NHER 45817 (Building record) - Nos 7 and 9 Market Place, Nos 1 and 1A Church Street, Harleston

Nos 7 and 9 Market Place, Tower House. Harleston.
Includes Nos 1 and 1A Church Street.

November 1976. Listed Grade II.
Listing Description excerpt:
"1873. Grey brick with stuccoed dressings large building of three storeys. Six windows facing Market Place, three windows and tower facing The Thoroughfare, with splayed corner. Chamfered quoins. Moulded architraves to windows, first floor with cornices and pulvinated friezes. Sashes without glazing bars. Parapet and heavy moulded cornice."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the current listing details.
J. Allen (NLA), 18 May 2007. Amended by J. Cullis (HES), 2 January 2020.

The construction of this building and the town clock tower is documented within contemporary newspapers (S2-S4). This location was originally occupied by a chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist (NHER 11093), which originated in at least the 15th-century and had been rebuilt in 1726 and extended in 1823. A new church (NHER 11092) was constructed on a new site in 1872 and the old chapel was demolished in 1873. At the time of demolition a new building was already planned for the location and discussions around erecting a new town clock were taking place (S2). By 1876 the new building was being constructed (S3) and it was ultimately decided to construct a new clock and tower (S3, S4). More recently it was reported that the existing tower is the surviving tower of the former chapel (S5), but the earlier articles prove that this is in fact incorrect and the present tower and clock were constructed sometime just after August and November 1876 respectively.
E. Rose (NLA), 7 February 2007.
Updated H. Hamilton (HES), 1 June 2017.

July 1996.
Local newspaper, the Eastern Daily Press (S5), reports that plans are in place to refurbish the clock tower. Falling masonry had been observed, but a structural survey found the building itself remains structurally sound.
H. Hamilton (HES), 1 June 2017.