The Chantry House

The Chantry House is a half-timbered structure from the 16th century with three bays and two stories built on a sandstone foundation with a slate roof. Inside, it retains original oak paneling, Tudor-style stone fireplaces, and doors fitted with their original hardware.

The building was constructed around 1527 to house two chantry priests who performed prayers for the deceased according to Sir Ralph Egerton's instructions. After 1547 its purpose shifted entirely when a merchant took over and established a school within its walls.

The house takes its name from the priests who once lived here and performed prayers for the deceased. Visitors can still observe the spatial layout that was designed to serve this religious purpose.

The house is privately owned and not open to visitors, so you can only view it from the outside. The best perspective comes from the street level where the timber framing details and roofline are clearly visible.

The building features curved tension braces on its ground floor, which are uncommon architectural elements reflecting exceptional timber framing techniques from its era. These structural details are rare and make the timber-frame construction notably distinctive to specialists.