Monkwell

Monkwell is a house and former brewery located on Grange Hill in Coggeshall, dating from the 15th and 18th centuries, with alterations made around 1900. The building is timber framed and plastered, topped with handmade red plain tiles. The main range faces west and originates from the 15th century, featuring a 17th-century stack that was initially external but incorporated into the 18th-century structure. There is a long crosswing at the left end, which has an external stack near the front and one axial stack from the 18th century. A two-storey lean-to extension from the 19th century is located at the rear right angle, along with single-storey lean-to extensions at the rear of the main range, covered with red clay pantiles, and at the rear of the crosswing, covered with slate.

The house has been completely restyled around 1900, featuring casement windows and one first-floor oriel window from that period, along with a half-glazed door in an open porch with a hipped roof. The two bays at the right end of the main range have an underbuilt jetty at the front, with jowled posts, wallplates, and a cambered tiebeam that is chamfered with step stops. The roof structure includes a crownpost roof with a plain square crownpost and axial bracing. The plain joists, originally jointed to the rear girt, were raised in the 20th century without a spine beam, and they are elaborately painted on the soffits and sides in a chevron design. When the plaster was removed in 1932, the original colors were blue, yellow, and red, although they have since faded, leaving the yellow appearing white.

In the rear upper wall, there are diamond mortices of an unglazed window with two restored mullions. At the right end, there is curved tension bracing that is trenched to the outside of the heavy studding, which is now weathered and part of the 18th-century structure. Historical records indicate that the building was marked as 'Ye Beerhouse' on a map from 1639 and as 'Mr. Johnson's factory' on a map from 1827. By 1851, it was known as the Silk Works of Goodson and Son, who produced plush for top hats.