Description

DEBENHAM HIGH STREET (east side)
TM 16 SE
6/88 No.21 (Lanchester
9.12.55 Antiques), No.23 (Old
House), No.25 (The Gables)
(formerly listed as
Premises adjoining
Holmland on S. side)

GV II*

2 houses and shop. Originally a high quality open hall house of late C15 with
contemporary solar and commercial cross-wings to right. Service end to left
is of c.1600. Rear wings of late C16 and C18. Timber framed with smooth
render. A little studding and part of the hall window is exposed at the rear.
Plaintiled roof. 2 storeys, part with attic. Cross-wings are end-jettied to
street on original thick brackets. Mainly sash windows with glazing bars.
Solar wing has a 3-light canted bay to ground floor. To left is a shopfront
of c.1900. No.23 has a lobby entrance with mid C20 half-glazed door under a
flat hood. No.25 has a 6-panel door. 3 flat-roofed dormers. Heavy internal
stack with 4 detached octagonal shafts, the caps missing, rebuilt 1987 in
modified form. Small C19 stack against side wall of right cross-wing. C18
wing to rear of shop is roughcast-rendered and roofed with glazed black
pantiles; a good ogee-headed window with decorative glazing. Interior. Main
components of frame exposed on upper floor, the structure otherwise largely
concealed. Hollow-chamfered cambered tie beam over former open hall, the
braces missing. It supports a fine octagonal crown-post with moulded base and
cap and 4-way bracing at the head. The roof timbers over the hall are mostly
concealed. Tie beam over solar has mortices for heavy arched braces; intact
roof above with moulded octagonal crown-post. A solar window, briefly exposed
when the front was re-rendered, has traceried lights. The end cross-wing was
open to the street beneath the jetty and the ground floor had a commercial
function; the roof over the chamber above has a further moulded octagonal
crown-post. In mid C16 the open hall was floored over and a stack built at
the upper end. The parlour fireplace lintol has a late C16 painted design of
foliage and flowers in decorative panels, in white, pink and red on a black
ground. The parlour ceiling has particularly fine mid C17 plasterwork. There
is a central beam with running vine foliage and 4 panels with wavy foliage
borders; each panel contains a bold wreath enclosing a Tudor rose and 4
surrounding motifs. This is the most substantial medieval house in the
village.

Listing NGR: TM1739863276

Recommended Books

• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Somerset: South and West (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
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas