Description

MORETONHAMPSTEAD THE SQUARE (west side)
SX 7586
8/179 No. 17 The Gateway Tea Room
-
23.8.55
GV II

Tea rooms with store rooms above. Probably originally a house, possibly having a
shop on ground floor.
Probably mid to late C17, remodelled in C18 or C19. Plastered, probably light
scantling timber frame, south-east front with joint lining to simulate ashlar.
Slate roof with gabled ends and hipped corner with lead roll.
Originally probably a 2-room plan with unheated front room possibly originally a
shop, and heated back room. Now 1 large room on ground floor. Plan of first and
second floors unaltered with unheated front room and heated rear room on each floor.
The stack is in the rear (north-west) wall, and a newel stair on the left wall near
the rear corner.
3 storeys. One window front to The Square, 2-window right-hand return, aide facing
Ford Street. The front has a double fronted shop with plate glass windows, wooden
cornice above and C19 glazed door at centre. This is the remains of the C19 shop
front which possibly replaced an earlier shop front. Window on each floor above,
first floor with cambered head, both with C20 fixed light windows, probably
replacing sashes. Very small C20 lavatory window under eaves to left. Right-hand
return to Ford Street has continuation of shop front fascia and end window of shop.
The right a C20 window in earlier opening. 2 windows on each of first and second
floors, C19 3-light casements with glazing bars, probably in earlier frames.
Interior: timber newel stairs on left side wall. Fireplace on each floor on rear
wall; ground floor with simple C18 chimneypiece with moulded cornice mantel shelf;
first floor fireplace has C20 lintel but with C18 2-panel cupboard to right; second
floor fireplace has simple C19 chimneypiece with shaped brackets to shelf. Very
rough ceiling beams and joists, probably originally ceiled. Truncated granite
stack in roof space.
Roof: principals trenched for purlins which are missing, the feet of the principals
are pegged to halved wall posts. Diagonal tie-beam halved at end and pegged to hip
rafter.
This late C17 town house is one of a pair of early town houses which includes Nos.
1 and 5 Ford Street (q.v.). It is particularly interesting because the plan of the
upper floor remains intact. Situated in a most important central position it makes
a valuable contribution to Moretonhampstead.

Listing NGR: SX7532586062

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26618872

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)