Ridgemarsh Farmhouse (Brick House) (EHER 34992)

A house, built in around 1700 from plastered red brick, which encases the remains of a late 16th century or earlier building. It is two storeys with attics.

April 1978-1980. Building survey. The survey has revealed the building at Ridge Marsh, the Brick House was built in two main phases. Sixteenth century fireplaces, timber partitions at first floor and reused 16th century timbers suggest a timber-framed building was extant during the mid-later 16th century. Interestingly the adjacent barn (EHER 34993) displays features that are synonymous with this date range. The timberwork present in the floor and roof structure and the brick structure can be dated to the later 17th century. The soft red bricks were brought in from the Rochford/Stanbridge brickfields during this period, although, after the mid 19th century all brick buildings on Foulness were built of yellow stocks made at east Beach Shoeburyness by Dale Knapping. Ridge Marsh farm stands on land reclaimed in the 15th century and was run by a farm bailiff (for the Manor). This may explain the use of higher status features seen in the farm house. Up until the 18th century the buildings on Foulness were mainly timber-framed and as such it is reasonable to suggest that Brick House was the first brick building to be built on Foulness. The Farm house has been empty for 28 years due mainly to its proximity to the Nasewick Trial Site (MOD testing) and has been on the Essex Buildings at Risk Register (BARR) since 1986. <1> January 1988. Grade II listed. A house, built in around 1700 from plastered red brick, which encases the remains of a late 16th century or earlier building. It is two storeys with attics. Internally, the kitchen is in the outshot and is open to the roof. A small timber-framed room intrudes from the front upper floor into the apex, the use is unknown. The large red brick back to back fireplace has been altered in the 18th/19th century but appears to be of 16th century origin. The kitchen face has an iron soffit tie to the arch and a bread oven to left, the front room face has had the original timber mantel beam cut through. It appears that the original house was possibly the earliest brick building on the Island and must have been the centrepiece of a large and profitable farm. <2> See photos. <3> See also <4>. NRHE data transfer: A group of brick buildings dating to the second half of the 18th century were excavated in 1982 at Ridge Marsh Farm, Foulness. <5> Ridgemarsh (NAT). <6> Note: There is no evidence in source <5> to suggest an excavation took place, and this may be an mis-interpretation of the survey event described by source <1>.