Building record MDR5361 - The Peacock Inn, Low Pavement, Chesterfield
Type and Period (1)
- TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
SK 38127105. Peacock Inn, No 67 Low Pavement, Chesterfield is a 16th century timber-framed building of two storeys, cellars and two dormer windows with a tiled mid-19th century public house front. Grade 2. (1)
The first floor may originally have served as a guildhall, possibly that of the Blessed Mary. Evidence of occupation dating from the late 13th century was found during a survey in 1974 and a 15th century stone house preceded the present structure. A stone-lined cess pit contemporary with the stone-walled house was excavated in the back yard. Residual sherds of three Romano British vessels were found in the excavations, which also yielded 13th-15th century and post-Medieval pottery sherds. An east-west gully (undated) represents the earliest feature on the site. It was followed by a late 13th century clay floor and associated occupation debris. The floor was renewed. A new stone structure was erected in the 14th century, possibly associated with some industrial activity. In the late 15th century a timber-framed building, possibly a guildhall, was erected. This had 3 bays (of which only 2 survive) and may have been up to 17m (54ft) long and 6m (20ft) wide at ground level. Modifications were made to the building in the 19th and 20th centuries. (2, 3)
The Peacock remained open as a pub until 1972, a name only being used for around 150 years. At one stage, the building belonged to a complex building that ran along Low Pavement, before being divided into individual sections in the 19th century. Shortly afterwards initial examination of the upper floors revealed that the building was timber framed. Once the form redevelopment was to take place on Low Pavement had been settled, it was decided that the Peacock should be thoroughly restored. The most impressive part of the Peacock is the large open hall upstairs, originally accessible by stairs in a small wing, long since destroyed. Below, in the ground floor, a series of thick substantial beams and thick walls support the upper level and roof. Evidence of blocked windows have been noted on this level, possibly indicating where building divisions have previously occurred. The area under the Peacock was a series of buildings from the 13th century onwards with sandstone foundations, destroyed in the 15th century to make way for the series of buildings along Low Pavement. (6)
Sources/Archives (6)
- <1> SDR5135 Bibliographic reference: DOE (HHR) Borough of Chesterfield, Derby Sept 1977 46.
- <2> SDR12891 Bibliographic reference: Pevsner, N. 1979. The Buildings of England: Derbyshire. 2nd ed., revised. p146.
- <3> SDR7707 Article in serial: Borne, P, Courtney, T & Dixon, P (Chesterfield Archaeological Research Committee). 1978. 'The Peacock Inn, Chesterfield', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 98, pp 7-58.
- <4> SDR4654 Article in serial: Riden, P. 1984. 'New light on the history of "The Peacock", Chesterfield', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 104, pp 62-67.
- <5> SDR10904 Index: NDAT. 0693. 0693.
- <6> SDR22969 Unpublished document: Riden, P (Peacock Information and Heritage Centre). 1981. The Peacock Information and Heritage Centre.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 3814 7103 (24m by 68m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | CHESTERFIELD, CHESTERFIELD, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR270
- EDR272
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jul 27 2017 4:11PM