NHER 12916 (Building record) - Shakespeare House, 29 and 29c King Street

December 1951. Listed, Grade II.

November 1977. Field Obssrvation.
Visited by E. Rose (NAU).
Odd little house, with Georgian façade of two bays and two storeys leaving large areas of blank brickwork; central archway resembling a door. Large beams exposed in roof of passage. Listing claims a medieval core, and a hammerbeam roof.
Compiled by E. Rose (NAU), 2 November 1977. Information from record card (S1).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 July 2023.

Listing (S2) dates the above-described façade as 19th century but states the single set back 18th-century bay to the south also belongs. Dates original house to 15th century but notes a six-light ovolo moulded mullioned and transomed window to the hall - can this be that early? Ground floor noted as having bridging beam with mortises for arched braces in front range, and remains of crownpost roof, but roof of hall range was not seen.
E. Rose (NLA), 11 March 1999.

In the 19th century this was the Shakspeare (sic) Inn. The Victorians preferred to spell Shakespeare as Shakspeare.
Information from (S3).
E. Rose (NLA), 20 November 2006.

Publication (S4) notes that the survey of Chequer Street (latterly King Street) was ordered by the Paving Commissioners in August 1803. However, by March 1806 the list of work yet to be done included alterations to the Shakespeare public house, owned by Thomas Allen, at a cost of £73 12s. This timber-framed building was subsequently refronted.
Website (S5) indicates that this was The Sun public house in 1736, and The Shakespeare's Head by 1777. It was referred for closure by compensation in 1914 and the licence was extinct by 1915. The property was put up for sale in 1920 and the particulars describe it as very extensive, having a frontage to King Street of about 31 feet [9.5m] and a depth of about 168 feet [51m] and containing a large front room, kitchen, cellar, wash house, coal house and range of buildings on north side of yard, together with a small front office, six good bedrooms and WC on first floor, two attics over, range of wood and corrugated iron and tiled buildings in large yard to rear, stabling for five horses, store houses, etc.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 28 November 2018.

Listing Description excerpt:
"Late 15th-century hall house on the 'L'-Plan, later public house, now offices. Hall floored 17th century, red brick skin late 18th century, further skin to north part early 19th century in brown brick when front at this point built out. 15th-century fabric of brick with timber partitioning. Façade in two parts. Single-bay late 18th-century south part on original wall-plane through two storeys...Main part to north projects. Two storeys, formerly three. Central carriage entrance leads through timber-framed passsage to rear. Doorway to front office cut through at street side to south, original entrance now leads into staircase hall at rear to south...Gabled roof with three glass lights. Stack emerges through front roof slope towards south end. Carriage passageway emerges under a two-storey gabled cross wing to north of small courtyard. Hall range is longer and forms south side of this court...INTERIOR. Ground floor front has a heavy chamfered bridging beam with mortices for arched braces and closely spaced joists. Remainder of ground floor has little of interest. Inserted staircase leads to first floor and a tie beam on which rests a single octagonal crown post with moulded base and capital. Crown purlin missing, but it had braces to the crown post. No mortice holes for braces to collar identified. Front roof is a 20th-century replica of a clasped purlin structure. Roof of hall range not accessible."
Information from (S2).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S2) for the current listing details.
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 July 2023.