Details
SAFFRON WALDEN
TL5338 BRIDGE STREET
669-1/1/27 (East side)
28/11/51 No.12
GV II
House. Late C16 with C18 street range, C19 additions, C20
restoration. Timber-framed and plastered, peg and clay tiled
roof. Plan T shaped, of C18 principal block with pair of
conjoined C16 wings projecting at rear. 2 storey, partial
attic and cellars.
Front W elevation: 4 window range, all windows are sashes with
moulded architraves, glazing bars, 4x4 panes. Ground floor,
N-S, single sash window, C19 house doorway with plain jambs,
console brackets, overlight and simple hood, 4 panelled door.
C19 shop window and adjacent wide shop door, together under
common shallow hood and fascia board, similar style to house
door, window has glazing bars, 4x2 large panes, shop door of 2
leaves, upper glazing, each leaf 2x2 panes, single lower
panels. Whole facade C18 combed panel pargetting. Roof has
half hipped ends, large stacks seen behind apex. S end, C19
red brick slender stack.
Rear, E elevation: 2 conjoined gabled units with large red
brick stacks at each apex, rebuilt in C20 but probably keeping
original shape, diagonal cruciform to N, irregular rectangular
to S. Both gabled units share central wall plate, other plates
and purlins also project. Whole end wall has C20 combed
pargetting copying that on street front. Windows irregular,
all early C20 casements, ground floor, N-S, 2-light with
glazing bars, 4x3 panes, simple C19 boarded door, house back
door, C19 with lower flush panel, now upper glazing, 3x3
panes, 3-light casement window 6x3 panes. First floor, (in N
unit), 3-light casement, 6x3 panes and 2-light casement, one
with clear single pane, one with rectangular leaded panes
Street block behind projects at both ends, particularly to S
with roof brought down over simple boarded door and C18
casement window now partly removed. Attic in street range has
central gabled dormer window with plain double casement.
S end elevation: half hipped gabled end of street range has
central exterior C19 slender stack and catslide roof, rear
lean-to, C20 paretting as rear, ground floor, 6-panelled door,
upper panels now blocked, central ones glazed, lower ones
recessed, also early C20 casement window, 4x3 panes similar to
those in rear elevation. Behind, to E side of S rear unit, C20
weatherboarded. Ground floor, 3x3 paned casement window, first
floor, C20 4x3 paned 2-light casement. Large stack rises from
apex at house/wing junction. N end elevation: all with plain
rendering. Street range has C20 2-light casement attic window,
6x3 panes immediately below roof half hip. Rear wing has one
ground floor 3-light metal casement window. Cruciform stack at
roof apex.
INTERIOR: timber framing now mainly concealed but ground floor
rooms of twin gabled rear unit have exposed ceiling joists,
closely set and flat laid with lamb's tongue chamfer stops in
the S room. Associated late C16 moulded red brick fireplace
remains in this room in good condition with 4-centred arched
head within rectangular framing, cyma and hollow chamfers,
moulding taken well down to base of jambs. Contemporary
wainscot panelling now lines lower walling round shop, also a
door made of similar panelling in N room of street range. Roof
of street block ceiled in but framing of clasped side purlin
type partly visible with slender members. Present front house
door leads by through passage to back door set within N rear
block and interior plan appears to be a combined system of
front 3-unit block with rear central passage house. The
moulded brick fireplace would then be within a rear heated
parlour at the `high' end. The N stack may once have been for
kitchen use. The wainscot panelling no doubt belongs to the
house but is reset.
Listing NGR: TL5356838655