32, Firs Chase

WEST MERSEA

986/0/10045 FIRS CHASE 21-AUG-02 32

II

Service range, now a separate house. C18 and later. Timber-framed and weather-boarded with brick chimney stacks and pitched tiled roof. PLAN: Pair of ranges with outshut to right and forming the service range of the attached No. 32 The Firs (q.v.). EXTERIOR: Pair of gabled ranges with C20 windows at ground and first floor. Entrance now to right hand side with early-C20 door. Outshut to right with cat-slide roof. INTERIOR: Main room within right-hand range with stone flag floor. Chamfered beam with joists. Exposed timber-framing to walls. C18 built-in cupboards, 1 to corner open with curved shelves. Large central stack to rear with C18 brickwork served the kitchen, now with C20 fireplace covering bressumer. Framed partitions to room at left with chamfered beam, exposed joists and C18 corner cupboard with shaped shelves. Wood stair to first floor with wide plank floorboards throughout. To right, bedroom with small case-iron fireplace. Small plank door to crawl space exposing wall framing to rear of No. 30, wall plate, lathe and plaster finish, and brick chimneystack. Bedrooms to left with wall plates exposed. 2-panel doors with L-hinges. C18 corner cupboard.

No. 32 retains much of its form, plan, timber-framing, joinery and brick stack as an C18 service range to the earlier house at No. 30 (q.v.) with which it forms a good group in this historic fishing community of West Mersea.