46 High Street, Nantwich

A house stood on this site before the fire of 1583, probably built for Thomas Churche (or Church), a mercer or linen merchant. In common with almost all of the town east of the River Weaver, the house was destroyed in the fire of 1583. It was rebuilt shortly afterwards, probably in 1584, at a cost of £120, of which £20 came from the town rebuilding fund. After the rebuilding, the adjacent house (now 42–44 High Street) was owned by Richard Churche's son, William, who was also in the linen trade. In 1586, Thomas Churche married Anne Mainwaring, who came from another prominent Nantwich family. George Ormerod's History describes these as depicting "an aged male and female figure holding up…

46 High Street is located at , on the corner of High Street and Castle Street, immediately south west of the town square. It is a timber-framed building of two storeys with attics. It has two gables to the front face on High Street and three gables to the side on Castle Street. The High Street face abuts the adjacent house (42–44 High Street), which was built at the same time. The first and attic floors on the High Street face are not horizontal; the noticeable dip in the centre is caused by subsidence, and was already evident in a photograph dated around 1890. 46 High Street is one of two houses built after the fire which originally used both decorative panels and close studding, the other…