Details
TEWKESBURY
SO8932 CHURCH STREET
859-1/6/139 (North side)
04/03/52 Nos.82 AND 83
Craik House
GV II*
Pair of houses in row. Late C15 or early C16. Late C16/17 rear
wing, extended late C18/C19. Close studded framing with
plaster infill to front, heavy box framing elsewhere, brick
underbuild; tile roofs, brick stacks.
PLAN: side-entry parallel plan, heated by central shared
stack, with lower rear wing making L-plan.
EXTERIOR: 3-storey double-jettied front block covering, to the
right, entry to Turner's Alley. Front is 2-windowed: No.82 has
3-light C18 leaded casement with central opening light to
horizontal bars only, above same at first floor, and C20
3-pane shop front with door, left. The first-floor window is
flanked each side by 2 delicately carved cusped blank lights,
and a carved Perpendicular frieze runs full width immediately
below the jetty. This originally would have been a continuous
window strip, carried also across No.83.
No.83 has 3-light wood casement at first and second floors,
with good small-pane timber bow shop front oriel; to right the
opening to the alley. First-floor casement flanked by 3 and 2
cusped panels as to No.82, but slightly wider lights, but
bressumer above, not frieze.
Large brick stack centred behind ridge, which has some stone
ridge tiles.
In the brick-paved alley wall to right is heavy timber-frame,
to left rendered. Behind front block is 3-storeyed unit in
heavy box framing with brick nogging, with 3-light casement,
followed by 2-storey brick unit with two 3-light casements and
a plank door, left, to No.83. Slightly set back a further
heavy framed unit, with large corner post, 3-light at each
level, and a part glazed stable door to No.82.
INTERIOR: No.82 has very broad ceiling joists and chamfered
transverse beam, large corner posts, and a rough bressumer to
rebuilt fire. Centre, right a mid C18 winder stair with stick
balusters and Doric newels; here some mid C18 fielded
panelling. Framing to party walls and back in heavy members.
Upper stair simple steep winder, probably C18, with a unit of
fielded panelling at head. Corner posts almost cruck-like at
heads.
A small courtyard, covered with C20 glazing, links with back
part of premises, also framed, and with, back right, a blocked
doorway with pointed head. In this room are chamfered-stopped
ceiling joists. Interior of No.83 not inspected, but basic
fabric clearly of same date as No.82 and noted as having
fragments of late C16 wall painting to first-floor front room
including extracts from Psalm 102 and separate text beginning
"Honour thy Father..".
HISTORICAL NOTE: Mrs Craik, author of 'John Halifax,
Gentleman' (1857) lived in No.83.
The cusped first-floor panels constitute a very rare example
and highly significant of C15 wooden fenestration,
particularly for a town house. An exceptionally fine and
well-preserved medieval town house which would repay more
detailed investigation.
Listing NGR: SO8915832589
