We can’t leave West Stockwell Street without taking a look at Nos. 11 and 12. Between 1796 and 1811 they were the home of the Taylor family. At that time the two properties were one house and their claim to fame is an event that happened there in 1806. However, in this post, I’m not going to tell that story, but instead I’m going to explore the story of the houses themselves. In the pictures below, you can see Nos 11 and 12. I have also included a slightly distorted picture which includes the neighbouring house now called No. 13 which if you look carefully is joined to them to form a terrace of three houses.
Researching what I can on them, I think they once formed one large timber framed house which was built in the 17th century. All three houses are timber framed inside. It was quite common for these to be subdivided into smaller properties and by the time of the Taylors living there it had been divided into two with No. 13 being one house and Nos. 12 and 13 the other. Nos. 12 and 13 now look like they are two Georgian houses. It was quite common in the Georgian period for timber framed houses to have a brick façade put on the front of them where the owners couldn’t afford to rebuild completely in the new, very fashionable, but very expensive, brick, so a brick façade was the next best thing.
The brick façade has two front doors and is symmetrical which indicates it wasn’t put on until Nos.12 and 13 were subdivided from the house the Taylors occupied. It might have even put on afterwards. However, whilst the door of No. 11 looks like the one on No. 12, it has no lintel over it.
So, I think the front was put on whilst it was still one house when the door would have been the end where the door for No. 12 is. They wouldn’t have worried about symmetry, just about putting the door where the existing one was. When they divided it, they put a matching door in at the other end but didn’t bother with the lintel.
No. 13 also has a partially brick front which has been rendered and painted. You can see it in the picture with the scaffolding where the work they are doing has revealed it. You can also see it peeking out the end of the rendering where it joins with No.12 and it is obvious that it is not continuous with the brick in the front of No. 12.
If you would like to find out more about how to read the history of a house, why not book one of my “How to read a house” tours. Details are on my website https://www.colchesterwalksandtalks.com/walking-tours
If you would like to find out more about the Taylors and their claim to fame, then join me on one of my Wednesday Walks through Colchester's History, the next one of which is this coming Wednesday.