11 and 12 Market Place

Summary

House built in the mid-C19, possibly incorporating a shop, used as retail premises since at least the 1860s, since divided into three retail units.

Reasons for Designation

11 and 12 Market Place, a house built in the mid-C19, possibly incorporating a shop, used as retail premises since at least the 1860s, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* it retains historic external detailing, notably the shopfront with early C20 canted bay windows in the outer bays, which enhances the varied architectural character of the Market Place.

Historic interest:

* it contributes to the coherent commercial townscape that forms one of the most important historic public spaces in Swaffham, one that continues to reflect the historical development of the town.

Group value:

* it has a strong historic and functional group value with many other listed commercial buildings on the Market Place, particularly with 10 Market Place to the north, 13 Market Place to the south, and the former Corn Hall to the east, all listed at Grade II.

History

Swaffham’s significance in the medieval period stemmed from its position on the crossroads of the main routes from London, Norwich and King’s Lynn. The first written record of a market in the town, which was established on a triangular-shaped area formed by the convergence of the aforementioned roads, was in 1215 when King John issued a royal writ to the Sherriff of Norfolk to abolish it should it ‘damage the market in Dunham’. It was never abolished and expanded rapidly. The Market Place was probably open to the church on its east side, but later C17 development closed this off, while the development of The Shambles in the middle in the late C18/early C19, further reduced the size of the open space. From the mid-C18, for a period of just over a hundred years, Swaffham became one of the most populous parishes in Norfolk and one of the most fashionable centres in the county, attracting many leading West Norfolk Families. A racecourse had been established by 1628, the Assembly Rooms were constructed in 1776-1778, subsequently extended and modernised in 1817, and George Walpole, the Third Earl of Orford (1730-1791), founded a coursing club in 1786. During this period of prosperity, much rebuilding took place around the Market Place and the overall character of the town is primarily of mid- to late Georgian in date, although there is evidence for C16-C17 work behind many façades. Further rebuilding also took place after ‘The Great Fire of Swaffham’, which probably started in the vicinity of the Blue Boar Inn (now the White Hart) on the afternoon of 14 November 1775, when it was set ablaze by a spark from a nearby blacksmith’s workshop. Fire soon engulfed the densely packed houses and workshops behind the inn and along London Road, with 22 buildings being completely destroyed and a further two badly damaged. The town continued to expand in the C19 when its population increased from 2,200 in 1800 to 3,350 in 1845. It also became an important local administrative centre during this period and acquired several notable buildings, including a National School (1838), Shire Hall (1839) and Corn Hall (1858).

11 and 12 Market Place was built around the mid-C19, possibly as one building, although it has since been divided into three retail units. The Tithe Map of 1840 shows a building on this site which has a rectangular plan with a rear north wing and is subdivided into two unequal units; the smaller unit occupying the southern end. The building is recorded as a house and shop, owned by Thomas Randall and occupied by Robert D Feltham. In 1861 it is known that William Wharton, a perfumer and hairdresser, was based in the southern unit, living together with his wife Martha, two daughters and one live-in servant. The first edition Ordnance Survey (OS) map of 1884 shows a building with a similar footprint to that shown on the Tithe Map: a rectangular range with a rear north wing, and also a small adjoining rear block to the south. The building is not shown as subdivided, although the census returns of 1891, 1891 and 1901 show that the southern unit was occupied by John Chatton, a cabinet maker, together with his wife, Caroline.

By the time of the second edition OS map of 1905, the building is shown as subdivided, with the smaller unit at the southern end, and three projecting windows on the east frontage. An undated photograph, taken around the early C20, shows the shop unit to the south (left) with its new canted bay shopfront with large panes divided by glazing bars, and flanked by panelled doors. Above are two six-over-two pane sash windows. The sash windows, the doors, and the glazing in the shopfront have since been replaced. It is not shown in the photograph but another shopfront with a similar design was also installed in the northern (right) unit, which retains its glazing bars. When the southern unit became available in 1937, it was taken over by Plowright, Pratt and Harbage for their ironmongery business which occupied the northern part of the building. The three units continued in this use until the 1980s, after which they were occupied by different retail and catering businesses. Modern flat-roofed extensions have been added to the rear.

Details

House built in the mid-C19, possibly incorporating a shop, used as retail premises since at least the 1860s, since divided into three retail units.

MATERIALS: gault brick, painted, with a roof covering of pantiles.

PLAN: the building is located on the east side of The Shambles. It has an approximately square plan consisting of a double-pile range with a taller wing at right angles to the north. There are modern flat-roofed extensions to the rear.

EXTERIOR: 11 and 12 Market Place is divided into three retail units. It has an irregular frontage, facing east onto the Market Place, consisting of a two-storey, three-window range under a double-pile pitched roof; and, to the right, a taller two-storey single bay under a hipped roof with a dentilled eaves cornice. This bay has a tall gabled dormer window on the east frontage and another on the north return, with brick kneelers, and two-over-two pane sash windows under segmental brick arches. The three shop fronts have a projecting cornice running across the façade and two early C20 canted bay windows in the outer bays; the left one has unglazed plate glass (not original), whilst the right is larger and wraps around the corner onto the north return. It retains the original glazing bars dividing the window into large panes. The middle shop front has had its canted bay (shown on the OS map of 1905) removed and replaced with a flat plate glass frontage. To the left of the left bay window, and in between each shop front, are doors (replaced) flanked by pilasters with plain capitals. Above the two left shopfronts are three recessed sash windows, directly underneath the eaves, with simple sills and lintels. The two windows to the left have six-over-nine panes, and that to the right has two-over-two panes. The single righthand bay is lit by a similar two-over two pane sash.

INTERIOR: the ground floor has been opened up into continuous retail areas.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

460600

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Wilson, B, The Buildings of England: Norfolk 2: North-West and South, (2002)
Swaffham History Group, , The Book of Swaffham: The Story of a Norfolk Market Town, (2021)

Other
Unpublished research – Swaffham Cultural Consortium and Swaffham History Group

End of official list entry

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