NHER 23046 (Building record) - 27 Church Street

November 1986. Visit. 27 Church Street.
(S1) describes as a '17th century manor house'. North façade to Church Street, red brick, five bays, two storeys, central classical doorcase, pantiled roof. Typical late 18th century and interior seen under reconstruction in November 1986. Shows nothing earlier, central stack, one cell each side, late roof structure. Two south wings, the south wall between them having a lunette window at top. Western wing much altered, seems a 19th century addition (along Withburga Lane) buts its central stack is very massive and irregular, changing build at half height of the present upper storey. The eastern wing south gable wall has a platband at letters IG in iron seem more 17th century than 18th century but this in turn has been added onto the end of older brick side walls, only just visible. No internal features of age visible except for roof space, roof structure older than other wings, three bays of principal rafters with rough windbracing, beside one couple is a massive principal rafter with mortise for collar, from an even older roof. At head of stairs, a carved baluster set beneath rafters. Possible blocked mullioned window in gable. On what is visible it seems that the east rear wing is a small 17th century cottage perhaps predating the second fire of Dereham in 1679 altered late in that century with a new south gable (after the fire?), the street block added in the 18th century, the west wing in the 19th but possibly encasing earlier buildings. Under restoration 1986.
E. Rose (NAU), 5 November 1986.