Parsonage Hall

BURES HAMLET COLNE ROAD TL 9033 (west side) 6/37 (30/164) Parsonage Hall (formerly listed as Parsonage Farmhouse) 7.8.52 II* House. C15 and C16. Timber framed, plastered, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. C15 2-bay crosswing facing E, of a hall house which formerly extended to the S, with chimney stack on right side. Extra bay added to the rear, late C16. 4-bay parallel block to the right, late C16, with 2 external chimney stacks on the right wall, C16 and C18. Single-storey extension to the left rear, C20. 2 storeys and attics. The elevation consists of 2 gable ends, both jettied, the right wing being the wider and taller. Ground floor, 2 early C19 tripartite sashes of 4-12-4 lights and one small C20 casement. First floor, one similar tripartite sash, one late C18 sash of 12 lights, and one C20 casement. One C20 casement in right attic. S elevation, 2-window range of C18 sashes of 12 lights, and 3 C20 windows on ground floor. Late C18 6-panel door in eared doorcase with geometrical blind tracery above. Fully jettied to the rear, with exposed plain brackets. C18 painted wooden notice 'Dairy' under jetty, relating to the Window Tax. The original crosswing has a blocked door in the left wall, formerly the access from the hall, and incomplete unglazed windows in the rear wall and one in the right wall, all with shutter grooves. Chamfered binding beam and heavy plain joists jointed to it with unrefined soffit tenons, and trimmed stair trap in rear bay, blocked in C20. Crownpost roof, originally hipped to the rear, with plain crown post and thin axial braces. The added rear bay has early glazed windows in the rear wall at both levels, with hollow- moulded mullions, blocked and a hipped gablet roof. The right wing has an original stair of solid treads, chamfered binding beams with heavy plain joists jointed to them with soffit tenons with diminished haunches, originally lathed and plastered to the soffits, now stripped. Exposed heavy studding with curved braces trenched to the inside; jowled posts. Rebated plain doorway in upper right wall, probably to a garderobe originally, now removed. Original rebated floorboards. Clasped purlin roof with hipped gablet to the rear. The front walls of both blocks retain early glazed windows with hollow-moulded mullions and diamond-shaped stiffening bars, originally forming the outer parts of 3-part windows, blocked. Early C17 oak panelling, re-sited from another part of the same house. Some reproduction features. This house retains an exceptional umber of early features in undisturbed condition. RCHM 7. Formerly called Parsonage Farmhouse.

Listing NGR: TL9009833710