Orchard Works 40 Yards To East Of Number 98

STATION ROAD 1. 5253 (South Side) Orchard Works 40 yds to E of No 98 TL 4874 1502:2/13 II GV 2. Mid-late C19 yellow gault brick malting. Outlier of an extensive range of similar C19 brick listed maltings to the south of Sawbridgeworth Station on the opposite side of the Stort Navigation in Sheering Parish, Essex. Imposing tall pilastered block fronting N onto road with ornamental gables to W and E. Slate roof. Cranked on plan following bend in road. Deeper part of building at W end. Pilasters define 12 bays from W up to bend. 5 bays beyond. Broad giant order pilasters with splayed base offsets and expanded caps. Panels between have 4 splayed offsets at base and a corbelled eaves band. Windows in alternate bays. From W to E the facade illustrates the stages of the malting process. The first 3 bays are surmounted by a projecting timber framed weatherboarded slate roofed lucam at roof level carried on elaborate scrolled brackets. This is for hoisting the barley into the building where in the deeper section it was stored and then steeped to begin germination. The next 9 bays have rows of shallow windows under 2 ring header arches for the low malting floors where the germination continued under controlled conditions. The wall anchor plates in the first 2 bays past the corner supported the kiln floors on which the grain was heated to produce malt. The last bays are where the malt was bagged and stored for despatch. The kiln roofs have been removed and the lower malting floor. The wide span timber king post roof trusses remain exposed. The 5 bay E gable and 6 bay W gable continue the pilastered treatment but also have elaborate triangular pediments with dentilled and corbelled courses and heavy chamfered bargeboards. There is a wooden 9+9 paned Yorkshire casement in the tympanum in the W gable. Industrial steel small paned windows have been inserted and do not detract from the building's character. Formerly owned by the firm of H A and D Taylor and called Orchard Malting. A distinctive feature of the approach to the town from the E.

Listing NGR: TL4873915019