Hadleigh High Street - listed buildings
John Betjeman once said:
“Hadleigh is one of the most perfect small towns in England, with trees, old red brick, flint and plaster and that unassuming beauty of East Anglia, which changes to glory in sunlight.”
There are around 246 listed buildings in Hadleigh, which by any standard is amazing for a small town like ours. This is a photographic record of a few of them, with the `Listing Text` for each building coming from Historic England. Unfortunately large numbers have been refronted, especially in the C18-19, the plaster and brick walls hiding much medieval timber framing.
The preservation of so many mediaeval and Tudor buildings is due to the poverty that struck the town after the collapse of the wool trade in the 16th century: the inhabitants could not afford to knock down or renovate in accordance with the fashions of the time.
I have restricted each blog entry to the same street, where possible; this first entry being buildings in the High Street. Amazingly, of the 137 buildings that line the High Street, 90% are listed. Not all the listed building in a road are mentioned here because of the sheer number involved, but I have picked a selection, based on nothing other than, I liked them or I had a reasonable image! However, it will give a feel for the historic market town that is Hadleigh, I hope.
Sun Court - 107 High Street
This is a mid 15th century Grade II* Listed hall house, extended to the rear early in the 16th century. It was restored 1927-9 by a Sydney Schofield. It is claimed that this house was the inspiration for Martin Reed’s house in Norah Lofts book The Town House. Like many towns in the area, Hadleigh prospered from the trade in wool and cloth during the Middle Ages, and the Hadleigh town centre still features many handsome timber-framed houses built by successful medieval merchants.
Supposedly, Norah Lofts saw Sun Court when she was house-hunting in Suffolk. The house had been built centuries ago for a wool merchant. It still has a large door onto the street, big enough for a laden pack pony to enter, with a smaller door inset for people to use.You may wonder why even the most dedicated merchant would want to let his pack ponies into his house!. In The Town House, Martin Reed’s house was originally much smaller, and on only one side of the passage. He later built a solar for his bewitching wife Magda to dance in (Martin’s solar was also, apparently, inspired by one of the rooms in Sun Court), and left a space between the new solar and the original house so that the pack ponies could still get from the street to the yard behind the house. Later, Martin roofed over this space to create a covered passage from the street entrance to his yard and built rooms above it. So the packhorses now trotted through Martin’s house to get from the street to the yard. Subsequent owners remodelled the house and changed its use over the succeeding centuries, but the central passage – and its packhorse-sized door – was such a key part of the structure that it always remained. (Whether this reflects the real history of Sun Court or whether it is purely fiction, I have no idea – but houses do evolve in this sort of haphazard fashion, so it seems entirely plausible).
A 1939 book on pargetting says that Sun Court had 'an unusually sophisticated embellishment consisting of swags, pendants and scrolls and surmounted by a shell'. If, as I assume, this was on the façade, it shows no evidence of it now. What a shame.
Numbers 111 and 113 High Street
From the grand Sun Court to two cottages, probably C17, both of two stories. They are timber framed and now plastered, with tiled roofs at two levels. The windows were much altered in the C18 and later. Number 111 has its ground floor brick faced, with a bay window and 6-panel door.
Number 89 High Street
This is a late C18 building over two stories with plastered brick front. Part of the modillion eaves cornice remains at the south end front (the left as you look at it). The centre of the building breaks forward slightly from the two ends. The windows are in a 2:3:2 format, and are sash with glazing bars; the upper central window being in an arched recess. The building has a central door, which is six-panel, with a good decorated fanlight. Finished off with a semi-circular porch with Doric columns.
Numbers 62 to 66 High Street - the only Grade 1 listed.
An exceptional and important C17 building with much fine and original detail. Built over two storeys, plus attics, timber framed and plastered.The roofs are steep pitched and tiled, with six flat-headed dormer windows. It has three gables at the rear and much more original detail.
The south front upper storey is the most interesting feature. It has a richly carved modillion cornice and fine range of six windows with original lead glazing. Each window is of three lights with arched central light. Most of the fittings are original.
In the arched head of one central light, the date 1676 is worked in lead. The upper storey formerly projected in front but has been underbuilt in brick with several small shop fronts.
The Gables
The Gables, 108 to 110 High Street, is a glorious C17 property, built on two storeys, and is a timber framed and plastered building, with tiled roof. It has cross wings north and south and the main block has a central gable projecting on shaped brackets. This has decorated barge-boards with pointed finial. There is also a carved bressumer (large beam) with a refurbishment date and initials of A1649 E. The ground floor main block has a central entry (later date) with small modern gable to match other gables. Of interest, the modern pargetting commemorates the marriage in 1981 of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.
The cross wings have projecting upper storeys on the front, which are on shaped brackets, and the gables have decorated barge-boards and pointed finials. All windows and doors are modern.
Although I am unsure of the dates, this property was an Inn called the Swan and Commercial before being an hotel and then a B&B. Currently up for sale.
Another point of interest is that monitoring of footings for an extension revealed evidence of what may be large extraction pits of uncertain date. An undated pit rich in oyster and mussel shell was also observed. No further details available I am afraid.
No 46 and 48 - one of my favourites
A good deal altered externally, but with some very good features and the interior has some medieval scriptural wall painting. Not that I have seen them personally.
It is a two storey timber framed and plastered building, with roofs being tiled and slated. It has two wings, gabled north and south. The west front is of C17 with some interesting pargetting on upper storey, consisting chiefly of the Tudor rose, royal arms and fleur-de-lys. There is a band of floral pargetting between the two storeys.
This was a property that Viscount Paul Bayning`s son owned, a very wealthy merchant of the time, who held land in Essex and Sussex, although I believe he never actually lived here. The coat of arms on the property is that of the Bayning family.
The upper storey formerly projected on the front but has been underbuilt in painted brick. A familiar story in other High Street buildings. It has wood eaves cornice and in the centre is a one handed clock circa 1795. The building has a three window range from C17-C18, and leaded mullion transom casements.
No 50 High Street
Possibly C16-C17 with the addition of a late C18 front. It is a two storey timber framed building, plastered, and it has a tiled roof. The front has what is called, a four window range, being sash with glazing bars in the upper storey. The ground floor has a C19 double bay shop front. The wing extending east at the rear has timber framing on north side This premises served as a grocer's shop for many years, and it was here that the elegant linen-fold oak Tudor screen, (now in the Guildhall) was found. This is one reason I included it here. Image of the screen is below.
Tudor Screen - now in the Guildhall
No 45 to 49 High Street - the oldest properties in the street.
Originaly a large Hall house (45 and 47 left hand end) with cross wings north and south. Thought to be from 14C, these are the High Streets oldest. They are two storeys, timber-framed and plastered, with tiled roofs. The cross wings upper storeys project on front and are mostly underbuilt by small late C18 shop fronts.
On the right of the above image is No 49. An interesting house and shop with many original features from C15 to C18. A two storey timber-framed and plastered structure, with a tiled roofs. It has two attic dormers on front, and a two window range, projecting upper storey. Also cellars so I believe. The ground floor has the original doorway at the north end (front) with four-centred head and carved spandrel. It has a rather fine oak door. Traces of another doorway with carved spandrels, over the present shop door. There is a fine little shop with two bays supported by wooden brackets and small panes with original glazing bars
For many years these were the premises of a saddler. Over the windows you can still see display pegs for his bridles!
The rather fine looking King`s Head Inn
The official listing says that the property is C16 and later. U-shaped building with wings extending east, and with the front and most of ground floor rebuilt in brick in C18. It is a two storey timber framed and now plastered, with roofs tiled and slated. The front is painted, with moulded brick cornice, and six-window range, flush frame sash with (modern) glazing bars. The ground floor has two doorways with enriched wood cases. The timber framing is exposed in the upper storeys of the wings extending east.
Over the years 13 pubs and inns have opened their doors in the high street, although only two remain.
Now converted to flats, this was the White Lion Hotel
One of the 13 inns and pubs that have existed on the high street, this building has a C18 painted brick front with parapet, but the original building was probably C16 or C17. It is of two storeys and has timber framed attics, the roofs are tiled and hipped. (A hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope Thus, a hipped roof house has no gables or other vertical sides to the roof.)
The front has moulded brick cornice, six window range, sash with glazing bars in painted reveals. The central entrance has a wood pediment doorcase. The interior has a small courtyard and gallery, apparently much restored.
No 97 and 99 High Street
Said to have been a Hall house, this is a two storey timber framed and plastered building, with tiled roofs; probable dated C15. It has cross wings north and south, and formerly had a projecting upper storey on front but this is now underbuilt. The front has some C17 pargetting with remains of spiral floral pattern of the Tudor rose, royal arms and cartouche. The right hand gable has the date 1618 on it.
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The sign on No 106 High Street |
This was a former inn and closed in 1911, now three, Grade II Listed, tenements, probably 17th century but re-fronted in the 18th century in red brick. A notice for sale by auction in the White Lion on 13th February 1911 includes 'Dwelling Houses' previously known as The Tuns; another advert stating that 'the licence of which has been surrendered and which will be sold as unlicensed property'. Earliest recorded incumbent is 1879 John King, described as 'Wine, spirit & beer merchant, Three Tuns, & rate collector' although in 1871 he is recorded as a solicitors general clerk. A photograph of the pub sign, undated, describes it as 'Porter's Ale House The Three Tuns'. Reportedly it used to brew its own beer and the well used for this still remains and is under a covenant on the house that it cannot be altered.
It was at this point I started wondering where the name came from, so turned to good old Google! The tun, it appears, is an English unit of liquid volume (not weight), used for measuring wine or beer, oil or honey. Typically a large vat or vessel, most often holding 252 wine gallons, but occasionally other sizes (e.g. 256, 240 and 208 gallons) were also used. Another view of a tun is that it would hold about eight barrels.
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Another inn, a few doors away fron the Three Tuns |
Nearby at 124 and 126 High Street was the Shoulder of Mutton, another of the High Streets many inns. I am assuming that the inn was both buildings as there are the hangings for signs on both buildings. The Shoulder of Mutton was closed probably in the 1960s as parish records show it was an antique shop in 1968. A pub is recorded here from at least 1796 when the Sporting Magazine records a wager over a run from the Shoulder-of-Mutton Inn to the Fox in Kaydon. A Masonic 'Lodge of Virtue and Silence' is recorded at the pub established in 1811 and moving to the White Lion Inn in 1825/6 when the Shoulder's tenant died. A Gazetteer of 1844 records an 'Omnibus to Ipswich, from the Shoulder of Mutton at 9 morng. except Sunday'; in view of the yard behind, did the bus replace a coach and suggest it was a coaching inn? Tolly Cobbold agreements existed for the pub in 1924 and 1961.
Probably built in C16 and later, it is a two storey, timber-framed and plastered building, with tiled roofs. There is a cross wing at the south end with a projecting upper storey. No 126 has an old rectangular chimney stack. At the south end a bay built under projecting upper storey, and another bay to No 126 has modillion cornice. All the exterior walls are covered in colour washed pebble-dash.
This is number 8 in the High Street, and is probably of Cl7 origin. It`s a two storey timber-framed and plastered building, and the roof is tiled, extending west with gabled end to the street. On the north end there is there is a cart entrance with a room above, a wool man perhaps? A bit like Sun Court, but not on the same grand scale.
So, there you have a short view of the High street with but a fraction of it`s beautiful properties. Next I will move onto a shorter Blog entry for Bridge Street, off the end of the High Street. I hope you enjoyed some views of our beautiful market town. I have lived on the edge of Hadleigh for about 17 years but never appreciated it`s beautiful buildings as much as I have during this lockdown period, when I have walked the streets with my camera so many times!
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