Churchgate House

TM 0734 EAST BERGHOLT RECTORY HILL (North Side)

6/52 Churchgate House (Formerly listed as shop 22.2.55 premises immediately west of Abbey View)

GV II*

House, probable former religious guild hall. c1500, later additions to rear and later remodelling including late C18 - early C19 refronting. C20 single-storey addition to right of no special interest. Timber-framed on brick plinth with brick front and right gable wall. Roughcast. Plain tile roof. Left bay originally of 3 jettied storeys with probable lower range to right. Now 2 storeys with single- storey cross range to rear right and 2-storey cross wing to rear left. Central 6-panel door in pilastered doorcase with frieze and dentilled cornice, panelled reveals and soffit. 12-pane sashes with thick glazing bars, asymmetrically placed. Wedge lintels. First floor band. Swept roof. Rear external stack to right with probable former stair projection under pent roof to right. 2 gabled wings have ridge stacks. Interior: 2 bays, with later staircase hall inserted into wider left bay which was formerly jettied as indicated by dragon beam. Fine ceiling with leaf-scroll moulded beams and moulded joists. To gable wall a blocked pair of 6-light ovolo and cavetto moulded mullion windows flanking large central opening now blocked with sash window. Brick inglenook with some herringbone and stepped brickwork to rear wall under mutilated chamfered bressummer. Projection adjacent to inglenook may indicate position of original newel stair. Staircase hall with earlyCl9 stair with column newels, stick balusters and carved tread ends. Section of C17 panelling with H hinges. Studded partition wall to right has central chamfered post with fine carving to jowl representing demi-angel with shield bearing crown emblem. To rear of partition wall a blocked Tudor-arched chamfered doorway. Room to right shows reverse of this doorway and has fine ceiling with leaf-scroll moulded beam with leaf stops and moulded joists. Further blocked Tudor-arched doorway to right gable end. First floor: large chamfered jowled central post. Left bay has studded walls and moulded beams and joists. Dragon beam indicating further jettied storey above, now removed. In the right bay adjacent to the studded partition wall is a crown post braced front and rear to tie beam and with further mortice to outer face indicating probable lower range adjoining 3-storey jettied left bay. Access to roof above right bay not possible at time of resurvey. Small section of hand painted plaster. Early C19 grates to both rooms. Undergoing renovation at time of resurvey. East Bergholt Society Looking at East Bergholt 1981 Text by J Elam.

Listing NGR: TM0708634463