Description

BRENTWOOD

TQ6391 BILLERICAY ROAD, Herongate 723-1/13/170 (North side (off)) 21/10/58 Granary 5 metres south-east of Heron Hall (Formerly Listed as: BILLERICAY ROAD, Herongate (North side) Granary to the south of Heron Hall)

GV II*

Formerly known as: Building immediately to south of Heron Hall Farmhouse BILLERICAY ROAD. Granary. Early C15, altered in late C17. Mainly of red brick in English bond, gables rebuilt in red and blue brick in Flemish bond, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. Rectangular plan facing approximately W, abutting on outside of moat to E. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. The W elevation has on the ground floor 2 original windows with chamfered jambs and steep 4-centred arches, and a blocked original doorway with chamfered jambs, altered to a similar window; and on the first floor 2 original windows with chamfered jambs and shallow 2-centred arches, and a blocked doorway altered to a similar window. The plinth is penetrated by barred semicircular arches open to the W only; at time of inspection, August 1989, 5 were visible, others concealed by a C20 feature. The E elevation has 2 similar ground-floor windows and 2 similar first-floor windows of which one is blocked; smaller blocked arches at approximate floor level, and a deep plinth splayed out towards the moat. All the windows retain incomplete original wrought-iron grills, or the evidence for them. The original first-floor windows are so arranged that each lights one bay, on alternate sides. The 2 altered doorways are vertically in line, in the second bay from the N end; the lower inserted window utilises the original S jamb, and is executed in similar bricks and workmanship, evidently at an early date. The upper blocked doorway was concealed by creeper at the time of inspection, visible only as a straight joint internally. The S elevation has on each floor a doorway inserted in the late C17; the lower door is of that date or early, the upper door C20, reached by an external wooden stair. Both parapet gables have been rebuilt above tie-beam level in the late C17, blue headers and red stretchers forming a regular pattern, in similar style to Heron Hall (qv), its stable range and court hall/granary (qv). The N wall is partly rendered. The bricks of the original fabric are 0.22-0.23m long, 0.11m wide, 0.05m deep, with lime mortar, 4 courses rising 0.24m, plum coloured and of high quality, evenly built. INTERIOR: inside the walls are bare; it is not clear whether they have ever been plastered. All the windows have segmental rear-arches and wide splays. Most of the windows are rebated for inward-opening shutters; one first-floor E window is grooved for glazing, the other retains 2 pintle hinges. On each floor, in the middle of the W wall is a plain niche, about the same size as the windows, with simple corbelled head; traces of sooting indicate that it was used for a lamp. The timber structure is original, in 4 bays. The lower floor is approx one metre above ground, comprising main joints supported at the junctions by brick piers, and heavy common joists of horizontal section; access from below barred, faced with plywood above, but wide floorboards are visible, probably original. The upper floor structure comprises 3 chamfered transverse beams, 4 chamfered axial bridging beams, and heavy plain joists of horizontal section jointed to the bridging beams with central tenons and soffit spurs, a rare form (Hewett, 280, 287). Later posts support the junctions. Crownpost roof with 5 cambered tie-beams, chamfered with step stops, plain crownposts, and 4-way rising braces except on the end posts, which have single axial braces; the crownposts are originally numbered 1-4 from N to S, the fifth crownpost of reused timber; plastered to the soffits of the rafters and collars. The tiles were re-laid in 1988 after hurricane damage. The chamfers of the tie-beams terminate just short of original clamps pegged to the walls. This building is exceptional in being a rare example of high quality brickwork in a secular context; no parallel is known in Essex. It is exceptionally complete and unaltered, the only alterations being themselves of early date and of historic interest. It is the earliest building on the site. (Hewett CA: English Historic Carpentry: 1980-: 280, 287; RCHM: East Horndon : 2).

Listing NGR: TQ6392491751

External Links

• Wikidata Q17544978

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Recommended Books

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)