Great Priory Farmhouse

TL 7225-7325 PANFIELD BRAINTREE ROAD (west side)

7/2 Great Priory Farmhouse

2.5.53

GV II

House. C16 and earlier, altered in C17 and C18. Timber framed, plastered, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. 2-bay medieval hall facing NW with early C16 axial stack in left bay. 3-bay extension to right with central stack, mid C16. 2-bay service extension to left with rear wing, C17, the whole forming an L-plan. Central and right ranges of 2 storeys, service range and rear extension of one storey with attics. NW elevation of house, 3-window range of late C18 sashes of 16 lights, with crown glass. 6-panel door with lower panels boarded, in eared doorcase with dentilled pediment. Service range, one C20 casement, one horizontally sliding sash of 18 lights, one C19 casement in gabled dormer. Plain boarded door. The rear (NE) elevation has on the upper storey one C18 3-light window with wrought iron casement, and one of 4 lights with C17 wrought iron casement, and a complete set of sprockets below the eaves. There is one C18 window of 3 fixed lights in the left return wall. The original hall has an inserted floor with chamfered axial beam with step stops, early C16, on pegged clamps, the roof rebuilt in gambrel form, C16/C17, but concealed from the outside by walls raised in the C18. The main structure is fully plastered and undatable. The right extension has chamfered axial and transverse beams, original rebated floorboards, jowled posts, cambered tiebeams with one arched brace, and crownpost roof with axial bracing, altered to clasped purlin construction but leaving the earlier structure in situ. The service range has jowled posts, primary straight bracing, and butt-purlin roof with straight wind- bracing. Internal features of this range include a suspended cheese rack, and an early C19 cast iron coal range with adjustable cheeks and C18 wrought iron 3-movement crane re-used with it. RCHM 4.

Listing NGR: TL7366425828