Description

SAFFRON WALDEN

TL5338 HIGH STREET
669-1/1/225 (West side)
01/11/72 Abbey House and 2 rear ranges of
former outbuildings
(Formerly Listed as:
HIGH STREET
Abbey House)

GV II

Formerly known as: The Abbey Hotel HIGH STREET.
Offices and shops. Early C19. Main block of red/brown Flemish
bond brickwork, now rendered on main elevations. Gambrel plain
tile roof. 2 storeys with attics and former cellar.
Front elevation to High Street has parapeted abuttment to N
and gable end stack. 4 flat-roofed dormers, rebuilt behind
parapet. Main block has quadrant corner to Abbey Lane. Painted
timber cornice with paired modillions. First floor has canted
oriel bay window with small paned double-hung sash window,
panelled frieze and main cornice carries round its head. One
flush 12-paned double-hung sash. Ground floor has 2 C20
hardwood small-paned display windows and doorcase with
panelled pilasters, moulded flat hood and fanlight. This is
rectangular with glazing bars forming semi-circle and
radiating outer pattern. The curving corner of Abbey lane has
one curved tripartite small paned double-hung sash window on
first floor. Ground floor has a smaller C20 small paned
hardwood display window. The flank to Abbey Lane has one small
first floor window over a 2-light casement and further C20
small paned display window.
Range of 2 storey outbuildings to rear, fronting Abbey Lane is
of red Flemish-bond brickwork with gabled plain tile roof.
First floor has C19 casement and 2 raised slate lean-to roofed
dormers. Ground floor is rendered with 3 recessed C20
shopfronts. Rear of this range has 2 full-height brick
buttresses. 2 storey timber-framed and rendered range to the
rear of the N end of front range has plain tile gabled roof
and ridge line stack. On its first floor, facing in to the old
inn courtyard, it has two 16-paned and one 12-paned
double-hung sash windows. To the rear of this (to the W) is a
2-storey former stable range of random flintwork with brick
dressings and gabled plain tile roof. This has C20 small pane
double-hung sashes, door to bridge link on first floor, 2
similar windows and 2 C19 2-light casements on ground floor.
To the rear of this is a 2 storey gabled plain tile roofed
outbuilding, timber-framed but with red brick W gable end.
This is of 3 bays and has 3 small-paned full-width casement
windows on first floor over 3 panels of rusticated
weatherboarding. The ground floor has segmental moulded arches
either side of a wider central similar arch, on Doric
pilasters, now with infill walling and C20 windows and doors.
The rear of the main High Street range has a lean-to extension
forming a catslide with main roof, partly of slate and with
wide 33 paned horizontally sliding sash window. Single storey
slated extension to ground floor and flat roofed C20
extension. Flat roofed dormer in rear roof slope and stack
through roof of Abbey Lane return block. Ground floor room of
main range (now shop) has 2 fluted columns against side walls
with palm leaf capitals framing former apsidal end, marked by
reeded cornice on present ceiling. Straight flight staircase
with column newels.

Listing NGR: TL5371438388

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26585315

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

• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings