Summary
A former open hall house of probable C15 origin, with C16/C17 and later alterations and additions, including a C19 subdivision into three cottages and an early-C20 conversion back to a single dwelling. The later northern and southern bays are of lesser interest. Two porches and a rear, C20 lean-to are excluded from the listing.
Reasons for Designation
Three Chimneys, a former open hall house of probable C15 origin, with C16/C17 and later alterations and additions, of which the northern and southern bays are of lesser interest, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: for the surviving core of a probably C15, open-hall house with a substantially intact close-studded frame, with evidence for its evolution also adding to its interest;
* Historical interest: as a relatively rare survival of this type and date. It has undergone changes, the ceiling of the open hall and the addition of a stack in the C16/C17 being of interest, and remains legible. The quality of the structural fabric indicates a dwelling of some status, though diminished in later years.
History
Surviving historic fabric, coupled with the historical development of the parish of Wimbish, suggests that Three Chimneys probably originated in the late-medieval period as a timber-framed open-hall house. In-situ, structural fabric provides evidence for a hall of two unequal bays in length, divided by an arch-braced truss, with single-bay service and solar ranges at the north and south ends respectively. At a later date, probably in the late-C16/early-C17, a floor was inserted into the hall and a chimney stack added to create a lobby-entry plan. Single-bay additions were also added at each end, but it is unknown whether they were contemporary with the ceiling of the hall or represent a later phase of remodelling, though not necessarily at the same time. The late-C19 and early-C20 development of the building is illustrated on successive 1:2,500 Ordnance Survey (OS) maps. The first edition OS map of 1887 depicts it as being subdivided into three cottages, with the northern-most cottage having a cross wing on the east side and a large external stack at the north end. By 1897, when the second edition OS map was published, the building was still subdivided but the northern-most dwelling appears to have been remodelled with the loss of the cross-wing and the replacement of the stack with a shallower version. When the Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England published its ‘Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex’ (Volume 1) in 1916, the building was described as ‘a former cottage, now three tenements, 70 yards to the north-east of Nottage Farmhouse’. However, by 1921 when the third edition OS map was published, it had reverted back to a single dwelling. Later, C20 alterations include the installation of Crittall windows and the addition of porches built from reclaimed material, including the former timber-framed windows.
Details
A former open hall house of probable C15 origin, with C16/C17 and later alterations and additions, including a C19 subdivision into three cottages and an early-C20 conversion back to a single dwelling. The later northern and southern bays are of lesser interest.
MATERIALS: it has a cement rendered timber frame with a thatched roof and brick stacks.
PLAN: the building is of one-and-a-half storeys and is aligned north-north-west to south-south-east, with a rectangular plan.
EXTERIOR: unless otherwise stated all the windows are C20 Crittall replacements with shallow timber sills and lintels. The roof is steeply pitched with deep, overhanging eaves. Three Chimneys' principal elevation faces west and has a central projecting porch* constructed in the C20 from salvaged building material, including timber-framed windows of C19 and possibly earlier date. It is flanked on each side by two-light casements: two to the left-hand side and one to the right. Above, there are four C19 eyebrow dormers of which three contain a two-light casement, while that to the left-hand end is wider with a pair of two-light casements. The left-hand return is gabled with a C19 shallow brick stack, now painted, rising through the apex of the gable, while the right-hand return is half-hipped with a C20 gabled porch*, constructed from re-claimed timber-framed windows. Above and to the right are two-light casements. The fenestration pattern to the rear elevation comprises, from left to right, a pair of two-light casements, and a three-light casement followed by an area of exposed brickwork surviving from the late-C16/early-C17 stack. The presence of a timber post dividing the brickwork into two equal sections indicates that the fireplace was probably back-to-back and framed. A C19 window above the right-hand section of brickwork suggests that the northern fireplace was removed when a staircase was inserted in the C19 to facilitate the conversion to three cottages. To the right again there is a late-C19/early-C20 three-light casement, a C20 half-glazed door and then a C20 three-light casement. A C20 lean-to* spans the width of the rear elevation.
INTERIOR: the interior is divided into six unequal bays of which the four central bays display a substantially intact close-studded timber frame of late-medieval date, including the sill beam, braces and jowled and chamfered wall posts at ground-floor level. At the centre is the former open hall, which is divided into two bays of unequal length by an arch-braced truss springing from chamfered wall posts. The larger southern bay, which was probably the high end, is spanned by a late-C16/early-C17 ceiling with a stop-chamfered spine beam and ceiling joists raked at the same angle as the cambered tie beam. The north-east wall retains an original window opening of which the lintel has a series of diamond-shaped mortices for the mullions (now lost), while peg holes in the sill indicate the position of the former shutter rail. On the north side, set immediately on the north side of the truss, is a late-C16/early-C17 inglenook fireplace with contemporary smoke hood and a chamfered, timber bressumer: the hearth is now lined with late-C20 brick. The spine beam to the smaller northern bay, along with a large number of floor joists, were removed, along with the northern half of the back-to-back fireplace, when a straight-flight staircase was inserted in the C19. Adjoining the south side of the hall is the former solar which has a raised ceiling, probably contemporary with the late-C16/early-C17 ceiling of the hall, while the later southern most bay has plastered walls and late-C20 floor joists. At the northern side, the walls of the former service bay are largely plastered. Here the sill beam and jowled walls posts are still evident, but the north wall appears to have been rebuilt in the late C19 when the northern-most bay was also rebuilt. This latter bay retains a chamfered spine beam from this period along with C20 in-built cupboards and shelving.
Evident throughout the four central bays of the six-bay, upper storey, is the upper-most section of the close-studded frame, a substantial wall plate and the upstands of the wall posts. Some of the upstands are spanned by large longitudinal timbers which were probably added at a later date for strengthening purposes. The only visible tie beams are those of the arch-braced truss in the former open hall, and that between the hall and the former solar, though it is possible that others are hidden by C19 additions. A plastered ceiling also hides the collar and, as none are visible, the probable purlins to what is largely a common rafter roof. The rafters themselves appear to be largely original with a small number of C19 replacements, particularly in the areas where the dormers have been inserted. The later bays at the north and south ends have C19 rafters. All the bays are divided by C19 stud walls with plaster infill. As most of the timbers were painted in the C19 there is apparently no surviving evidence of smoke-blackening.
* Pursuant to s.1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, it is declared that the central projecting porch, the C20 gabled porch, and a C20 lean-to spanning the width of the rear elevation, are not of special architectural or historic interest.
