Details
TL 8422-8522
9/224
24.6.83
COGGESHALL
WEST STREET
(south side)
No. 7 (The Cricketers
Public House)
GV
II*
Market-hall, now public house. Late C14, altered in late C18 and C19. Timber
framed, plastered, with late C18 facade of red brick in Flemish bond, roofed
with handmade red plain tiles. Square plan, entrance to E, with 2 C18/19
internal stacks. Original wing to W, formerly a stair-tower. Early C19 wing to
S. C19 single-storey extension with hipped slate roof between these wings, with
C19 stack, completing a rectangular plan. C19 single-storey square ancillary
building to S with pyramidal slate roof, and short connecting link. C20 single-
storey extension to W. 2 storeys. N elevation (to West Street), ground floor,
2 late C18 sashes of 12 lights with segmental-flat arches of gauged brick, and
crown glass, and 2 bricked-up apertures of former windows. First floor, 4
similar sashes. Plain band above first-floor windows, and plain parapet,
returning to right, where it overlays the roof tiles. The same facade extends
along the E elevation but is plastered, incorporating a late C19 large 2-light
window and Ionic pilasters, panels below the windows, plain fascia and moulded
shallow canopy. One early C19 sash of 16 lights on ground floor, and 2 late C18
sashes of 12 lights on first floor. C18/early C19 simple doorcase with plain
overlight and shallow flat canopy; band and parapet. In the S elevation of the
S wing, on the first floor, is one similar sash. In the W elevation of the
hipped extension is one similar sash, possibly re-set. The roof of the main
building has a short ridge and gablet hips to E and W. Underbuilt jetty to N of
main building and stair tower. Massive wallposts in the middle of the E and W
walls, tapering towards the top, unjowled, the E post mutilated for an inserted
stack, the W post 0.44 x 0.36 metre near the base, heavily weathered on the W
face. Hollow-chamfered axial beam between them with mutilated fillet, and one of
2 hollow-chamfered arched braces to it, truncated. Plain joists of horizontal
section jointed to it with central tenons and soffit spurs. The W wing has
similar joists framed round a blocked stair-trap. Rafters and gablet hips
original. Mortices in cambered central tiebeam for a single crownpost and 2
curved down-braces. The S wing has an early C19 stair with turned newels,
wreathed mahogany handrail, stick balusters and scrolled tread-ends, and a
semi-elliptical coved ceiling. 2 semi- elliptical arches on first floor. 'The
Court for the manor of Great Coggeshall is called at the shambles in the
market-place, and is only a Court-baron' (P. Morant, The History and Antiquities
of the County of Essex, 1768, II, 161). 'The Shambles, or the stalls where the
butchers exposed their meat for sale, stood in the triangular piece of ground
here. These business premises, called the Old Hall in 1775, were on or near the
site of the Cricketers Inn, and belonged to the Manor of Great Coggeshall' (G.F.
Beaumont, A History of Coggeshall in Essex, 1890, 120). See J. McCann, Lost
Market-halls of Essex, Essex Journal (forthcoming). RCHM 82.
Listing NGR: TL8493022531
