 AD)
  • (Alternate Type) TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE (16th Century - 1500 AD to 1599 AD)

Description

Grade II+. C16 altered C17. Now three houses. Timber framed, colourwashed plaster, old tile roof, large red brick early C17 chimney stack to left with 4 octagonal moulded shafts. 4 gabled dormers. Coved cornice. Two storeys and attic. Flint rubble plinth. Carriageway on left hand (leading to "The Worthys" at rear). Three doors and three 3-light diamond leaded casements to ground floor, three similar windows to first floor and shallower 3-light casement above carriage arch, to room actually part of No 54 [CASS 1245707000]. Interior: No 56 has wall paintings of c1600 in front-ground floor room depicting the Nine Worthies. (RCHM p8 MON 34) (B1).
Wall paintings discovered in autumn 1931 and recorded by Francis Reader. Two walls of room divided into 9 panels each containing a brilliantly coloured full-length figure in a landscaped setting and originally with a caption beneath each figure (only 6 figures and 2 inscriptions survived). The figures depicted warriors dressed in pseudo-classic or medieval style, each holding a pennoned lance with a heraldic badge. The surviving figures depicted Julius Caesar, 'Duke' Joshua, King David, Hector of Troy, Charlemagne and Godfrey de Bouillon. The three missing figures would have been Alexander the Great, Judas Maccabaeus and King Arthur. Dated to the middle of the 16th century. The first-floor room was also decorated with panels painted with a simple architectural scheme of black semi-circular arches resting on brackets with bosses beneath and an oval pendant suspended from the centre of each arch (B2).
NGR to number 58.

Sources (2)

  • <1>SBC19816 Bibliographic reference: DoE. 1984. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Buckinghamshire: Chiltern District: Parishes of Amersham, Chesham Bois and Coleshill. p52.
  • <2>SBC13190 Article in serial: Francis W Reader. 1933. 'Tudor Mural Paintings in the Lesser Houses in Bucks', in Recs of Bucks Vol 12 pp368-398 & Plates I-XIV. Vol 12, No 7. pp375-383, Plates V-VIII.

Location

Grid reference SU 95570 97366 (point)
Civil Parish AMERSHAM, Chiltern, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Feb 19 2018 5:56PM

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