NHER 63498 (Building record) - 4 and 6 St Ann's Street

Previously recorded under NHER 22264.

1984. Building Survey.
Nos. 4 and 6 mostly covered with late facing (building listed as 17th century) but walls seem to be largely of stonework, later replaced in part in brick. Scissor trusses and remnants of roof of type usually dated before 1300.
See detailed report (S1) and drawings in file.
E. Rose (NAU), 3 March 1986.

1993. Revised Listing.
Nos 4 and 6 dated as 13th century earliest survival of parallel hall plan in Lynn. 13th century stone doorway survives (this seems to be the arch formerly listed as in no 12). The interior was not inspected but known to contain (in 1971) a scissor-braced roof to north part (with the higher roof line) and a crown post roof to southern part.
Listed Grade II*, see (S2).
E. Rose (NLA), 24 February 1999, amended A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 8 July 2019.

(S3) describes the scissor-braced roof structure of No. 4 (then referred to as No. 6) as probably the earliest, and at any rate the 'most primitive' kind of roof construction found in Lynn. All the timbers were the same scantling and each pair of rafters was braced with a collar and diagonal ties crossing just above it. The rafters were halved and pegged at the top and their feet were pegged onto the wallplate. Since the building had stone walls the main purpose of the tie beam was probably to provide a holding for the studs of the timber partitions beneath. Mortice and tenon joints were not used and the timbers were halved and pegged together. Beyond the fact that there was a good deal of timber wastage, the main structural defect in this roof was the lack of any lengthwise support beyond that provided by the roof covering.
See (S3) for further information and photograph showing roof structure.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 8 July 2019.