Details
TQ69NW
723-1/6/417
INGATESTONE AND FRYERNING
TRUELOVES LANE, Ingatestone
Dunstead's Farmhouse
GV
II
House. c1400, altered in C16, extended in C17, early C19 and
C20. Timber-framed, plastered, roofed with handmade red clay
tiles. Main range facing SW, comprising a 2-bay hall with a
late C16 axial stack in the shorter right bay, and a
parlour/solar bay to left; the original service end to the
right has been demolished, replaced by a large C20 extension,
partly weatherboarded. Early C17 2-bay extension in front of
parlour/solar bay, with internal stack at the junction. Early
C19 cross-wing to left of this extension and the main range.
2 storeys. 3 extensions to rear, one being a single-storey
lean-to, the others of 2 storeys, one with a flat roof.
The left elevation of the early C19 cross-wing has on the
first floor one original window of 2 casements of 6 lights and
6 fixed lights, with chamfered mullions and a jointed and,
pegged frame, and one similar window with one casement
replaced. To rear of the solar is an C18 casement of 3+9+3
lights. All other windows are C20 casements. C20 half-glazed
door with sidelights in C20 extension.
INTERIOR: the main range has jowled posts and heavy studding
with curved braces trenched to the outside. The rear wall of
the hall is exposed but much altered, the post of the open
truss severed about 3m above ground level, only 3 original
studs below the girt, none above the girt, but some timbers
reused to form a staircase gallery. Late C16 inserted floor
in left bay, comprising a chamfered axial-beam, chamfered
joists of vertical section with lamb's tongue stops supported
on pegged clamps, and wide rebated hardwood boards. Wide
wood-burning hearth with 2 L-shaped recesses in the rear wall,
the right one retaining an original rebated wooden frame, a
rare feature; mantel beam replaced, jambs and brickwork above
the beam rebuilt in C20. At the left end of the hall the 'high
end' partition is intact, with peg-holes for a fixed bench,
and a blocked doorway at the front end; above the inserted
floor are curved display braces (one restored) and much
original wattle and daub infill. Steeply cambered tie-beam in
open truss, chamfered in 2 orders, with one original chamfered
brace O.11m wide; rear end severed to clear staircase gallery,
and one curved brace introduced. The original cross-entry to
right of the stack is now a bathroom, all framing concealed.
In the parlour/solar bay some of the original plain joists of
horizontal section remain, but raised about 0.10m, others
replaced; some evidence of a former stair-trap in rear left
corner. In the front wall, on the upper storey, a section of
original wattle and daub is exposed behind glass. The rear
wallplate is splinted with forelock bolts. Much of the roof of
the hall has been rebuilt in the C20, leaving 2 rafter couples
and collars at the left end; the rear wallplate has been
severed at the same point to clear the staircase gallery. What
remains is heavily smoke-blackened from the wood fire of an
open hall, with 'shadows' of the former collar-purlin, and an
empty mortice for an axial brace to it. In addition the apices
of the rafters are charred by an accidental fire on their
upper surfaces, which suggests burning thatch. The panels of
wattle and daub in the partition to left have been scrubbed to
remove some of the smoke-blackening, and some panels replaced
with clean wattle and daub, which suggests that the fire
occurred no later than the C16. The crownpost roof of the
solar bay is almost intact, except for a missing axial brace
at the right end; at the left end the collar-purlin is tenoned
to the hip rafter of an original gablet hip. The early C17
wing to the front of it has primary straight bracing and heavy
studding, unjowled posts, a chamfered axial beam with runout
stops, plain joists of vertical section, original butt-edged
hardwood floorboards, and a clasped purlin roof with curved
wind-bracing. A wide wood-burning hearth has 0.33m jambs, a
chamfered mantel beam with plain stops which do not coincide
with the jambs, indicating that this is its second use, and in
the rear left corner an inserted bread oven. The upper part of
the stack blocks an unglazed window in the front wall of the
solar. In the early C19 cross-wing to the left heavy oak
joists have been introduced in the C20. On the upper floor is
an original 5-panel door to a closet, the top panel glazed.
HISTORICAL NOTE: Dunstead's Farm is documented in the Petre
archives as Besses, Byggs and Hylls Farm. A survey of 1556
records a house 42 x 20 feet & 13 feet high to the eaves,
partly tiled, with a stable, sheton, barn and holding of 30
acres. The court roll of 1555 records that Edward Brown,
glazier, has not repaired the timber and thatch of his
tenement, which may relate to the accidental fire damage
noted. The house is illustrated in the Walker map of 1601 as a
single 2-storey range with a door to right of centre, a brick
stack immediately left of it, one window on each floor to
right of door, 2 windows on each floor to left, with a tiled
roof. This appears to correspond with the present house before
the early C17 wing was added to the front. At about that date
it passed from the occupation of John Cliff, gent, to William
Tublyn. In 1614 it was mentioned in the will of W Tublyn.
(Essex Record Office: D/DP M.170, M96-101 & D/ABW 38/117).
Listing NGR: TQ6333499283
