The Old Granary

The Old Granary is a former malting, dating from approximately 1588, originally commissioned by Sir John Petre, First Baron of Writle. It has undergone alterations in the 18th century and was reclad in the 20th century. The building is an oak-framed structure of six bays, with a cement rendering on the ground floor, 20th-century pargeting covering the first floor, and weather-boarding on the gable ends and rear elevation, set upon a brick plinth. The roof is covered in corrugated sheeting. Six 20th-century casement windows are visible.

Inside, the building features close-studded wall frames and queen post trusses, arch braced and supporting clasped purlins. Upper wall panels extend over a girth rail, with bracing in each pair of end bays. Wall plates are joined by pegged face-halved and bladed scarfings over stub tenons in storey-posts. Small sections of old plaster remain between studs in the upper wall framing, visible behind the external weather-boarding at the south-east end of the building. A later intermediate floor was created using stop-chamfered bridging beams across the girth rails, supporting longitudinal joisting. Headroom on the first floor was increased by carving out soffits from some tie beams and removing adjacent arch braces, a likely modification from the early 18th century when grain bins were added. Old floorboards remain throughout. The ground floor features a spine beam with a niche-chamfer and run-out stops.

A 1588 document in the Essex Record Office details the agreement for the construction of a malting house. A 1724 map depicts a structure with a curious spire at the north end, which was likely a corn chamber. It is unlikely the building ever functioned as a barn, given the lack of opposite doors and its position relative to the existing farmhouse and demolished foundations of other barns.