Description

THORPE-LE-SOKEN FRINTON ROAD
TM 1822-1922 (north side)

9/81
Elm Farmhouse
22.7.83
- II

House. Early and mid-C16, altered in C19 and C20. Timber framed. At the time
of survey, August 1985, it was undergoing major renovation, and had no wall or
roof cladding, and no windows or doors. 2 blocks (1) 3 bays of a mid-C16
long-jetty house facing S, comprising a parlour/solar bay to the left and a
floored hall of 2 bays in the proportion 2:1, the right (service) bay missing.
(2) To NE of it, one bay of an incomplete early C16 building aligned N-S,
jettied to the W. Both of 2 storeys. In block (1) all the ground-floor
studding had been removed, and the rear wall had been built up in C19 brick to
wallplate height. Unjowled posts, close studding with 'Suffolk' bracing
trenched to the outside, an edge-halved and bridled scarf in the rear wallplate,
crownpost roof with original hipped gablet at the left end, and a secondary
hipped gablet at the (shortened) right end. Moulded and crenellated bressumer,
much weathered. In the left return on the upper storey, unglazed windows on
either side of the central storey posts, one complete with diamond mullions, and
shutter grooves in the tiebeam. Evidence of other unglazed windows below, in
the rear wall, and at the front in the shorter bay of the hall chamber. The
longer bay has an incomplete oriel window with deep sill, mortices in the jambs
for splayed sides, grooved jambs for a vertically sliding shutter, and in the
central stud below, pegholes for securing it at various heights, a detail of
unusual interest. In the right end wall the central storey post is rebated for
twin service doors, and a fragment of one arched head remains. A mortice in the
girt indicates the position of the former stair trap, against the rear wall.
The floor of the left (parlour/solar) bay comprises a chamfered axial beam with
step stops, and plain joists of horizontal section jointed to it with soffit
tenons with diminished haunches; there is some evidence of a former stair trap
against the partition wall. The floor of the 'hall' comprises a richly moulded
axial beam with elaborate stops of unusual design, and similar joists. The
cambered tiebeam of the open truss has arched braces, and is chamfered with step
stops. The crownposts are plain, with thin axial bracing. The original
full-length rafters have gauging holes; many rafters have been replaced. On the
first floor is a short early C19 balustrade with bowed handrail and stick
balusters. Block (2) comprises one bay of a building which formerly extended
further in both directions. The posts are jowled, the W wallplate has a
slightly splayed scarf with square bridled abutments, the close studding is
trenched on the outside for 'Suffolk' bracing. There is evidence of unglazed
windows to the W and E on both storeys, the W window above the jetty having
rectangular mortices for 5 closely-spaced moulded mullions. The N wall frame
has equally-spaced mortices for the studs of a former partition, but jointing
for another bay beyond. The S wall frame is an open truss, with no evidence
that it was structurally integrated to the missing service bay of block (1).
The axial beam is chamfered and unstopped; plain joists of horizontal section,
very closely spaced, meet it at an oblique angle and are housed into it with
soffit tenons. No roof timbers survive above tiebeam level; the N tiebeam has a
mortice for a former crown stud; the S tiebeam has mortices for deep arched
braces, but no evidence of a crownpost. One plain bracket survives below the N
end of the jetty. The structural features of this building suggest that it was
originally of higher status, built on another (probably urban) site in the first
quarter of the sixteenth century, and reconstructed on the present site later as
a minor ancillary wing behind the service bay of the long-jetty house.
Renovation under listed building consent no. LB/TEN/36/84. Measured drawings by
E. and B. Watkin of the Essex Historic Buildings Group deposited with Essex
Record Office.

Listing NGR: TM1850122112

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26440629

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)