Several picturesque narrow lanes and courts lead off to the adjoining North Street. As you look up the High Street, you can't fail to notice the wonderful gilded clock projecting over the street that has marked the town's time for more than three hundred years. The clock belongs to the Guildhall (guided tours Tues & Thurs 2pm & 3pm; free) with its elaborate Restoration facade disguising Tudor foundations.
A little further up the High Street is
the Archbishop Abbot's Hospital, a hospice built for the
elderly in 1619 fronted by a palatial red-brick Tudor gateway. You
can take a peek at the pretty courtyard, but if you want to inspect
the Flemish stained glass and oak beams that characterize the interior
you must sign up for a guided tour (by appointment; contact the tourist
office for details). Back down towards the river on the left, at
no. 72, is the Undercroft (Easter–Sept Tues & Thurs 2–4pm,
Sat noon–4pm; free), a well-preserved thirteenth-century basement
of vaulted arches.
Source: Rough
Guides