Reasons for Designation
21a and 23 High Street, Ely is designated at Grade ll and the BPN upheld for the following principal reasons.
* The building contains the remains of a late medieval commercial and domestic building; notably a large brick stack with blocked fireplaces and associated axial beams, in the rear range.
* Fixtures and fittings from an extensive early or mid C18 refurbishment survive well, particularly at the upper floor level, notably ovolo moulded panelling and two-panel doors.
* The building benefits from group value with other listed buildings in the vicinity, notably 49 and 33 High Street, which retain evidence of similar developmental phasing, and with the cathedral precinct.
Details
ELY
606/0/10027 HIGH STREET
17-NOV-08 21A AND 23
II
Shops with domestic accommodation over, formerly commercial premises with domestic accommodation to the rear. Late Medieval with extensive recasting in the mid C18, and late C19 or early C20 shop fronts; that to number 23 with modern, arched glazing bars. Rendered brick, with possible fragmentary survival of timber-framing to the rear, and a plain tiled roof. L-shaped plan comprising a street front range adjoined at the rear by a range running back down the plot. Adjoins numbers 21 and 25 High Street.
EXTERIOR: Two storeys in height, with an additional attic storey in the front range. Pitched roof, gabled to the rear of the rear range, with a large central brick stack in the rear range. The street front elevation has two shop fronts at ground floor level (21a and 23 High Street). 21a has large plate glass windows with a recessed door to the left. Number 23 has multiple panes with arched glazing bars and a C20 door to the left. Above, the first floor is divided into three window bays, the openings containing early or mid C19 unhorned six over six, sashes. Three square headed dormers with modern casement windows, light the attic storey. A modern single storey addition has been made to the west side of the rear range.
INTERIOR: The roof structure of the street front range was not accessible but that of the rear range is formed of coupled rafters which may be C18 in date but is probably earlier, perhaps contemporary with the stack. There are some earlier re-used members and some later insertions. Doors at the upper level and at the first-floor level are mainly two panelled and date from the C18th. The winder stair up to the attic, with simple square newels and stick balusters might be expected to be C19 in date but in this context is also probably C18th. Timber framing may survive where the rear range adjoins the front range and a cross beam of the front range, exposed on the attic winder stair, has a broad chamfer and run out stop that may be late medieval in date. The first floor rooms of the front range were once panelled and a significant section of it survives on the front wall. Raised and fielded, with broad ovolo moulding, it is likely to be early or mid C18 in date and certainly predates the sash windows, the low internal sills for which cut into the panelling. The rear range at first-floor level comprises two rooms divided by the large brick stack. The first room has a late C18 or early C19 cast iron grate, however it is clear that this conceals an earlier fireplace, within the brick stack, of which almost nothing can be seen. To the left of the fireplace a battened timber door has H hinges of circa 1700 date. The rear room has an axial beam carried at one end by the stack and presumably here a blocked fireplace survives beneath. The beam is substantial, is chamfered and stopped and is late medieval. Beside the stack a small winder stair leads up to an attic room. At ground floor level the rear range has little of historic interest visible, although a substantial axial beam survives to the rear of the main stack. To the front of the stack the rear and front ranges have been opened up. This area is fitted out as modern commercial premises. A false ceiling conceals the ceiling above completely save for an C18 ovolo-moulded cross beam which probably marks the rear of the street- front range. It is suggested that the concealed ceiling is of historic interest.
HISTORY
The proximity of this property close to the cathedral church and the relationship between the High Street and the north side of the cathedral precinct would indicate that the street dates from at least as far back as the rebuilding of the cathedral church by Abbot Simeon after the Norman Conquest. The historic core of the city was laid out much as it is today by 1416. It must be expected therefore that the north side of the street, divided into burgage plots for rent in medieval times, potentially contains evidence of buildings of great antiquity. These burgage plots were of high status and most probably contained a mixture of commercial and domestic accommodation. By the time of the publication of Speed's map of Ely of 1610 the High Street was well developed. Drainage of the fens in the C17 lead to a period of prosperity, so that in the C17 and C18 properties were erected and refurbished.
21a and 23 High Street was in existence by the time of the C17 map. It is likely to have consisted of commercial premises on the street front with domestic accommodation in the range to the rear. Evidence in the building supports this, with the survival of a substantial late medieval brick stack in the rear range, heating rooms on each side of it. In the mid C18 the building was substantially refurbished. The front range was reroofed, at the same time creating the attic rooms, and the whole building was completely refitted. At first floor level the front room was panelled and two panel doors installed throughout. By the late early C20 the shop fronts were created, that to number 23 perhaps being C19 but altered with modern glazing bars. It may have been at this time that an alleyway between 21 and 23 High Street, which formerly gave access to the rear of the plot, was built into and the two separate units of 21a and 23 created.The roof was re-tiled in the early C21.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
21a and 23 high Street, Ely is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* 21a and 23 High Street Ely contains the remains of a late medieval commercial and domestic building; notably a large brick stack with blocked fireplaces and associated axial beams, in the rear range.
* Fixtures and fittings from an extensive mid C18 refurbishment survive well, particularly at the upper floor level, notably ovolo moulded panelling and two-panel doors.
* The building benefits from group value with other listed buildings in the vicinity, notably 49 and 33 High Street, which retain evidence of similar developmental phasing, and with the cathedral precinct.
