NHER 4782 (Building record) - 20-26 King's Arms Street

September 1972. Nos 22 and 24 Listed Grade II.
Listing Description excerpt:
"Early 18th century, brick, limewashed. Pantile roof, Dutch gables. Two wood mullion transom casements at 1st floor. Moulded first floor band. 19th-century wood shop front, right."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 9 January 2009. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 7 January 2022.

July 1975. Field Observation.
Visit by E. Rose (NAU).
17th-century cottage with shaped gables, large brick ledge above ground floor windows crude pediment over door [to No 24].
Information from (S2).
E. Rose (NAU), 29 July 1975. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 7 January 2022.

At some point after 1972 the name associated with the listing description was amended to read 'Nos 20-26 (even)', indicating the listing now also covers the two later structures to either side of the central 17th-/early 18th-century building. However, the listing description itself still appears to only refer to Nos 22 and 24.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 January 2022.

January 2009. Building Survey.
Level 2 survey of No 24 and 26 King’s Arms Street, undertaken prior to their conversion.
As described above, No 24 is one half of what was originally a single building of probable 17th- or early 18th-century date (the other half being No 22). Two-storey catslide rear extensions are later additions, with that behind No 24 the older of the two, being comprised of 18th or 19th century brickwork. The rear extension to No 22 is 20th-centuy in its present form. The ground floor of No 24 consisted of one room in the original block and a second in the rear extension. Notable features exposed in the former included an inglenook fireplace in the base of the south gable stack and an adjacent former staircase. There was no division between the attics of Nos 22 and 24, allowing an examination of the whole roof structure. An east-to-west aligned cellar lies beneath the northern end of No 24, the south, west and east walls of which consist of flint with courses of herringbone brick. The north wall is entirely of brick and likely represents a later subdivision of what was once a single cellar extending beneath No 22 (the presence of a cellar beneath No 22 being evidenced by a chute or light set into the adjacent pavement). The west wall of the cellar beneath No 24 contain a pegged door frame in 17th-century style and there is evidence that this may have been associated with an external stair. It was also noted that the lower portion of the west wall of the main building is of flint and extends to a depth of at least 1.5m below ground level. The east wall also appears to have similar footings. Although when first recorded an early 18th-century date was suggested for Nos 22 and 24, the internal features recorded during this survey suggest they are more likely to be 17th century. The distinct nature of the wall footings exposed within the cellars possibly indicates that they were associated with an earlier structure, although it could simply be that the present building was given particularly substantial flint foundations.
No 26 is apparently said locally to date to the 1890s and to have housed the first telephone exchange in the town. It is a two-storey, cellared building constructed of knapped flint with brick quoins, plinth and detailing. A wing projecting to the west is of one build with the main block and was extended during the 20th century. The only internal features of note were two Coalbrookdale fireplaces, one within a cellar and another at first floor level. The remainder of the visible interior was of late 20th-century date. The cellar runs into one beneath the extension to No 24.
No 20, which was not included in the survey, is a red brick building that bears a date plaque of 1906 with the initials RWB. It has a shop window with green tiles beneath, suggesting it was possibly originally a food store.
See report (S3) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 January 2022.