Ancient High House, Stafford

Description:The large timber framed building is the Ancient High House on Greengate Street, built by Richard Dorrington in 1595. The timber was said to have come from Doxey Wood, near Stafford Castle. King Charles I stayed here in September 1642, whilst on a recruiting drive during the Civil War.

In 1826 the building was bought by John Marson, who converted the lower floor into shops. The building is now owned by the Borough Council and opened to the public in 1987.

On the left is the Swan Hotel was originally built as two private town houses in the seventeenth century. The buildings were converted into a coaching inn in 1752 and a Georgian front was later added. Charles Dickens stayed at the Swan in the 1840s, when he found himself stranded between trains.

On the right is W. Wynnes', the bootmakers, which in the early twentieth century was taken over by Brookfield's tailors shop.