Historic Droitwich Its Streets and People

In the mid 18th century the street (south) wall was refaced in brick, and sash windows (Georgian windows) were added with a projecting brick cornice above.  The roof was raised to line up with the roof of the adjacent building to the west (No 31), and was tiled.  The line of the eaves (bottom edge) of the original roof level is still apparent in the exterior street frontage (south) wall from the five circular (painted) metal ends to the tie-rods which hold the building together widthways, which are visible in a line between the middle of each of the sash windows on the first floor.  The pitch of the original roof appears to have been approximately 51 degrees above the horizontal, while that of the 18th century trusses is 45 degrees, so the later (present) roof has a less steep slope than the mediaeval one.  

It is probable that the position of the earlier door into the former hall was moved to the centre of the rebuilt south wall at this time, and that sash windows were inserted either side at ground floor level, but no evidence of this change survives. 

The raising of the roof meant the earlier mediaeval roof was cut off at a
line between the tie beam and the collar, so that at each of the three
roof trusses the principal rafters and struts were truncated and topped
with a horizontal timber which formed the base of the new triangular
roof truss.  As the angle of the new roof was less steep than the mediaeval roof (45 degrees compared to 51 degrees), the principal rafters must also have been re-positioned in relation to the tie beam.

The raising of the roof permitted the construction of an attic storey
which had dormer windows in the new roof, and an additional staircase
was inserted at the eastern end of the first floor to give access to the
attic floor.

In the late 19th century, a second 'corner' fireplace was inserted at ground floor level at the west end, with another fireplace in the first floor room above which had a square brick flue.  By this time, the upper floor had been divided by partitions into small rooms with corridors between them.

In the late 19th century or early 20th century it is likely that the ground floor was converted into shop premises.  This would have meant inserting large glazed shop windows and a similarly glazed central door, with the height of the windows and the main door into the ground floor shop at a higher level than previously. Later updating has resulted in nothing of these earlier shop fronts surviving.