Description

SAFFRON WALDEN

TL5338 BRIDGE STREET 669-1/1/34 (West side) 28/11/51 No.31 (Formerly Listed as: BRIDGE STREET Nos.31 AND 33 Bridge End Cottage)

GV II*

House. C15, combined with No.33 (qv) in late C16, separated in C20. Timber-framed and plastered, peg-tiled roof. 2 storey and attic. L shaped plan of principal block and rear C20 lean-to plus rear projecting late C16 stair tower to W at N end, large rectangular stack shared with No.33 at N end. Front, E elevation: jettied, first floor plastering shows traces of ashlar lining, brace rising from S end of first floor to eaves plate of adjoining house (No.29 (qv)) shows the building to be a jettied end of a `Wealden', open hall house (together with No.29). No.31 occupies the solar end unit. Ground floor now below street level due to alteration of street gradient. S-N, C19 door of 4 beaded panels, C20 2-light casement window with leaded panes, bay window of 2 front lights with glazing bars, 4x2 panes. C18 window reconstructed in C20 with 2-lights, leaded panes. Adjacent window to N is part of No.33. First floor 3-light casement window with leaded panes, outer casements C20, centre one c1800, second window on this elevation, to N part of No.33. Attic, gabled, peg-tiled dormer window, 2 uneven casements, to left, C20 narrow, to right, broad with decorative C17 latch plate. Stack rebuilt in C20 but retains general massive form. Rear, W elevation: a prominent gabled late C16 stair tower to N rising to first floor with first floor C20 2-light casement window with leaded panes. S side of tower has traces of old panel pargetting. To S, ground floor lean-to has corrugated asbestos roof, fully glazed central door with C20 glazed windows as 2 continuous pairs each side, 2 lights each 2x2 panes, frieze system continued to S by less deep end window of 2 lights. First floor, 2 C20 casement windows, one double, 2x2 panes and one single with leaded panes. Attic, gabled dormer, peg-tiled with C20 double leaded casements. INTERIOR: considerably altered and infilled. Jetty joists flat laid, principals have step-stopped chamfers, common joists jointed by diminished haunched soffit tenons. N end of jetty floor disturbed and now runs into large inserted stack. Ground floor front has central rectangular stud-mullion and 6 soffit mortices for diamond mullions of large 8-light C15 window, also associated shutter rebate. First floor, 3 similar soffit mortices visible at rear, part of a C15 window with associated shutter groove. Attic space, S end has remnant collar and cut collar purlin of original crown-post roof now totally removed. Below, second late C16 collar with recesses for side purlins (now removed) of replacement roof truss. Massive body of late C16 stack through N end of house. Ground floor fireplace has rebuilt jambs, original thin bricks seen at back. First floor has undisturbed plastered 4-centred arched head fireplace with simple chamfer and, within, `ducks nest' cast-iron grate of c1800 with vertical stripe decoration and medallion. Behind stack flank, W side, contemporary stair tower shows framing and roughly chamfered long central newel post with spiral mortices for original treads, upper one survives together with framing for landing and second newel post for upper handrail. The heavy simple construction of the primary build is similar to that of the whole original `Wealden' house (with Nos 27 & 29 (qv)). In the late C16 the solar end bay was separated off to be the S end bay of a separate house (now No.33), having a large new principal stack and necessary rear stair tower. The existing curve of the road dictated a cranked front wall. Parallel horizontal rows of large diameter peg-holes in the studs of the S wall on the ground floor may be for warping pegs used in the weaving trade and probably of C17 date. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Ratcliffe E: Essex: London: 1965-: 336).

Listing NGR: TL5351938688

External Links

• Wikidata Q17534037

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Recommended Books

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)