1-5, High Street

A provincial mansion of the Abbot of Westminster, now divided into three houses, located on the north-west side of High Street in Kelvedon. The building dates from the early 16th century and was substantially altered in the 18th and late 19th centuries.

The structure is timber-framed with two brick facades of yellow brick laid in Flemish bond with stone dressings; the remainder is plastered with some exposed framing. The roof is covered with handmade red plain tiles. The building forms an E-plan with a range of five large bays facing south-east and three rear wings of two bays each. There are original stacks in the left wing, in the rear of the main range between left and middle wings, and at the right end of the main range; later stacks were added to the right of the middle wing and to the right of the right wing. Extensions include a catslide extension to the rear of the main range between left and middle wings, a single-storey extension to the right of the left wing, a stair tower between middle and right wings, two smaller extensions to the rear of the stair tower, and a single-storey lean-to extension to the rear of the right wing (subject to planning application at the time of survey in November 1986).

The building is two storeys with cellars and attics. The ground floor has three late 19th-century tripartite sashes of 2-2-2 lights and one late 19th-century sash of two lights. The first floor has six late 19th-century sashes of four lights. Three late 19th-century four-panel doors with plain overlights in stilted segmental arches and projecting false keystones are present. Stone plaques include one near the left end inscribed 'Knights Templars Terrace' and one over the door of number 5 inscribed '1873 J.C. & A.C.'. The facade features three giant pilasters, dogtooth bands at first-floor level and above first-floor windows, and a plain parapet with stone coping. The Church Street elevation at the left end meets the main elevation at an obtuse angle and has a similar facade with one dogtooth band and no parapet. On this elevation, the ground floor has one similar tripartite sash and one late 19th-century splayed bay of sashes of 2-4-2 lights; the first floor has two late 19th-century sashes of two lights. The roof is hipped at the front.

On each side of the right rear wing, some framing is exposed, showing close studding with curved braces trenched to the outside. At the end is a blocked archway 1.68 metres wide with a four-centred head and a smaller blocked doorway with a four-centred head. The left side of the right wing and the right side of the middle wing are jettied, the latter underbuilt.

Number 5 (at the right end) comprises a large entrance-hall one bay wide with rooms to each side, the stair tower, and the right rear wing. The remainder is irregularly divided between numbers 1 and 3. The ground storey is approximately three metres high, varying according to the site gradient, which declines from left to right; the upper storey is 2.64 metres high, originally open to the roof but now with 17th-century inserted ceilings and mainly occupied attics. A full-length underbuilt jetty is present at the front.

In the main range and the middle rear wing, all the beams and joists are richly moulded with joints scribed to the profile of the mouldings. Original oak floorboards are set parallel to the joists, rebated into them, and are mostly exposed below. In the other rear bays the beams are chamfered and the joists are plain and of horizontal section, mainly plastered to the soffits. The building features jowled posts, cambered tiebeams, and butt-purlin roofs with arched collars and arched wind-bracing, originally gabled to the front but altered to hips. In the front bays the tiebeams, principals, purlins, collars and braces are hollow-chamfered; in the rear bays they are plain-chamfered at all arrises.

Numerous doorways with four-centred doorheads are present, some blocked; a small one at the right end behind the stack may have been to a garderobe or private stair. The left stack has a chevron-headed niche of moulded brick above the wood-burning hearth facing forwards; the rear hearth has a replaced mantel beam. The middle stack has at the front a moulded cambered mantel beam, one moulded jamb, and above, a repaired niche with two trefoiled heads; at the rear a mitred mantel beam with three original trefoiled niches above of moulded brick; and at first floor front, a mitred mantel beam with a niche above with a four-centred head. The right stack has a chamfered mantel beam with roll stops and above, two truncated diagonal shafts and original pointing.

Original groundsills are present. In the left bays the joists and beams are jointed to match the obtuse angle of the two elevations, resulting in irregular plan forms. The first-floor rooms of number 3 retain traces of wall-painting of circa 1600, and in the rear wing an unglazed window with four hollow-moulded mullions is blocked externally. Two first-floor rooms of number 5 are lined with moulded pine panelling of circa 1600 with similar contemporary doors of oak; two of these walls retain extensive remains of painting of circa 1600. An original cellar of high-quality bricks measuring 0.24 x 0.12 x 0.05 metre has piers supporting the hearth and original steps to ground floor; an original doorway is now blocked.

This property was part of the manor of Church Hall, held by the Abbot of Westminster from before the Conquest until 1539, then by the Bishop of Westminster, and from 1550 by the Bishop of London. The position, size, and high quality of timber and workmanship indicate that it was built for the Abbot of Westminster as a provincial mansion, continuing in similar use after the Dissolution. The manor was leased from 1553, and by 1604 the building had become a major inn called 'The White Lyon', later 'The Red Lion'. By 1791 this house and number 7 (High Street) had been converted to four tenements, as they remain today.

A major restoration of circa 1878 revealed panelling bearing carvings of pomegranates, heads, strawberry leaves and the crest of Henry VIII, now missing. A photograph was taken of the Church Street elevation stripped to the timber framing at that time. The brick facades and present windows and doors date from that restoration operation.