18th century timber-framed barn, Brewery Barn, 31 Lower Street (EHER 36550)

The Grade II Listed Building was built as a store house with a sunken basement in the mid 18th century. A 2024 building survey analysed the building in advance of development.

March 2024. Level 3 building survey. The Grade II Listed Building was built as a store house with a sunken basement in the mid 18th century. At that time, it was an isolated building as shown on the 1777 Map of Essex. By the time of the 1848 Tithe Map, it was conjoined with an L shaped building to form a courtyard as part of Plot 571 House Yard and Buildings owned by George Welch and occupied by James Hayden who was a blacksmith. Several other buildings were added in the 19th century. The details of the frame and its ironwork reinforcements suggest a frame assembled in the mid 18th century using reclaimed frames of the 16th and 17th century. The east wall is correctly framed and drilled and darted for wattle and daub infill panels. The south wall is also correctly pegged but it is likely it has been turned around as the cranked braces are far more likely to have been for display than trenched inside the frame. The framing has many inconsistencies. The original studs on the east and south walls are 6in wide and drilled for wattle and daub. The west wall is set behind the arcade plates from the earlier frame and bolted through with mid 18th century style large bolts with deep square heads. The studs in this wall are all mismatched and lack fixings for wattle and daub. It can be concluded that this wall was clad with weather-boards when first put up. The barn has a clasped side purlin roof with four bays and three trusses of varying forms. The barn has been assembled using roof timbers from at least two much older oak framed buildings. The basement has been sunk into the ground and is revetted with red brickwork of which only traces can be seen. It is possible this was part of the original design in the 18th century and would have provided cool, light tight storage. Dating the frames assembly can be done by the early nuts and bolts of mid 18th century design as well as the reused cart tires to secure the corner joints. A building is shown in place on the 1777 Map of Essex by Chapman and Andre. Truss 3 has a set of early 19th century ironwork repairs as well as an added vertical post secured with large bolts with square, flat nuts. The western terminal suffered badly and there are three repair plates bolted on and the top-plate between Truss 3 and Truss 2 is reinforced. In 1842 the occupant was James Hayden, blacksmith and he may have made some of the fittings. <1>