Description

TOLLESHUNT D'ARCY CHURCH STREET
TL 9211-9311
(east side)
7/55 Tolleshunt D'Arcy Hall
10.1.53 (Formerly listed as The Hall,
Tolleshunt D'Arcy with Dove-
GV II* cote and Bridge)

House. Early C16 and late C17. Timber framed, plastered, roofed with handmade
red clay tiles. 5 bays facing approx. S, with external stack at rear. C18/C19
single-storey extension to right. A late C17 wing of 3 bays extends forward
from the left end of the main block, now forming the entrance/reception block,
forming an L-plan, with one axial stack at the junction and one at the end. 2
storeys. E elevation of S wing, ground floor, 3 C18 sashes of 12 lights and one
C20 French window; first floor 3 similar sashes. Central 6-panel door in simple
doorcase with dentilled open pediment on scrolled brackets. The W elevation
(towards Church Street) has a 3-window range of similar sashes and a similar
central door and doorcase. The S elevation of the main block has an original
door of moulded overlapping planks, heavily nail-studded, with moulded jambs,
and moulded lintel carved with flowers in quatrefoils, and 3 plain lights above.
The roof has gablet hips at both ends. The interior of the main range retains
the original screens passage, one bay from the right end, the rear door blocked,
with part of a doorhead of 4-centred curvature. The wall to the right has 2
original service doorways with moulded jambs and 4-centred heads, the spandrels
carved with pomegranates and foliage; the post between the doorways is carved
with spiral leaf ornament; above the doorheads is a moulded, carved and
crenellated cornice. The soutnern doorway retains the original door of fluted
planks with 8 curvilinear recesses. On the left side of the screens passage is
a re-sited original door with linenfold panelling. Early C17 panelling
elsewhere. Jowled posts, close studding, partly exposed internally and wattle
and daub infill. A blocked first-floor doorway at the right end, with plain
head, implies the former existence of an east wing. Edge-halved and bridled
scarfs in the wallplates, which are partly hollow-chamfered, partly rebated for
former panelling. The crown post roof is complete, with cranked tiebeams
hollow-chamfered below, plain-chamfered above. Cross-quadrate crownposts with
plain stops and 4-way arched braces. Rafter holes in all the full-length
rafters, on the E side only (towards the service end). Soulaces to every rafter
couple. Most of the roof components retain original yellow paint (some of it original yellow paint (some of it
whitewashed over), a rare feature which deserves special care. The absence of
smoke-blackening indicates that this block was floored throughout from the
outset, heated by an external chimney, although it is not certain that the
present stack is original. The S wing has jowled posts, chamfered transverse
beams and a clasped purlin roof. The middle ground-floor room is lined with
re-sited panelling, including early C16 linenfold, with a range of carved panels
at the top and near the middle; the upper carved panels have conventional
foliage and various heads and figures, including a mermaid, eagle and child, and
grotesques, and the initials A.D. (for Anthony Darcy). The lower carved panels
have conventional foliage and cartouches with the Darcy arms differenced by a
crescent, and the initials A.D.; the panelling is finished with a crenellated
cornice. There are 2 wallposts in the form of Ionic pilasters, having carved
foliage. The ceiling has re-used moulded and traceried beams with moulded ribs
forming traceried designs. It appears that all or most of these features are
original to the house, removed from the main block. RCHM 2, which includes
illustrations. John Darcy acquired the manor by marriage at some date before
1471. His son Anthony served as Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire in 1511, and
as a J.P., and died in 1540. The main range of the house appears to have been
constructed by him, and the panelling with his initials to be original. Moated
site.

Listing NGR: TL9283711614

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17532026

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

• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings