No. 14 & 15 High Street
At first glance the symmetrical arrangement of the windows around the centre of this structure makes it tempting to think that these houses were originally one unit. This is not likely but even if they were originally one, by the time Charpentier's drawing was made they were definitely two. A further temptation is to think that there may have been three residences here as there are certainly three doors, but this would be false as the right hand door simply gives access to a pair of cottages at the rear of No. 16. All three doors are somewhat more elaborate now than in Charpentier.
There is a single blind window above the central door today, but in 1842 both windows above the central door were blind.
From ground level it is practically impossible to determine the structure of the roof. This can only be done using satellite photography. When applied to Nos. 14 & 15 it reveals the curious fact that there are three short sections of roof at the front of the building and three rather different sections at the rear.
There is another anomaly along the north side of the building where the rear part of No. 14 protrudes into the portico area of No. 13 (see photo, right). This can be followed on the Google Earth image. All together this is an odd collection of buildings with little indication of how they relate to one another historically.
Project Considerations
Modelling the whole of this structure is not possible without being invited to examine the property in detail. For the time being therefore the model will consist of the frontage and at least the outer set of roof structures. Consideration will have to be given to that part of No. 14 that protrudes into the alley way between it and No. 13 as it can be seen from the High Street. There is no evidence at present as to when this section was built but we will assume that it was pre-1860.
Care needs to be taken in respect of the height of the building which is shorter than No. 13 even though it has the same number of floors.
All images are copyright © Tim Backhouse. Click on the thumbnails for full size versions.
