Old Vicarage Farmhouse

HARWICH

TM2531 LANGLEY CLOSE, Dovercourt 609-1/7/163 (West side) 20/06/72 No.84 Old Vicarage Farmhouse (Formerly Listed as: LEE ROAD, Dovercourt No.84 Old Vicarage Farmhouse)

II

Two houses, formerly farmhouse. Mid C16 and early C17. Timber-framed and rendered with clay plain tile roofs. Part 2-storey and part 1-storey with attics, with single storey brick low pitched roofed extension on SW end (being rebuilt at time of survey). Rectangular stack on ridgeline, between 2 major blocks and large C19 gabled dormer on SE roof slope of lower part. EXTERIOR: large C19 red brick enclosed porch with gabled roof. Window frames generally removed at time of survey. The NE part with lower eaves line is former small open hall house of mid C16. INTERIOR: this had single-bay hall, cross-passage and floored chamber at NE end, separated by single-storey partition with central door opening. Mixture of jowled and unjowled posts and remnants of diamond mullioned windows and external wall bracing. In late C16 hall was floored over with squarish section, stop-chamfered floor joists and large inserted bridging joists and spine beam. Roof has side purlins and steep wind braces and suggests further short bay (chimney stack?) at NE end. Large mantel beam at SW end possibly moved from this earlier location. To the SW, a 2-storey 2-bay timber-frame, slightly narrower than foregoing and with external wall bracing rising from posts to studs in a purely decorative fashion. Central bridging joists carries stop-chamfered joists similar to those inserted into earlier building. Tie-beam is unbraced and structure provided one large room on each floor. Traces of original window openings including one wide frieze window on ground floor and window between two phases. (Was one building moved here?) Roof with coupled rafters and collars much reused material. Undergoing renovation at time of survey.

Listing NGR: TM2517631261