ANCIENT TIMBER HOUSE,
considered to be one of the oldest and largest of this kind of buildings of which our town displays so many specimens.
The projecting stories are sustained by elegant brackets, and the angle uprights enriched with small pointed arches, carved with trefoil and other decorations. Along the front basement is a cloister of wooden arches obtusely pointed.—This building, 60 feet in length, is now divided into smaller habitations. History is silent as to the time, or by whom this edifice was erected, nor have we any decided information of its primary occupancy.
From the appearance of the cloister, it has been conjectured that it was a religious house, inhabited by the chauntry priests of the fraternity of the Holy Cross in St. Alkmund’s church. But from its extent it is more likely to have been the town mansion of the Abbot of Lilleshull, who had a residence in this part of the parish, and to which monastery the patronage of the church belonged.
Continuing our route to the left of this house, we pass steps leading to the churchyard, and the foundations of a stone building (which once pertained to an Oriel and the ancient college of St. Alkmond), into Fish-street, occupied by shambles, and on market-days by the country butchers. Crossing the top of High-street, we enter Milk-street, which leads to Old St. Chad’s (page 28), and the street called Belmont, in which is situated
THE JUDGES’ HOUSE,
purchased by the County of Salop in 1821, under an act for providing suitable accommodation for the reception of his Majesty’s judges of assize. At the south-west end of the opposite thoroughfare across the church-yard is the remains of a red stone wall which formed part of