Nos 8-14 (alternate) Spring Road (EHER 25658)

This row of timber-framed Grade II listed buildings was surveyed and dendrochronological samples were taken in 2004 prior to their conversion from shops to residential use. This analysis revealed that these buildings date from the late 15th to early 16th century, and there is some evidence that may suggest these properties were once a late medieval guildhall.

2004. Building survey. No. 8 Spring Road was shops within a three bay building. Its rather unexceptional external appearance bore little evidence of the earlier building which lay within. The timber frame was exposed during building work in May 2004 when the former shops were converted to residential. The building is of two storeys, oak framing and close studding (16-inch centres). Three bays with a narrower end bay and open end frames consistent with the frame built against existing buildings either side. However when the northern building was demolished the northern end was closed with studding and wattle and daub. This occurred not long after the completion of No. 8 Spring Road. At ground and first floor the bays are open throughout, traverse supported on jowled storey posts or thick short braces. Plain heavy section common floor joists are set into the axial beam using soffit tenon and diminished haunch joints and into the mid rails along the long walls. The narrow southern bay has no evidence of infill below the mid-rail on eastern side Door opening evident in studding of western wall to churchyard. At first floor three windows, one per bay, to Spring Road. Rebate in the wall plate cut for sliding shutter on spring road side. A central window looks out over the churchyard, with rebate cut either side requiring two shutters. External stair on southern bay gives sole access to first floor as no internal stairs. These stairs no longer survive. Decoration is plain with simple run-out stops to chambers on the tie beams storey post, axial and transverse beams mad wall plates. This plainness is replicated on the exterior with no jetty or moulded windows. Evidence survive for trenched braces that run from vertical to vertical (Suffolk type) are present, rather than the more common tension brace. The roof is paired rafter and housed collar construction. No evidence for a crown post or pressure mark for a collar purlin below collars. Dating features suggest a date of 1525. However, core samples taken by Martin Bridge provide a slightly earlier date of 1494-1500. The form of the building with two open areas in three bays suggests an independent access to first and ground floor suggests a public use. Its position next to the churchyard suggests a religious use such as a Guildhall. Although there was no previous reference to a guild at St Osyth's, Chris Thornton found a reference in the Lay Subsidy returns of 1524 for a guild to be taxed on goods in excess of £5. No only has this survey uncovered a possible Guildhall but has helped to further define the date span of the soffit tenon with diminished haunches. Other examples of this joint include a date at Cann Hall of 1511 and St Aylotts Saffron Walden dating to 1501. <1> September 2004. Dendrochronology analysis. Sampling took place in May 2004 as part of the making of a Time Team programme for Channel 4. Three slices of timber were available from material removed during renovation. Two of these were from known timbers, posts in the east wall. The third was from a smaller stud or rafter of uncertain origin. It was the longer series which successfully dated, those having less than 70 rings did not date. Although only three timbers dated, they appear to be from the same batch, felled at the same time. The 36 rings of sapwood on the window frame may represent the complete sapwood, although it was not possible to determine this on site. It seems likely that felling, and hence construction, took place in the earlier years of the narrow range derived, i.e. in the mid-1490s. That one timber, oysll, appears to diminish the overall matching of the site chronology is no great surprise, as an individual tree may be subject to unique influences. There is no question over the date of this series, it merely shows the problems often encountered in this region of having few series of sufficient length. The result is significant as it becomes the earliest dated use of the diminished-haunch soffit-tenon joint for the attachment of the floor joists to the main floor beam in Essex. This use of new style also suggests a building of some importance, and it has been suggested that it is the town's guildhall. <2> 2005. Evaluation. An archaeological evaluation by Channel 4’s Time Team with recording and post-excavation analysis by Wessex Archaeology. Dendrochronology at 8 Spring Road resulted in dates to the period 1365-1494. <3> See also: <4>