Description

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original; the former solid treads have been replaced by plank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

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26581201

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)