Wynters Armourie

Details

TL 40 NE MAGDALEN LAYER Wynter's Armourie 4/52 (formerly listed as 22.2.52 Winters) II*

Hall house, C13/14, altered in C16, restored c.1935. Timber framed, plastered with frame wholly exposed, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. Hall of 3 bays aligned approx. E-W, with entrance bay and incomplete spere truss at E end, aspect S. Inserted axial chimney stack in middle bay, C16. 2-bay parlour/solar crosswing at W end, with C19 external chimney stack on W side. 2-bay crosswing at E end, C16. Rear service wing opposite axial chimney stack, C16, with C20 chimney stack at end, and C20 single storey extension with hipped roof beyond. Stair tower with lean-to roof at rear of hall/parlour partition, C16. Single storey lean-to extension between this and service wing, C20. Small glazed porch at E end, C20. 2 storeys with attics. S elevation, ground floor, central door, C20, in tiled gabled porch. 4 C20 casement windows. First floor, 3 C20 casement windows, and another in gabled dormer over E bay of hall. Facade gable over W bay of hall. 3 small C20 casement windows on attic floor, one in each gable. Axial chimney stack has grouped diagonal shafts, cement rendered. Much of the frame is exposed internally. The hall is of unusual construction, the only close parallel known being at the Old Parsonage, Marlow, Bucks. (Journal of B.A.A., third series, 12, 54-55). It is intermediate in development between the true aisled hall and derivatives of it such as the raised aisled hall and the base cruck hall (c.A.Hewett: Aisled timber halls and related buildings, chiefly in Essex, Trans. Ancient Monuments Society, 21, 1976, 55-6). Square-set arcade plates are supported at the ends by arcade posts with arched braces, but in the main truss the posts are omitted. A tiebeam with arched braces is set below the heads of the posts. Principal rafters rise from the post heads to a steeply cranked collar, with richly moulded arch braces to it. The arcade plates penetrate the tops of these principals, with arched wind braces in the pitch of the roof. There is evidence of a former crownpost on the collar, and some common rafters remain in position, all the roof timbers being heavily smoke-blackened. Not all of this structure is still present, but where components have been removed or severed for later alterations the evidence for them is clear. The roof of the W bay has been rebuilt to accommodate facade gables at front and back and an attic floor, and the eastern part has been charred by fire damage, C20. Part of the N doorhead is present, of 4-centred curvature. The inserted floor in the W bay of the hall is divided laterally into 2 distinct areas, the joists of the E part pt plain-chamfered with concave- plus-bar stops, the joists of the W part unchamfered. This implies that originally the W part only was plastered to the soffits, the more fashionable treatment of the C16, reserved for the 'high end', above the inner household sitting at table. The winding stair to the upper floor is mainly original, with some C20 repair. The W crosswing has a central tiebeam with chamfered arch braces, and an inserted tiebeam with queen struts in the N bay. The E crosswing has cranked tension braces in the rear wall and arch braces in the side walls. Many original floor boards remain in situ. The rear wing has an open queen strut roof. There is one C17 wrought iron casement with C20 leaded glass in the W wall, first floor level. Old photographs show that the house was lathed and plastered externally before the restoration of c.1935. Comprehensive set of photographs at NMR. RCHM 8. Moated site.

Listing NGR: TL4988008174

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

118122

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
An Inventory of Essex Central and South West, (1921)
Journal of the British Archaeological Association in Journal of the British Archaeological Association, Vol. 12, (), 54-55
Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society in Transactions of the Ancient Monuments Society, Vol. 21, (1976), 55-6

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