Site of early 19th century farmhouse, Howe Farm (EHER 45551)

Now demolished. A an early 19th century farmhouse, constructed at sometime between 1799 and 1838 in response to the reclamation of the Tillingham Marshes in 1799. It was built of brick and had a roof covered in tiles when surveyed in 2013, though there was evidence to suggest it would have originally had a slate roof. The property was unoccupied since the 1950s and subsequently in a poor state of repair. It was demolished in early 2013 and a new dwelling constructed slightly further North.

The farm here is named as 'Howich' in 1222. It is located on the medieval marsh edge and the 'wich' element of the name may refer to the term ‘wick’, meaning a marshland dairy farm. The farmhouse is depicted on the 1st ed OS map of 1881. The present farmhouse appears to be early 19th century date. <1> <2> February 2013. Heritage assessment. The building is a two-storey brick farmhouse built between 1799 and 1838 with surviving period features. The farmhouse is in a poor state of repair with structural defects and has been unoccupied since the 1950s. It is built of red brick with laid in Flemish bond, with a gabled roof covered with tiles. An abundance of Welsh slates scattered around the foundations of the farmhouse indicate the original roofing material was slate, different to the tile roof installed in the 1990s. The West (front) elevation faces Grange Road and has an external chimney stack, an off-centre doorway and three windows of unequal size in the ground floor and two mismatched windows in the upper floor. The doorway is a later insertion and has a concrete lintel. Replacement brickwork to its right indicates that the position of the original doorway was moved and was not as tall as the later insertion. The North elevation has staining on the brickwork which suggests there once stood an extension. The plan in the 1917 sales catalogue shows this outbuilding which was probably the brew-house and wash-house and must have been of wooden construction. The ground floor is divided into four rectangular but unequally-sized rooms, comprising kitchen, scullery, dining room and parlour. A later inserted wall has divided the scullery into two rooms. The first floor is divided into four bedrooms and a fifth room for attic access which is itself divided into two rooms. The farmhouse is a nice example of a functional early 19th century building. It is not possible to say exactly what year the farmhouse was built but it is likely to have been constructed after the reclamation of the marshes. This was completed in 1799 under the guidance of the Rector of Bradwell, Henry Bate-Dudley. The land, previously suitable only for grazing, could now be used for profitable arable crops and it was this change in farming practice that was the catalyst for the construction of Howe Farm. This gives a date range for the farmhouse of between 1799 and 1838 (when the farmhouse appears on the Tithe map) with the original features such as the sash windows and the iron register grate suggesting a construction date in the middle of this range. <3> June-July 2013. Watching brief. The farmhouse was demolished at sometime between February and June 2013. <4>