LISTED BUILDING · NHLE 1255428
12 and 14 Drapers Lane
12 and 14 Drapers Lane
House and shop constructed during the early to mid-C18, altered during the late-C19 with a new shopfront and windows.
Dates and uses reflect the source records and may not describe the building today.
Designation information
Inclusion in the National Heritage List for England confirms that this is a designated heritage asset of national special architectural or historic interest.
Historical development
The town of Leominster traces its origins to the establishment of a religious house there during the C7 or earlier. The Saxon settlement endured repeated Viking raids and is recorded as a sizeable town in the Domesday Book (1086), with 27 households. In the early-C12, King Henry I established a Benedictine Priory in the town and granted a foundation charter for the town’s market. The town thrived throughout the later medieval period, despite periodic unrest due to its location in the border region. Leominster wool was prized across Europe and bestowed considerable wealth upon the town. The town centre retains many medieval and early-modern buildings; secular buildings are timber framed while surviving Priory buildings are constructed of local sandstone. The town centre retains an essentially medieval street pattern, with long, narrow burgage plots fronting the north-south spine road of Broad Street-High Street-South Street, and Corn Square (the historic market place) lying to the east of the High Street. The remains of the Priory, dissolved in 1539, lie to the north-east of the town centre. The town remained a prominent local centre into the C18 and C19. During this period, many timber-framed buildings were replaced (or refronted) by brick buildings with Classical elevations. Many houses in the town centre were partially converted to commercial use and equipped with shopfronts during the later-C19 and C20. 12 and 14 Drapers Lane were constructed during the early to mid-C18, probably on the site of an earlier building. Possibly built as a house with commercial premises beneath, the current shopfront was installed during the late-C19, which may have coincided with the installation of the horned sash windows on the first and second floors. The building is currently (2022) in use as a shop with a dwelling above.
People and businesses through time
HISTORICAL ADDRESS RECORD
Through time, 12 and 14 Drapers Lane
1 of 9, Early to mid 18th century
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About these records
4 historical addresses linked to this NHLE entry. Directory entries can describe a workplace or premises use rather than a residence.
- 12 & 14 Drapers Lane, Leominster
- 12 Drapers Lane, Leominster
- 14 & 17 Drapers Lane, Leominster
- 14 Drapers Lane, Leominster
Early to mid 18th century
ConstructionBuilding construction
Estimated date recorded by the current NHLE building entry.
SourceNational Heritage List for England, NHLE 1255428
Estimated construction date drawn from the NHLE list summary.
Architectural evidence and features
These descriptions relate to particular parts of the building at the date of each source. They may not reflect its use or condition today. Unconfirmed features remain open questions.
Evidence reviewed 13 September 2026.
Documented type / function
- House and shop; shop with dwelling above documented2022; original commercial use possible
Principal identity with historical and subsidiary uses explicitly separated
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
Documented phases
- Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Source-specific phases, not administrative dates
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
Cladding / finishes
- Render or stucco
Exterior, concealed structure unestablished
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
Roof covering
- Composite tile understood
Hipped roof, source uncertainty
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Unverified
Other materials / details
- Timber and glass
Shopfront
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Stone
Shopfront plinth
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Cast iron
Cellar grilles
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Timber
Window surrounds and most sashes
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Possible uPVC
Upper western north window, not confirmed
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Unverified
- Timber joinery appearance
Visible painted window/door/shopfront joinery only, not concealed wall frame or species
Supplied capture date 2026-07-25, not independently authenticated
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Leominster Heritage photograph LH-IMG-000095
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
Architectural features
- Cellar
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Late 19th century Classical shopfront
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Canted entrance
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Panelled pilasters
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Console brackets
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Egg-and-dart cornice and architrave
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Timber stallrisers
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Horned2/2 sashes
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- North10/10 sash
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Plank door
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Barred overlight
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Boarded shop window
Only named component/phase in term and supporting description
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Ruled render frontage; Horned sash windows; Canted shop entrance; Glazed shopfront; Egg-and-dart cornice; Pilasters and consoles; Cellar grilles; Weathering below windows
Visible principal subject only
Supplied capture date 2026-07-25, not independently authenticated
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Leominster Heritage photograph LH-IMG-000095
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Slender shop mullions
Late 19th century shopfront, not stone mullioned upper windows
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Historic England, NHLE entry 1255428
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
- Ruled render
Front surface only, not ashlar stone
Supplied capture date 2026-07-25, not independently authenticated
Supported with qualification
Source and context
Leominster Heritage photograph LH-IMG-000095
Applies to the named part at the source date, with the uncertainty stated. Current use and survival today have not been confirmed.
Research notes and uncertainties
Component, chronology and current verification: Town-history timber frame brick and sandstone not subject evidence. Concealed wall construction remains unknown. Roof understood, uPVC possible. Current use/survival not independently verified for September2026.
Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use [Source-specific phases, not administrative dates; Early/mid 18th century; late 19th century shopfront and windows; 20th century changes;2022 use] Source chronology, administrative and reused-material dates separated. Town-history timber frame brick and sandstone not subject evidence. Concealed wall construction remains unknown. Roof understood, uPVC possible.
Explore records with these reviewed features. Results may concern only part of a listed group and retain their source-date qualifications.
How this record is evidenced
The designation, listing date and statutory description are drawn from Historic England, NHLE 1255428.
Current survey photographs dated 25 July 2026 record the publicly visible fabric and features shown on this page.
The concise summary and searchable feature tags have been prepared by Leominster Heritage and are kept separate from the statutory wording.
Map location
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12 and 14 Drapers Lane
Grade II · Early/mid C18; late C19 shopfront and windows; C20 changes;2022 use [Source-specific phases, not administrative dates; Early/mid C18; late C19 shopfront and windows; C20 changes;2022 use] · 12 and 14 Drapers Lane
House and shop constructed during the early to mid-C18, altered during the late-C19 with a new shopfront and windows.
Current survey photographs
Documentary evidence
Historic England
Official list description
House and shop constructed during the early to mid-C18, altered during the late-C19 with a new shopfront and windows. MATERIALS: the building is rendered externally, with a timber and glass shopfront on the ground floor onto Drapers Lane. The roof covering is understood to be composite tile. PLAN: the building occupies an almost square plan with a principal frontage onto Drapers Lane to the east and a flank elevation fronting Cordwainers Lane to the north. EXTERIOR: the building is three storeys in height plus cellar, across two wide bays onto both Drapers Lane and Cordwainers Lane, under a hipped roof. The principal, east elevation is symmetrically arranged with a good quality late-C19 shopfront with Classical motifs and a canted central entrance with a panelled, half-glazed door. Either side of the entrance is a moulded stone plinth and low, moulded timber stallrisers which are intersected by cast iron cellar grilles, with slender mullions framing large, plate-glass shop windows. Above the shop windows is a fascia board with egg and dart mouldings to the cornice and architrave, terminated by elaborate console brackets rising from panelled pilasters which frame the shopfront. The shopfront returns a short way onto the north elevation. The first and second floors each contain a pair of late-C19 horned sash windows with two-over-two glazing, set within moulded timber surrounds which sit proud of the stuccoed façade. Above the second-floor windows is a modern fascia board and guttering. Within the easternmost section of the north elevation fronting Cordwainers Lane, there is a two-over-two glazed, timber sash window with horns and a moulded timber surround on the first and second floors over the shopfront return. Further to the west on the ground floor, there is a C19 plank door, a C20, four-panelled door with barred overlight and a shop window blocked with timber planks, all unified by a timber fascia board. Above this arrangement, there is a large, timber sash window with ten-over-ten glazing, set within a moulded timber surround on the first floor, and a two-over-two sash window, possibly uPVC, on the second floor. History The town of Leominster traces its origins to the establishment of a religious house there during the C7 or earlier. The Saxon settlement endured repeated Viking raids and is recorded as a sizeable town in the Domesday Book (1086), with 27 households. In the early-C12, King Henry I established a Benedictine Priory in the town and granted a foundation charter for the town’s market. The town thrived throughout the later medieval period, despite periodic unrest due to its location in the border region. Leominster wool was prized across Europe and bestowed considerable wealth upon the town. The town centre retains many medieval and early-modern buildings; secular buildings are timber framed while surviving Priory buildings are constructed of local sandstone. The town centre retains an essentially medieval street pattern, with long, narrow burgage plots fronting the north-south spine road of Broad Street-High Street-South Street, and Corn Square (the historic market place) lying to the east of the High Street. The remains of the Priory, dissolved in 1539, lie to the north-east of the town centre. The town remained a prominent local centre into the C18 and C19. During this period, many timber-framed buildings were replaced (or refronted) by brick buildings with Classical elevations. Many houses in the town centre were partially converted to commercial use and equipped with shopfronts during the later-C19 and C20. 12 and 14 Drapers Lane were constructed during the early to mid-C18, probably on the site of an earlier building. Possibly built as a house with commercial premises beneath, the current shopfront was installed during the late-C19, which may have coincided with the installation of the horned sash windows on the first and second floors. The building is currently (2022) in use as a shop with a dwelling above.
Sources and further reading
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