Ancient House Museum

Details

TL8683
617-1/5/165

THETFORD
WHITE HART STREET (North West side)
No.21
Ancient House Museum

03/04/51

GV I

Merchant's house, now museum. c1490. Extended to rear early C17. 2 dwellings and shops in early C19. Restored and converted to museum 1924. Exposed timber-frame on flint and brick plinth. Slate roof, pantiles to rear wing.
Parallel post-hall house plan. 2 storeys. 6-panelled door left of centre (replaced 1991) under a 4-light hollow and roll-moulded overlight and moulded canopy supported on carved arched braces. Left of this a 4-centred blocked doorway giving access to, probably, a former shop lit through an early C19 sash left with 6/6 glazing bars. Similar sash right of main door and right again an early C19 bowed shop window with 7 glazing bars in 4 tiers. Right of this are studs of 1924 replacing a door opened when converted to shops. The door had an overlight consisting of a 4-light hollow and roll-moulded window.
Jettied first floor, the bressumer carried on 4 arched braces and decorated with punched studs. Four 6/6 early C19 sashes to first floor and, to right, one 3-light and one 2-light ovolo-moulded mullioned window with leaded glazing: C17.
Gabled roof.
Rear consists of a long 2-storey range, partly timber-framed extending west to a flint and gault brick gable. 4 irregular bays marked by one late C19 and one C20 doors and several late C20 casements. Gabled roof. The north side has a brick and flint external stack. Between this range and the front block is a 2-storey-and-attic gabled stairway block of c1600. One casement each floor.
INTERIOR: is famous for lavish decoration of bridging beams. Disposition in late C15 was of a cross-passage with two 4-centred doors opening into service rooms to south, a screen also with two 4-centred doorways leading to ground-floor hall to north and a 4-centred doorway at the west end of the passage leading outside. These features all remain with minor alterations: the 2 south service rooms converted to one and used as shop, the western door blocked, the screen much restored 1924 but with a run of open balusters on cornice. Its 4-centering is missing from doorways.
The hall has lavishly decorated cruciform bridging beams, the east-west beam with carved solid arched braces on corbels. The beams have multiple roll-mouldings, fleur-de-lys carving, punched ring decoration and crenellations, all terminating in double raised tongue stops. The principal studs have double wave mouldings and similar stops. Wall plates roll-moulded and crenellated. Against west wall is an open fireplace restored 1924 retaining part of a rich cambered bressumer also with punched and peacock decoration. Over fire are 2 double-chamfered brick recessed panels. Staircase originally to left of fire, now relocated. Service room to south with plainer chamfered bridging beam and joists.
Rear dogleg staircase added c1600: board stairs, C20 handrail. 2 first-floor rooms, the southern entered from stairs. Timber-frame with tension bracing. 4-centred doorway between rooms. East wall with herringbone brick nogging. North room has arched braces to roll and hollow-moulded bridging beams. Attic flight of stairs with blocked 3-light ovolo-moulded window facing south. Roof of rafters and clasped purlins, re-constructed 1924. Rear wing plain. Far west room with early C19 kitchen range and copper.
(Norfolk Museums Service Information Sheet: Maddock A: The Ancient House, Thetford: Norwich: 1987-).


Listing NGR: TL8691883238

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

384843

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Maddock, A, Norfolk Museums Service Information Sheet in The Ancient House Thetford Norfolk, (1987)

End of official list entry

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