Begrums

Details

MOUNTNESSING

TQ69NW CHURCH ROAD 723-1/6/455 (South side) 20/02/76 Begrums (Formerly Listed as: BRENTWOOD CHURCH ROAD, Mountnessing Begrums)

II

House. C15 and early C17, altered in early/mid-C19. Timber-framed, plastered with weatherboarded dado, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. Rectangular plan facing N, comprising a C15 2-bay cross-wing at the left end, an early C17 3-bay middle range, and a C15 2-bay cross-wing to right, now all integrated under a continuous roof. C18/19 single-storey ancillary range to rear of left cross-wing, terminating in a truncated stack. Early C17 external stack to rear of left bay of main range, with catslide extension to right of it and single-storey lean-to to left of it. Early C17 stair tower to rear of right bay of middle range, with catslide roof, and single-storey lean-to to right of it. 2 external stacks at right side of right cross-wing, C18 and C19, both truncated. 2 storeys. On each floor, 3 early/mid-C19 sashes of 8+8 lights with hinged stays beneath each upper sash, and some crown glass. Two C19 half-glazed 4-panel doors, each with 2 flush lower panels; the right door has a C19 shallow canopy on profiled brackets; the left door has a similar canopy, damaged. The roof has a gablet hip at each end, resulting from the higher roof of the main range overlaying the roofs of the cross-wings. Both cross-wings were formerly jettied to the front, but in each the upper storey has been cut back to align with the lower storey and the front wall of the main range, producing a continuous straight front elevation. The rear elevation has one C19 casement on the ground floor, 2 on the first floor, and one at half-height in the stair tower. INTERIOR: the original cross-entry is still present, inside the left door, with to left an intact pair of service doorways with chamfered jambs and 4-centred arches. The present plain battened doors are hinged on the central post in the medieval manner, the one nearest to the front probably on the original hinges; the other is re-hung on later pintle hinges, but one of 2 original pintle hinges is still in situ. A third door with plain head opens off the left side of the cross-entry, to a quarter-turn stair, both in their original medieval positions. The inclined bearers of the stair appear to be original; the former solid treads have been replaced by plank treads and risers. The studded partition between the 2 original service rooms to left is intact, with curved bracing, plastered to the front only. On the first floor a partition has been inserted in the formerly open truss, below the cambered tie-beam, which retains 2 solid braces 0.12m wide. Roof ceiled, not inspected, but probably similar to that of right cross-wing. The middle range is an early C17 rebuild on the site of the former medieval open hall (see Crummy, 1976). It has a chamfered axial beam with lamb's tongue stops, joists plastered to the soffits, some exposed studding in the upper storey, and 2 braced trusses without tie-beams; most surfaces are plastered. The rear stair is original, with an octagonal newel. C20 grate in wide wood-burning rear hearth. Roof not inspected, but believed to be original. The right cross-wing has similar solid braces to the cambered tie-beam, which is chamfered with step stops, and a crownpost roof absorbed into the C17 main roof; plain square crownpost with axial braces to the collar-purlin about 0.05m wide; inserted partitions at ground and first floors and in the roof, in the central truss. The ancillary range to rear left is of red brick, roofed with machine-made red clay tiles. There is the cast-iron door to a former bread oven beyond, now missing. The owners have photographs showing the roof of the main house being completely re-tiled in 1988, without disturbance of the roof structure. This is an exceptionally unaltered C15 and C17 house, meriting special care. (Post-Medieval Archaeology: Crummy P: Portreeve's House, Colchester: 1976-: 89-103).

Listing NGR: TQ6365697373

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

373734

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Post Medieval Archaeology in Post Medieval Archaeology, (1976), 89-103

End of official list entry

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