Early 16th century house.

RCHME survey of 37 Long Wyre Street. 'House & shop at corner of Eld Lane, was built early in the 16th century. The upper storey projects on the E and S sides with a heavy diagonal bracket at the angle and has four curved brackets on each face.' <1>

The DOE survey lists No's 33 to 37 (odd) Long Wyre Street together. Grade II. Probably early C16, but much altered. Timber framed and plastered with 1st floor overhang. Modern shops below, sash windows above. Tiled roof, slate on the corner of Eld Lane.<2>

A watching brief was held during structural alterations to No.37 Long Wyre Street. Groundwork was minimal with one hole dug against the north boundary wall. This was not inspected.<3>

This corner'site building is a tall, two bay cross-wing, probably of the early C15. Jettied on both elevations, it incorporates a number of interesting, non-standard, features. Part of the ground floor appears to be domestic, with close studwork and a diamond mullioned window, fronting Eld Lane. The rest of this frontage and the Long Wyre Street elevation was composed of shop windows and a narrow, shop door. The windows were of the 'half arch' type, but only partially survive, concealed now, behind plaster. Interestingly, some of the jetty brackets are fixed midway over the large shop openings, rather than to storey-height posts. The first floor contained two rooms, each with an un-subdivided arch-head window, on the east flank. Such arched heads are extremely unusual and, perhaps, denoted commercial use of this floor. The most surprising feature is the presence of a contemporary attics floor, fixed over small spacer-pieces, tennoned into each stud. This floor must be an exceptionally early example, exemplified by the experimental nature of the structural solution. In order to provide a clear, open, attic space there was no central tie beam and the collar-purlin, of the cross-post roof (now replaced after a fire) was supported between two clasping collars. It seems likely, from mortice evidence, that the southern, gabled, elevation had multiple, decorative wall bracing.<4>