St Mary'S House

KELVEDON ST. MARY'S SQUARE TL 8418-8518 (north-east side)

9/265 St. Mary's House 25.6.74

GV II*

Public building, now a house. C15, altered in C16, C18 and C19. Timber framed, plastered, roofed with handmade red plain tiles. 2-bay range facing SW with 2-bay crosswing at right, now fully integrated under one continuous roof. C16 external stack to rear of left bay, the upper part rebuilt c.1985. C18 external stack to right of crosswing. C19 single-storey wing to rear of main range, weatherboarded and roofed with slate. 2 storeys and attics. Ground floor, 2 early C19 sashes of 12 lights, and central splayed bay of sashes of 2-6-2 lights. Central 6-panel door, fanlight with radial tracery, blocked or painted over, portico with 2 plain columns and 2 engaged-Corinthian columns. The middle bay breaks forward and is gabled. Symmetrical elevation. The rear elevation has an early C19 half-glazed door with 12 lights, and an early C19 tripartite sash of 4-12-4 lights, both with crown glass. Continuous jetty along front, underbuilt, with plain brackets concealed. The ground floor appears originally to have been one large area without partitions; moulded binding beam in crosswing, deeply chamfered beams elsewhere. In the left room, wide wood-burning hearth, chamfered mantel beam across whole of one bay, reduced for Victorian cast iron grate; early C19 cupboards in reveals of window. Early C19 stair with scrolled tread-ends, turned newel with acorn finial, stick balusters, wreathed handrail and similar gallery. Lower storey 2.51 metres high. Jowled posts. Edge-halved and bridled scarf in each wallplate of crosswing. Original studded partitions on first floor, 3 rooms. Late C16 inserted ceilings, with chamfered beams with lamb's tongue stops. Crownpost roof in main range, axial bracing removed. Octagonal crownpost with step stops on cambered tiebeam. The originally open ground floor and the important site, facing the road from London, suggest that this may have been built as a market hall for the Abbot of Westminster, and converted to domestic use after the Dissolution. RCHM L3.

Listing NGR: TL8595218377