Palmer'S Farmhouse

The house is a timber-framed farmhouse, dating from the mid-16th century, with alterations made in the late 16th century, the 18th century, and 1987. It is constructed of timber framing, plaster, and has a roof of handmade red plain tiles. The building is composed of several elements: a mid-16th century left crosswing of three bays; a late 16th century right crosswing of three bays; a late 16th century main range facing southeast with an axial stack at the right end; an 18th century bay to the rear of the right crosswing; a 20th century single-storey lean-to extension beyond; and two 18th century gabled wings to the rear of the main range. The overall layout is approximately rectangular. It is two storeys high with a four-window range of 20th century casement windows. A 20th century gabled porch is present, without a door at the time of a survey in March 1987. The roof is hipped, enclosing both crosswings, with four gables to the rear.

The left crosswing features jowled posts, an underbuilt jetty, chamfered binding beams with mitre stops, and chamfered joists of horizontal section with step stops and an early hardwood floor. In the front bay, joists are arranged longitudinally to support the former jetty, while elsewhere they are arranged transversely. There is a studded partition between the middle and rear bays at both storeys, with original wattle and daub infill, and a missing tiebeam between the front and middle bay. Much renewed studding is in the rear wall, along with some softwood rafters over the rear bay, and an original clasped purlin roof elsewhere.

The right crosswing has a chamfered binding beam with lamb's tongue stops, plain joists of horizontal section, jowled posts, and cambered tiebeams. The main range includes an original unglazed window in the rear ground-floor wall, with two diamond mullions, altered in the 16th century for glazing and containing one of three diamond saddle bars and an inserted head. There is a chamfered axial beam with lamb's tongue stops, plain joists of horizontal section, and a clasped purlin roof. The main stack was rebuilt in 1987.

At the time of inspection in March 1987, a major renovation was in progress. The frames of the first-floor rooms of the main range and right crosswing were largely concealed by plasterboard, while the left crosswing remained unaltered. The tithe award of 1841 indicates the farm comprised 101 acres and was located in the parish of Feering (Essex Record Office, D/CT 137).