10 – 13 Middle Row

10, 11 and 12 Middle Row

External Features:

Fig. 1 – Butchers’ sign in Middle Row, 1659

Two gables face north and one west. All have first- floor overhangs on moulded bressummers and richly-carved bargeboards. These bargeboards are well worth inspecting. As the buildings here are basically 16th century, the gables must have been added in the 17th century with these typical decorative features. This would seem to be confirmed by the central pendant at the apex of the gable of No. 10, where the pendant is a rectangular block, carved with the tradesman’s sign (i.e., a butcher), consisting of a meat chopper and the Initials ‘I’ (for J), ‘S’ and ‘H’, for John and Susan Horton. As on trade tokens, the wife’s initial was usually shown. (Fig. 1).

13 Middle Row

Yet another timber-framed building in the group, possibly later in date than the others. It has three storeys with a tiled hipped roof. The building is narrow in plan, being only one room deep, a possible explanation being that it stands on the site of a temporary market stall. The north front has a small overhang to the upper floor, which might indicate that it has a ‘hewn’ jetty, i.e., the corner post is one piece of timber with a step cut in it to accommodate the bressummer. If so, that would establish the date of the building as mid-17th century, as this was a feature in use at that time.

Briscall W., 1987, Discovering Ashford’s Old Buildings, Ashford, LRB Historical Publications

List Entries

Name: 12, MIDDLE ROW, 10, MIDDLE ROW

List entry Number: 1071067 ➚

Grade: II

Date first listed: 24-Sep-1951

  1. 5344 MIDDLE ROW 24.9.51. No 10 24.9.51. No 12 TR 0142 NW 1/32 II GV
  2. One building. C16 timber-framed building with plastered front. 2 gables, one facing north, the other facing west, both everhanging on moulded breesumers and brackets and with carved bargeboards and pendant to the north gable. 2 storeys and attics. 2 windows facing north and 1 window facing west. Modern shop fronts.

All the items in Middle Row form a group.

Listing NGR: TR0104042786

Name: 11, MIDDLE ROW

List entry Number: 1300040 ➚

Grade: II

Date first listed: 04-Jun-1976

  1. 5344 MIDDLE ROW No 11 TR 0142 NW 1/33II GV
  2. C18 or earlier. 2 parallel ranges 2 storeys stuccoed. Tiled roof with half-hipped gable facing east. Moulded wooden eaves cornice. 2 sashes facing west, 1 sash facing south. Glazing bars intact on 1st floor only. Modern shop front.

All the items in Middle Row form a group.

Listing NGR: TR0103842790

Name: 13, MIDDLE ROW

List entry Number: 1300042 ➚

Grade: II

Date first listed: 04-Jun-1976

  1. 5344 MIDDLE ROW No 13 TR 0142 NW 1/34II GV
  2. A narrow timber-framed building with plastered front retaining the overhang of its 2nd floor on the north front. 3 storeys. Hipped tiled roof and eaves cornice. 1 sash with glazing bars intact to upper halves of windows only. Modern shop front.

All the items in Middle Row form a group.

Listing NGR: TR0104542788