NHER 63495 (Building) - Burnham House, 11 and 13 Nelson Street

Previously recorded under NHER 12010.

Nos. 11 and 13, originally one house, medieval core and arch jambs.
Subdivided in the late 17th century, altered in the 18th century. Underbuilt jetties. Original floor and ?ritual hoard of pins etc found 1992.
At the rear of No. 11 are the remains of warehouse, 15th/16th century.
See (S1) and (S2) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 24 July 1992.

Listed Grade II*.
Single house on courtyard plan of late 15th century, but divided into two at early date and re-modelled around 1700. Red brick, partly rendered and colourwashed to the ground floor facade. Plaintile roofs. Street front of two storeys and dormer attic in nine irregular bays. Carriage entrance to flanking lane to left entered through a passage via a straight-headed opening to street and a 15th century basket arch to rear. North jamb of rear arch is of ashlar. Two doorways to ground floor separated by 18th century sashes with glazing bars. Platband at first floor. Six early 18th century two-light cross-casements to first floor and a further two sashes. Gabled roof with three gabled dormers, that to north now without the gable. South side of rear courtyard in two storeys of four bays, the lower left bay obscured by later lean-to covered passage, resulting in 3 two-light timber cross casements to ground floor but four to first floor, all dating from around 1700.
Running west from No. 13 are the north and south walls of a former late C15 storage building. Red brick. Later repairs. Three distinct rebated sections in south wall possibly indicate carriage doorways. The north side of north wall with remains of two four-centred window openings and one blocked doorway under a depressed arch.
Interior of No. 11: Street door leads via passageway to courtyard, the house entered by a door into later single-storey link. Ground-floor front room with re-used 17th century small-frame panelling. Room immediately behind (present kitchen) has large-frame panelling. Rear room with mid 19th century plain marble fire surround but mid 18th century plaster overmantel with scrolled side consoles. Mantelpiece on pair of moulded consoles between which is a wood applique frieze of foliage trail. Elegant yet determined early 18th open-well staircase: open string with two turned balusters per tread supporting ramped handrail. Panelled dado ramped to match. First-floor room in rear wing with small-framed 17th century panelling: frieze of punched decoration clings to strapwork tradition. Passage occupies courtyard side at this level, allowing access to a smaller room with similar panelling but a scrolled frieze. Main front roof of common rafters only and butt purlins, much renewed, but dating from early 18th century remodelling.
Interior of No. 13: Street door discharges into a tunnel-vaulted passage of 18th century origins which terminates in a winder staircase. Brickwork beneath this is 15th century. Ground-floor north room with large-frame early 18th century panelling and a doorway out to courtyard. Panelling repeated to both front first-floor rooms. Rear wing has plank and muntin partitioning to main first-floor room. Clasped purlin roof to this wing, partly renewed in 1953.
Information from updated list description (S3).
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 8 July 2019.