The Chase

The Chase is a house dating from the 17th century, with extensions added in the early 19th century. It features a timber frame that is plastered and weatherboarded, topped with a roof made of slates and red clay tiles. The building consists of three bays oriented approximately east-west, with an external chimney stack at the west end and another to the north of the east end, facing south. There is a parallel range to the north made of painted brick from the early 19th century.

The house is two storeys high, with a two-storey extension at the west end, a single-storey extension in the northwest corner, and a lean-to conservatory in the southwest corner. On the south elevation, there is an approximately central half-glazed door from the 19th century set in a recessed porch. Flanking the door are two double-hung sash windows with 12 lights, also from the early 19th century, which have external folding shutters that form pilasters and a shallow hood. The windows to the east are early 19th century, while those to the west are 20th-century reproductions. The dado is weatherboarded.

On the first floor, there are three double-hung sash windows with 12 lights, dating from the early 19th century. The north elevation features three French windows from the early 19th century and one double-hung sash window with 16 lights from the late 19th century. On the first floor, there are two double-hung sash windows with 16 lights and a central window with a Gothick ogival head. The northeast angle has brick quoins.

The south range is roofed with handmade red clay plain tiles on the south pitch and machine-made red clay tiles on the north pitch. The north range has red clay pantiles on the south pitch and slates on the north pitch. The roof structure includes clasped purlins with straight wind bracing, heavily constructed in the west bay but lighter elsewhere.

Inside, the ground floor room at the east end has an exposed beam that is plain-chamfered with lamb's tongue stops, and the joists are plastered to the soffits. There is a plain stair with a rosewood rail and square balusters from the early 19th century. At the end of the building, there is a cast iron pump from the late 19th century, which is bracketed to the structure and has initials, possibly W.C., but no ornamentation. A report by C. Johnson of Chigwell Public Libraries provides a history of the site.