7 Town Hill

Cadw's description

Location

Part of a continuously built up building line on the S side of the street, the burgages stretching back towards College Street to the rear.

History

Probably built as a house, but latterly in commercial use. Late medieval cruck-framed open hall range to rear, with cross wing forming street frontage, probably added or remodelled in the early C16, and originally including No. 5 Town Hill, subdivided c1800.

Exterior

Timber framed throughout, with slate roofs. C20 shop front recessed to ground floor, the upper floor jettied out and supported on cast iron columns. 2 wide 6-pane sash windows above, that to left beneath wide dormer gable. Traces of large square-panelled framing in side walls of rear wing.

Interior

Rear wing represents the oldest part of the structure: a late medieval cruck framed open hall of 3 bays. Rear truss now encassed in stone wall, but still largely visible, with rough tie beam and collar. Housings for wind-braces suggest that the hall probably once extended beyond this. Of the 2 central trusses, one survives intact, with collar and king post, and the blades of the other have been cut below the elbow, leaving a cambered collar with queen struts. 4th truss (at junction of rear wing and range parallel to street) largely obscured. Wind braces to roof (mainly renewed). Side walls framed with principal posts and irregular horizontal rails. Front range may have been the original parlour, but was reconstructed as cross-wing in early C16. Ashlar walling to cellar, the present floor level lowered to expose this walling as a plinth, and framed above in large panels with tension bracing in side walls, with jowled corner posts and king post and collar trusses in gable walls, queen post and collar truss to centre. Wattle and daub in ceiling over ground floor. Cusped wind braces (largely renewed) to roof. Secondary stack with fireplaces to ground and first floors, that to ground floor now blocked. Linen-fold wall-panelling originally formed part of a built-in settle, suggesting the use of this room for dining when it was added or remodelled in the C16. Front wall is possibly a later rebuild, and is framed with close studding.

Reason for designation

An important example of a late-medieval building of same status, which forms part of a historically significant group with Nos 5 and 9 Town Hill.