NHER 62404 (Monument record) - Site of 17th-century cottage, Pockthorpe Brewery, Barrack Street

Cottage incorporated into Pockthorpe Brewery, now demolished.

November 1974. Building Survey.
Examination by A. Carter (Norwich Survey) of Pockthorpe Brewery '17th century cottage' ahead of its proposed demolition.
Although a date of 1724 was given by a date plaque on the north wall the building actually proved to be of three periods. It was originally a single-roomed building of 17th-century, of which little more than the east wall, its chimney stack and an adjoining staircase survived. The date of 1724 probably referred to a rebuilding when the building was heightened. At some point after this date the building was enlarged, being expanded westwards by one room, which was also heated by a gable and chimney stack. The roof had features suggestive of a late 18th- or early 19th-century date and it was observed that there were fire surrounds of this date on the ground floor.
The building was in a dangerous condition at the time it was examined and it was argued that there was no reason to recommend its preservation.
See copy of letter in file for further details (found in A. Carter archive).

Initially it appeared that there was no way of the locating the former site of this building, the surrounding brewery buildings having also been demolished. It is however likely that the building examined by Carter is the subject of a photograph taken by George Plunkett in 1939, described on (S1) as "17c cottage incorporated in brewery premises". The site of this building can be reasonably accurately located from other photographs taken around the same time. It appears that by 1939 it was already boarded up and in a state of disrepair.
P. Watkins (HES), 15 November 2017.