Record Details

NHER Number:25845
Type of record:Building
Name:The Cottages, Town Street

Summary

The Cottages, Town Street were originally a single building. They form part of the front range of a 13th century building, probably of U-shaped plan, which may have been a lodging, guest-house or warehouse associated with one of the sixteen religious houses established in the Upwell area during the medieval period. A number of the buildings in this area are recorded as belonging to Ramsey Abbey in 1200 and Ely in 1251, so this building may be associated with one of those. The remains of two ogee doorways survive, although the building was cut down and heavily altered in the 19th century, to which period the interior dates.

A heap of stones at the rear of the property included a number of fragments of medieval worked stone, including a 13th century colonette, a respond, cusped tracery of the 14th to 15th centuries, and a gargoyle. This evidence again suggests that this site is related to the Ely or Ramset monasteries.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TF 5044 0278
Map Sheet:TF50SW
Parish:UPWELL, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Medieval building of Barnack Stone.
Probably originally U-shaped and a monastic lodging or warehouse - buildings recorded in this area belonging to Ramsey Abbey in 1200 and Ely in 1251. Remains of two ogee doorways. Cut down and altered in 19th century from which period the interior dates. See (S1) in secondary file.
Copy of listing grade II* (S2) in file.
Also listed separately as grade II is Church Bridge, described as substantial portion of right hand rear range of building, now used as workshop. Site transferred from Cambridgeshire during boundary changes in 1990.
E. Rose (NLA), September 1990.

See also in file a report (S3) made in October 2001 on a great heap of very fine and large architectural fragments at the rear of the property, collected from around the site, and of various medieval dates.
E. Rose (NLA), 22 October 2001.

July 2001. Trial Trench.
Single trench excavated at rear of properties uncovered evidence for Late Saxon to post-medieval activity.
See NHER 60664 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 24 March 2015.

English Heritage Listing:
The Cottages (East of Lloyds Bank), Town Street. Upwell.
Part of the front range of a medieval building, probably of U-plan, and possibly a lodging or guest house associated with one of the sixteen religious houses established in the Upwell area. Now two cottages. Coursed Barnack stone ashlar with only slight disturbance to front wall, some brick repairs to rear wall and partial rebuilding in brick to left hand gable end. Probably cut down in 19th century when pantiled roof and ridge stacks built and now of two storeys. On splayed plinth. Ogee headed arch to former central doorway, now blocked, flanked by attached chamfered shafts on octagonal bases with the upper edge splayed. The shafts have been cut down, the one to the north is stepped back at eaves height. Above the doorway is a splayed string-course. Left hand gable end has another original doorway with one side of the jamb chamfered. Inside all the details are of the 19th century.
See (S4).
Information from (S2).

Monument Types

  • FINDSPOT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • INN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • WAREHOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Monograph: 1967. The Victoria History of the County of Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely. The Victoria History of the Counties of England. Vol 2.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Publication: Haigh, D.. 1988. The Religious Houses of Cambridgeshire. pp. 89 - 90.
<S2>Designation: English Heritage. National Heritage List for England.
<S3>Unpublished Document: Rose, E. (NLA). 2001. Building Report.. Building Report.
<S4>Monograph: Watson, W.. 1827. An Historical Account of the Town and Port of Wisbech in the Isle of Ely..

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