Description

TL 496 129 SHEERING HARLOW ROAD
2/17 Sheering Hall
22.2.52
GV II*

Pair of hall houses, late C15 and early C16, comprising a 'Unit System' group
of manorial status, combined to form one house and extended in C19 and C20.
Timber framed, roughcast rendered, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. (1)
Wealden house, late C15, aligned approx. NW-SE, with storeyed end to SE jettied
on both sides, 2 bay hall ending in a hip, with no original storeyed
accommodation to the NW. (2) Abutting on the NW end aligned approx. NE-SW, hall
house, early C16, with integral storeyed SW end, 2 bay hall, storeyed crosswing
to NE. Cellar under NE bay of hall. Inserted axial chimney stack in SW bay of
hall, late C16. Stair tower in E angle. External chimney stack at NE side of
crosswing (3) C19 extension to NW of (2) forming an approx. Z-plan (4) Extension
c.1900, to SE of (1) with axial chimney stack at the junction (5) Miscellaneous
small extensions, C19 and C20, on all sides. 2 storeys. SW elevation, ground
floor, 3 bay windows, c.1900, double glazed doors in tiled gabled porch. First
floor, 4 C20 casement windows with facade gables above. Jetty in middle section.
Roof hipped at SE end only. (1) Some framing exposed internally, mainly on
ground floor. Transverse joists of horizontal section, unchamfered, forming the
NE jetty over the angle staircase. Crownpost roof, with original hip rafter at
NW end, smoke-blackened to end, now enclosed in later extension. Plain
crownpost with arch braces. Roof mainly complete, including original wattle and
daub partition between hall and storeyed SW end. Ground floor hearth at
junction of the 2 houses has stone surround with bolection moulding. Ground
floor room at SE end has fire surround of grey marble with carved wooden
surround, egg-and-dart at sides, acorn and oak leaf design above, and ceiling
has floral band, all c.1900. (2) Axial beam of inserted floor in hall plain
chamfered with lamb's tongue stops. Cambered central tiebeam of hall,
originally with deep arched braces of which one is severed for a closet door,
the other removed. Crownpost of octagonal section with step stops and 4 arched
braces of thin section. Roof mainly complete, smoke-blackened over hall. C18
window in SE end of crosswing at first floor level, one fixed light with 2
vertical iron bars, one wrought iron casement, with rectangular panes including
some early glass and original leading, all in hardwood frame, a rare feature to
survive in this condition. This pair of houses is of exceptional interest. (I)
is the only Wealden house known in Essex at this date which is jettied on both
sides, although this occurs in the Weald itself. The roof structure, indicating
original hips at both ends is unusually complete, although the lower part of the
house is much altered. The 'Unit System' group is rare at manorial level; a
parallel exists at Leaden Roding Hall, but with many differences. The 'Unit
System' enabled 2 generations of the same family to live in close proximity but
with separate household arrangements, working the same land. Where identified
elsewhere the smaller house is the later in date, but here the reverse seems to
apply. It seems unlikely that house (1) comprised a manor house originally,
with only one storeyed end, so an earlier manor house on the site of (2) can be
presumed, replaced in a phased renewal programme in which the Wealden house was
built before the main manor house was rebuilt.

Listing NGR: TL4962012882

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531547

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

• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014