Building record 1340700000 - 88 High Street, Marlow

Grade II. House, with reputed Roman Catholic chapel possibly chapel folly; now commercial premises. C17 with C18 additions and alterations, including late C18 chapel-like structure; mid-C19 alterations for Clifford family, including re-fronting and raising eaves at front; further alterations early C20 and subsequently. Originally timber-framed with wattle and daub infill now stuccoed, at the front incised to look like ashlar, and painted, at the back with early C20 applied timber-framing. Plain tile roofs; brick stacks, at left end and to ridge near right end. 2 storeys with cellar; 2 framed bays with 2 gabled and one half-gabled rear additions. C20 leaded casement windows, those at front cross-windows and under console-bracketed cornices. Painted plinth; moulded lst-floor band; eaves band with paired brackets to boxed eaves. On right, stone step up to entrance which has plastered surround with pilasters, frieze, bracketed cornice and part-glazed and moulded panelled door. Oculus in architrave above door and 2 windows to left on each floor, of different sizes, and that at centre on lst floor in recessed panel. Narrow entrance to passage on left, inside which are visible the front and rear corner wall posts and the rear wall-plate. Interior: some large-scantling chamfered beams, some having lambs-tongue stops; some original joists in cellar; C17 roof structure has queen post trusses with collars, originally with central posts below, and clasped purlins; pegged morticed and tenoned rafters have carpenter's numerals. Cellar: c 1770-1830 reputed to have been used as Roman Catholic chapel and having; in shallow rectangular recess below pavement, plastered vault and pointed-arched side-recesses with raised surrounds, groins, bosses and strapwork; a small panel with illegible painted inscription to each side-recess; a low brick and timber plinth/bench running around recess, timber bressumer over recess opening supported on plastered brickwork. Print of 1812 shows the basement chapel. There is no evidence that there was a Roman Catholic congregation in Marlow prior to 1845 when the Scott Murrays, Oxford Movement converts, built a Pugin church and there would have been little need for a secret chapel after c1745 when the penalties for Catholic worship were progressively reduced. The print does not show a chapel in use and it is possible that it was built as a folly or dining den (B1).