Description

TL8683
617-1/5/165

THETFORD
WHITE HART STREET (North West side)
No.21
Ancient House Museum

03/04/51

GV I

Merchant's house, now museum. c1490. Extended to rear early C17. 2 dwellings and shops in early C19. Restored and converted to museum 1924. Exposed timber-frame on flint and brick plinth. Slate roof, pantiles to rear wing.
Parallel post-hall house plan. 2 storeys. 6-panelled door left of centre (replaced 1991) under a 4-light hollow and roll-moulded overlight and moulded canopy supported on carved arched braces. Left of this a 4-centred blocked doorway giving access to, probably, a former shop lit through an early C19 sash left with 6/6 glazing bars. Similar sash right of main door and right again an early C19 bowed shop window with 7 glazing bars in 4 tiers. Right of this are studs of 1924 replacing a door opened when converted to shops. The door had an overlight consisting of a 4-light hollow and roll-moulded window.
Jettied first floor, the bressumer carried on 4 arched braces and decorated with punched studs. Four 6/6 early C19 sashes to first floor and, to right, one 3-light and one 2-light ovolo-moulded mullioned window with leaded glazing: C17.
Gabled roof.
Rear consists of a long 2-storey range, partly timber-framed extending west to a flint and gault brick gable. 4 irregular bays marked by one late C19 and one C20 doors and several late C20 casements. Gabled roof. The north side has a brick and flint external stack. Between this range and the front block is a 2-storey-and-attic gabled stairway block of c1600. One casement each floor.
INTERIOR: is famous for lavish decoration of bridging beams. Disposition in late C15 was of a cross-passage with two 4-centred doors opening into service rooms to south, a screen also with two 4-centred doorways leading to ground-floor hall to north and a 4-centred doorway at the west end of the passage leading outside. These features all remain with minor alterations: the 2 south service rooms converted to one and used as shop, the western door blocked, the screen much restored 1924 but with a run of open balusters on cornice. Its 4-centering is missing from doorways.
The hall has lavishly decorated cruciform bridging beams, the east-west beam with carved solid arched braces on corbels. The beams have multiple roll-mouldings, fleur-de-lys carving, punched ring decoration and crenellations, all terminating in double raised tongue stops. The principal studs have double wave mouldings and similar stops. Wall plates roll-moulded and crenellated. Against west wall is an open fireplace restored 1924 retaining part of a rich cambered bressumer also with punched and peacock decoration. Over fire are 2 double-chamfered brick recessed panels. Staircase originally to left of fire, now relocated. Service room to south with plainer chamfered bridging beam and joists.
Rear dogleg staircase added c1600: board stairs, C20 handrail. 2 first-floor rooms, the southern entered from stairs. Timber-frame with tension bracing. 4-centred doorway between rooms. East wall with herringbone brick nogging. North room has arched braces to roll and hollow-moulded bridging beams. Attic flight of stairs with blocked 3-light ovolo-moulded window facing south. Roof of rafters and clasped purlins, re-constructed 1924. Rear wing plain. Far west room with early C19 kitchen range and copper.
(Norfolk Museums Service Information Sheet: Maddock A: The Ancient House, Thetford: Norwich: 1987-).

Listing NGR: TL8691883238

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Ancient House Museum official website
• Wikidata Q17535143

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

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)