02 High Street
Current
2
High Street
Lowestoft
NR32 1HX
United Kingdom
History
It is known that, in c. 1720, four to five dwellings occupied the site, but these would have all been of later construction than the "buried" wall - so, it is difficult to interpret exactly what was found. To add further to the complexity of the site, located within the eastern wall of the former No. 1 High Street were some substantial remains of what appeared to be late 17th-early 18th century brickwork forming a cellar entrance, complete with brick-built barrel-chute - the dimensions of which were compatible with the size of a firkin (a cask of nine gallons capacity). CREDIT:David Butcher
No2-No3 High Street are both named Beacon House and back in 1865 No2 is listed as the lodging house of Mrs Ellen Snell. No4 High Street is named Arnold House and during the 1960's it was the offices of Cleveland and Sons (second-hand dealers), from 1901 the house stopped being a family house and became a lodging house. Up to that point it was the home of the Arnold family, Dr. Arnold of Rugby and Matthew Arnold, the poet, essayist and critic.
Captain Thomas Arnold, in 1718, when he was lieutenant of the "Superbe", he captured the Spanish admiral's ship, Royal San Philip. Today No4 is separated into Flats, private and rented, long gone are the fancy gardens which were at the rear with their Tennis courts and terrace gardens and have been replaced with overgrown trees and shrubs. CREDIT:Crispin Hook
Architecture
At one time, prior to redecoration of No. 2’s north wall, the outline of an earlier, lower roof-line (with chimney-stack) was discernible on this part of the building. It had nothing to do with the former No. 1 High Street, which was demolished c. 1960, and pre-dated this dwelling by some considerable time. The earlier house probably dated from the mid-late 16th or early 17th century and was the home of Samuel Munds (mariner and merchant) from 1680 to 1710.
No. 329 Whapload Road - the Grade II listed fish-house/net-store situated below No. 2 High Street - was once part of the original burgage-plot, with earlier dwellings occupying the High Street space. For much of the 17th century (and perhaps earlier), the whole messuage was held by the wealthy Wilde family of mariners and merchants.
Immediately to the north of No. 2 High Street once stood the former No. 1 - a large mid-19th century marine residence demolished c. 1960 and with substantial remains of its foundations present below ground level. This area underwent archaeological investigation during 2011 and 2013, carried out by members of the Lowestoft Archaeological & Local History Society and Heritage Workshop Centre.
The main feature found by excavation was a substantial length of serpentine brick wall (thirty-five feet, in all) dating from the first half of the 14th century and over nine feet tall from the base-level to the top. A little below the ground's surface, there was evidence of the top four or five courses of bricks beginning to arch over to form what was probably a vaulted cellar ceiling - similar in age and dating, perhaps, to the one below No. 160 High Street.
The width of the wall was around eighteen inches at the bottom, tapering slightly upwards to finish at around fifteen at the top, and it was constructed in irregularly coursed header-bond throughout. All of the fabric had been high-fired (by the standards of the time) to give durability below ground level and the inner surface of the structure had been lime-washed at some stage. There was also noticeable calcification over much of the surface, caused by the chemical reaction of moisture with lime mortar.
It is known that, in c. 1720, four to five dwellings occupied the site, but these would have all been of later construction than the "buried" wall - so, it is difficult to interpret exactly what was found. To add further to the complexity of the site, located within the eastern wall of the former No. 1 High Street were some substantial remains of what appeared to be late 17th-early 18th century brickwork forming a cellar entrance, complete with brick-built barrel-chute - the dimensions of which were compatible with the size of a firkin (a cask of nine gallons capacity). CREDIT:David Butcher
TM5594SW HIGH STREET 914-1/6/12 (East side) 03/10/77 No.2
GV II
House, now 8 flats. c1840. Red brick. Pantile roof. 3 storeys and basement in 2 window bays. Set to right is a 6-panelled door with overlight, set within a timber surround. To the left of the door are two C20 6/6 horned sashes with rendered architraves. Two 3/6 first-floor sashes and two 3/3 second-floor sashes with segmental heads. Low-pitched gabled roof, reduced in height 1980s. Truncated internal north gable-end stack and a truncated south stack shared with 3 High Street. Rendered north return. INTERIOR. The staircase has stick balusters with turned newels to the ground floor, turned balusters to middle floor, stick balusters again to top flight. CREDIT: Historic England
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