The Bell (EHER 37572)

Late 15th to early 16th century timber-framed house. Dendrochronology analysis in 2000 suggested a date in the middle of the 16th century.

Former Public House, of about 1500. It is a two storey, timber-framed and plastered house. The roofs are gabled in peg tile with 1½ storey gabled brewhouse extension on west end and long, hipped rear extension in clay peg tiles with lean-to at end. The rear elevation has two stages of outshots and open porch. The front elevation has, on the first floor, three double hung sashes with small panes. The ground floor has a central d.h.s. with small panes, open pedimented, late 18th century doorcases, either side and a pair of canted bay windows with small panes. The western doorcase is infilled with a modern window. Gable end red brick stack at west end. Formerly a two storey, long-wall jetty house now underbuilt. One bay was later partially removed and substituted by a 1600 cross-wing. The eastern end was the service end and traces remain of the buttery/pantry subdivision. The existing front door gives access to the hall and the original muntin and rail 'screen' has been moved to form an internal passage. This retains a part of the original hall door opening with an ogee and hollow chamfer on the jamb. Part of rear outshot includes a stair tower with a, partly original, newel stair. The roof is a remarkable side-purlin/wind brace design, with raised collar over upper chamber, expanded rafter heads and V struts at the solar end. Floor joists have soffit tenons. Cast iron yard pump at rear. <1> 2000. Dendrochronological analysis. The roof timbers alone gave a site chronology dating to 1523 and a felling date range of 1525-49. When this chronology was compared with the remaining timbers at the site, the ceiling joist from the ground floor, thought to be part of the same phase, crossmatched very well. It had complete sapwood, the felling time being in the winter, as evidenced by the complete last ring with no sign of earlywood vessels in the subsequent year. The dating against other chronologies from north-west London, Essex and Suffolk is very good, despite the short sequences involved. If this one timber is taken as typical of the group, and its felling in winter 1527/28 agrees well with the estimated felling dates for the other four timbers, then this effectively dates the whole Hall phase of the present building. <2> See: <3>