| Description | Nos. 2 and 4 Albion Court, Wakefield. Formerly a house originating in the 17th century which incorporates a medieval burgage plot boundary wall.
Nos. 2 and 4 Albion Court were the subject of a spot list request in 1993. Peter Thornborrow (Historic Buildings Officer, WYAS) provided the supporting report. The report, which contains photographic prints of the building is held by WYAAS (Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 1993).
The report describes the range as a former house converted into cottages and later used as a printing works and then a restaurant. Part medieval, 17th century, 18th century and 19th century. It is constructed variously of large dressed sandstone, hand made brick and has a modern stone slate roof.
The rear (west) wall incorporates an earlier medieval stone wall defining the boundary of a burgage plot, built on top of this is a 17th century brick wall. The inner skin of the front east wall is in 18th century brick with blocked openings which are not visible in the external wall rebuilt in the early 19th century.
The evidence of the structure suggests that in the 17th century the ground floor was used for domestic purposes, where as the 1st floor ventilators in the rear wall suggest that it was used for some agricultural purpose. Possibly it may have had a lime ash floor laid on the substantial oak floor frame and been used as a brewing malt house (it is adjacent to the White Horse Hotel). The building appears to have been converted in the 18th century to a warehouse with a large arched taking in door at 1st floor level. In 1804 the property was advertised to let as a single house. Subsequently by the mid 19th century the building was converted to at least two cottages, with the outer skin rebuilt and the facade refenestrated.
The report provides a building description. Notable features include original panelled doors and shutters, a substantial 17th century oak beamed ceiling and the seven foot medieval wall (possibly) which defined the edge of the burgage pot off Westgate. The rear wall of the first floor has regularly spaced angled ventilators which incorporate reused oak studs with wattle and daub slots as lintels. The seven bay roof has large oak tie beams which are chamfered and stopped against the wall plate. The upper part of the trusses were rebuilt in the 19th century with soft wood principals and fish bone king posts but still retaining original rafters (some reused timbers with mortises for timber framing).
The build shows a fascinating development illustrating the antiquity of the buildings in the yards off the main street subject to the variety of adaptation and reuse over the centuries. The survival of the long stone wall marking the boundary of the burgage plot appears to be one of a small number of such walls found only in the more ancient parts of the medieval town.
(Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 1993. 'Amendments to the list of buildings of special architectural interest or historic interest in Wakefield: Nos. 20 and 4 Albion Court, off Westgate, Wakefield'). |