Description

SAFFRON WALDEN

TL5338 FRESHWELL STREET
669-1/1/146 (South East side)
28/11/51 No.1

GV II*

House. C15. Timber-framed and plastered, peg and clay tiled
roof. Narrow rectangular plan on street corner with gable to
Bridge Street. E elevation to Bridge Street: jettied with
corner angle post and bracket emerging from plaster on N side.
Central ground floor casement window with glazing bars, 4x3
panes and second jetty bracket to S. First floor, shallow
pantiled gabled oriel window, casement of moulded C15
mullions, 4 lights and single side lights, now with simple
glazing and plasterwork below swept out to sill. Horned wall
plates each side. N side elevation to Freshwell Street:
although underbuilt, the jetty shape is seen along the
elevation with corner bracket at E end. Ground floor, W end,
present front door, C20 boarded and battened with adjacent
early C19 sliding sash window, moulded architrave, glazing
bars, 4x3 panes. Above, first floor, W end, simple 2x2 paned
casement window and adjacent single paned window. Stack to E
through roof pitch.
INTERIOR: exposed framing on ground floor of 2 bays. Heavy
diagonal dragon beam to street corner with similar gauge
centre tenoned common joists fanned to corner. N wall
timber-framed, inferior work and clearly later but removal of
the original supporting inner wall reveals series of
carpenters' marks, now intermittent but 2-7 and 9,12 and 13
remain. E wall framing clearly shows 2 medieval shop openings
with arched heads, one to S has lost S post and half of curved
head but joints remain. Sills have gone but recesses and
pegholes show former position. Also shallow wear indentations
show position of original internal shutters that upper pegged
recesses show were top-hung. Original stair trap in SW corner
of rear bay, stack through central partition wall with small
C19 cast-iron decorated grate to front bay. First floor,
simple 2-way braced crown post roof. Oriel window to Bridge
Street clearly reworked in C19. Original window evidence, in
each bay to Freshwell Street, shutter groove and sill to W,
rebate and flame burn marks to E. Also rectangular pattern of
peg holes in S wall with accompanying flame marks, probably
site of weaver's warping frame. Weavers are recorded in Bridge
Street. Good oak floor boards and several old thin oak doors.
(Vernacular Architecture: Stenning DF: Timber Framed Shops,
1300-1600: Comparative Plans: 16: 1985-: 36).

Listing NGR: TL5355538642

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17534653

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

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version