Description

ROCHFORD SOUTH STREET
TQ 8790 SE
(east side)
16/248
No. 17
27.7.59
GV
II*
Hall house with right and left crosswings. Circa 1300 with C15/C16 replacement
right (south) crosswing and other alterations and additions. Timber framed and
plastered. Red plain tiled roofs. Red brick chimney stack to left crosswing
with 4 attached diagonal shafts. Off centre right stack to hall and rear stack
to right crosswing. 2 storey crosswings, one storey hall, now with a gabled
dormer with 3 leaded casements. H plan. The gabled crosswings are jettied with
end brackets. 1:1:1 window range. Small paned vertically sliding sashes to
first floor left and ground floor right, C19 2 light casement with centre
transom to first floor right. Small paned angled bay ground floor right central
C19 shop bay of 5 lights with centre transoms and segmental heads. C19 doors to
right and left of hall that to left with 2 vertical lights, to right vertically
boarded. Interior 2 bay open hall (now 6.9 metres long). Cambered and arched
braced tie beam. 2 armed crown post roof. Originally the front and rear walls
were braced in herringbone pattern between hall window and cross passage
doorways. Original doorhead survives to rear. Originally there were opposing
windows, each with central square post, 2 diamond mullions either side and a
transom. Simple crown posts with braces carried down the shafts as pilasters
with broach stops. Roof timbers were heavily sooted. Towards the south end are
2 original additional collars set approx. 2 feet below the common collars, use
unknown. Radiocarbon dating from hall and north crosswing gave results 610+70
and 670+70, the resulting calibrated age AD calculated on the mean was 1350±85
(HAR 5717; HAR 5718; 1984) indicating a date of circa 1300 as not unlikely.
Nothing survives of the original service end of the hall. The present 4 bay
replacement is difficult to date but appears C15/C16. The 3 bay north crosswing
is of similar date to the hall, but may be slightly later. An extremely fine
and imposing red brick chimney stack was inserted into the hall probably between
1480 and 1530. Mantel beam radiocarbon dating gave the calibrated age AD of
1440±80. The mantel beam is cambered, there are 3 decorative brick niches over
with corbelled trefoiled heads, these flanked by a lower niche on each side with
a plain arched head. A floor was inserted late C16 early C17 (now removed).
The north (left) crosswing is of structure similar to the hall and originally
multi-braced to the road. There is a doorhead in the north wall of the central
bay. The tie beams are flatter than in the hall, the westernmost was arch
braced, front wall, tie beam was originally moulded externally and cambered.
Splayed top plate scarfs with undersquinted abuttments and face pegs. Inserted
chimney stack with flat stop chamfered mantel beam, possibly contemporary with
the Hall chimney stack. There were indications of wall paintings, too
fragmentary to retain, but said to be a floral motif. A staircase was inserted
at a later date. The south crosswing has a simple crown post roof and halved
and bridled top plate scarves. Information from E.C.C. ESB/DAP/LA/A/606/64.
RCHM 6.

Listing NGR: TQ8768290475

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17532439

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)