Description

SAFFRON WALDEN

TL5338 BRIDGE STREET 669-1/1/23 (West side) 28/11/51 Nos.5 AND 7

GV II*

2 houses. Late C15 and earlier, late C17 rear addition. Timber-framed partly exposed, plastered. 2 storeys and attic. L-plan. E front elevation: to S, (No.5), tall late C15 jettied range with roll moulded and embattled bressumer. First floor, exposed studs, disturbed, very closely set, irregular and plaster infilling set well back with 2 c1900 casement windows with twin roll moulded architraves. Ground floor, 3 bracketed posts to principal jetty with capital decorated pilasters, brackets hollow chamfered, also, one lesser bracketed joist. Central late C19 boarded door with vertical battens. Each side, casements with glazing bars, to S, of 2 lights, 4x3 panes, to N of 3 lights, 3x3 panes. Over S window, bay spanned by original horizontal rail with studding over, framing original opening, also later inserted rail above, carrying simple boarding. To N, gabled jettied block on much smaller scale, partly under the roof of S block, plastered with some combed pargetting in the gable. Jetty has 4 plain curved brackets, wall plates above have horns. Single 3-light casement window with horizontal glazing bar, 3x2 panes on ground and first floors. Upper window has c1900 architrave similar to those in No.5. Simple 2 panel door. Rear, W elevation: No.5: timber frame C20 rendered, central C20 `stable' door with upper light, large over-light made from old 3x3 paned sash turned sideways. Adjacent large C18 exposed exterior red brick stack but house partly extended out and projected round on upper floor, shaft emerges through extended roof pitch. Ground, first floor and intermediate irregular C19 casement windows, 2x2 panes, single pane, 2-light 2x2 panes respectively. No.7 rear wing running back from street, rear run narrower and clearly added to front block which is considerably obscured by No.9 (qv) but robust C18 red brick stack, header bond, seen on N flank wall with plain 2-light casement window adjacent on first floor, also C20 door on W end wall, upper glazing and lower panel. Narrower block, timber-framed, C17, but restored in C20 and rendered. N side elevation: boarded door and adjacent C20 2-light casement. First floor, pair of similar windows together under lifted eaves. W end elevation: lean-to as catslide on S side, weatherboarded with simple door, adjacent C20 plain casement window. INTERIOR: No.5. Heavy framing with internal arched bracing nailed to studs. Well preserved hall/service partition framing on ground floor with 2 late C15 decorative doorways intact, cyma and hollow chamfer moulded with leaf and bud decoration of spandrels. Service bay has lack of studs to street and may originally have been a medieval shop. Also simple doorway aperture adjacent to rear service doorway probably led to original stair. Present timber-framed stair is projected out behind service bay and clearly added, access cut through late C15 frame and framing of long window as stair light evident. Principal jettied floor/ceiling of hall, one bay only, heavy construction, binding and bridging joist and flat laid common joists with diminished haunched soffit tenons. C18 rear lateral stack now has fireplace rebuilt in C20. First floor. Hall/service braced partition partly remains. Site of window to street in service bay clear, sill and shutter groove. Attic created in C20 has elegant wind-braced trapped side-purlin roof. Plaster and wooden pigeon loft with nesting boxes remains under E roof pitch. No.7. Framing somewhat obscured but 2-bayed earlier wing at front evident with central open truss on first floor. Rear weathered framing of this wing with exterior tension brace seating (second one also seen from rear of No.5). Principal framing of addition at rear visible. HISTORICAL NOTE: the abrupt change between the builds of No.5 and No.7 shows 2 builds - No.7 is oldest, probably the cross-wing of an L hall-house. The rebuilding as a long jetty house apparently began from the service end and stopped at mid-hall length against the older cross-wing with the probable intention of completing the high end at a later date, that never took place. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Ratcliffe E: Essex: London: 1965-: 335).

Listing NGR: TL5356438630

External Links

• Wikidata Q17534202

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Recommended Books

• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair