Summary
Former house, built between around 1740 and 1750 incorporating a mid- to late-C17 crosswing at the rear, adapted for use as a bank in the early C19, and as a school headmaster’s house in the early C20.
Reasons for Designation
20 Market Place, a former townhouse, built between around 1740 and 1750 incorporating a mid- to late-C17 crosswing at the rear, adapted for use as a bank in the early C19, and as a school headmaster’s house in the early C20, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a prominent and architecturally distinguished townhouse with a pleasingly proportioned composition and attractive classical detailing;
* for the high proportion of survival of its distinctive multi-phased plan form and classical interior features, including cornicing, fireplaces, moulded window and door surrounds, cupboards and cellar complete with wine bins.
Historic interest:
* located within a significant historic townscape characterised by mid- and late-Georgian buildings, 20 Market Place makes a notable contribution to the rich architectural character and historic evolution of Market Place and Swaffham.
Group value:
* it is surrounded by many designated assets with which it has strong group value, including but not limited to Oakleigh House (Grade II*) and 18 Market Place to the north, and pairs of gate piers to Market Place and Whitsands Road (each listed at Grade II).
History
Swaffham’s significance in the Middle Ages stemmed from its position as a crossroads on main east-west and north-south routes, not for its position on a river. The market and two fairs were established by the mid-C13 on the triangular Market Place, bounded on the north side by the present Lynn Street. The marketplace was likely originally open to the church on the eastern side, but C17 development closed this off. The Shambles developed in the centre of the marketplace in the early post-medieval period. The late C18 was a period of some social importance for the town when it became at least locally fashionable; there had been a racecourse at Swaffham since the C17 and the Earl of Orford founded the Coursing Club in 1786. The Assembly Rooms were constructed between 1776 and 1778, and the south front was added in 1817. The overall impression of the town centre is mid- to late Georgian, but there is evidence of C16 and C17 work behind many frontages.
In 1724 Nicholas Hamond, Lord of the Manor of Swaffham, bequeathed £1000 in his will for the erection of a schoolhouse and instruction of 20 boys in reading, writing and arithmetic. Hamond’s Grammar School was erected in 1736 on the Campinglands, and a National School and teachers’ house were added in 1838. The school was transferred to 18 Market Place, a late-C18 house, in 1896. The attached 20 Market Place was built in the mid-C18 incorporating the remains of a mid- to late C17 crosswing to the rear; it was the premises of the Norwich and Swaffham (Days) Bank in the early C19, and was later adapted for use as the school headmaster’s house. A detached prefabricated gymnasium was constructed to the rear of 18 Market Place around 1900, and later became a woodwork room. A single-storey classroom block was constructed to the rear of 20 Market Place in 1900, and a two-storey classroom block was added to the south-west end in 1912; a kitchen and WC block was added to the south-west in the early to mid-C20. A new gymnasium was constructed on the western boundary of the site in 1931, with an art room and physics laboratory on its upper floor. 18 Market Place was extended to the rear in 1954 with the addition of a two-storey library on the site of an earlier range. Hamond’s Grammar School merged with the Secondary Modern School on Brandon Road in 1977, and the buildings on Market Place were utilised as a Sixth Form Centre until 2009.
Details
Former house, built between around 1740 and 1750 incorporating a mid- to late-C17 crosswing at the rear, adapted for use as a bank in the early C19, and as a school headmaster’s house in the early C20.
MATERIALS: it is constructed of red brick and flint with a pantile roof covering.
PLAN: the building is roughly L-shaped on plan, facing north-east to Market Place.
EXTERIOR: the front (north-east) elevation to Market Place is two-and-half storeys in height with five symmetrical bays. The pitched roof has a pantile covering, three attic dormers to its east slope, and internal chimneystacks to the north and south gables. The walls are constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond, rusticated on the ground floor with a plat band over, and plain low parapet wall over the first floor. The north and south ends of the front elevation have red-brick pilasters to the ground and first floors, those on the ground floor being rusticated. The central doorcase is rusticated and stuccoed with multiple keystones and contains a double-leaf half-glazed doors. The ground and first floors have six-over-six sash windows without horns, under gauged skewback arches, those to left of the door are without lower sash glazing bars. Behind the parapet, the outer dormers have flat roofs, and the central dormer has a gabled roof, each containing four-over-eight sashes without horns.
To the rear is a cross wing of two storeys with an attic, having a ridge stack west of the centre, flint walls with red-brick dressings, a round-arched porch on the south-west gable containing double-leaf glazed doors, and casement windows. To the south of the cross wing, a two-storey service wing projects south-west from the front range, with a pantile roof and red brick and flint walls.
INTERIOR: the north room of the ground floor retains an C18 moulded cornice, painted timber fire surround without ornament, window shutters and architraves, and a round-arched door to the rear. The south room has a mid- to late C18 painted fire surround with classical moulding, and moulded architraves to the windows and door from Market Place. Between the front range and the rear crosswing, a lobby retains Doric pilasters, shallow arches and door architraves; a stair with C20 features provides access to the first floor. Behind (south) of the stair a raised and fielded timber-panelled door, relocated from elsewhere, provides access to the cellar. In the crosswing at the rear, the east room retains a number of C18 architraves and a mid- to late-C18 painted timber fire surround. The west room has a chamfered bridging beam with a lamb’s tongue stop, likely dating from the C17, a substantial red-brick fire surround, and multi-phased pamments to the floor. At first floor level, the stair landing has a mid- to late C18 cornice and door surrounds, and a winder stair provides access to the attic storey. The two first-floor rooms overlooking Market Place retain a high proportion of C18 floorboards and C18 or early C19 architraves and window shutters, and the north room retains an C18 fireplace.
The first floor of the crosswing has a double-sided fireplace faced with early- to mid-C20 brown glazed bricks. The room at the south-west corner retains late-C18 or early-C19 cupboards, and an early-C19 painted timber fire surround with cast-iron insert. The attic of the front range to Market Place has three garrets and retains mid- to late-C18 timber floorboards and doors; the south garret has a simple stone fire surround on the south gable with a cast-iron insert.
The roof structure of the front range has two tiers of butt purlins, collars and straight windbraces. The roof of the cross wing is similar but with curved windbraces. The cellar likely incorporates C18 or earlier fabric and is brick-lined with six red-brick wine bins with shallow-arched heads.
