Site of 17th century timber framed house now shop, 208-212 High Street, Epping (EHER 40862)

Now destroyed. Seventeenth century timber-framed building, remodelled in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Currently in use as a shop. It is an example of an evolved urban building, however the interior has no fixtures or fittings of historic interest and the seventeenth century timber framing is fragmentary.

March 2008. Heritage assessment. This investigation was the subject of a planning condition following approval to demolish and clear the site for redevelopment. The front ground floor range to the High Street consists of two shop fronts and an access passage to the rear range. The passage is 19th century with a door of the period the two shops have fronts from the early and late 20th century. Immediately behind this range is the frame of a 17th century stair tower used as a store at ground floor. Two rear wings to the north and south of the site develop eastwards towards Hemnall Street, a 19th century street, from the 19th century to the middle 20th century. The north range is two storey in two builds and survives relatively complete, with a later outside stair to the rear range. The south range has three sections developed in succession with a side lean-to against the first two. Beyond these is a 1930s single/double storey flat roofed building built as a bakery with the single storey area possibly increased to two storey in the 1950s. None of these buildings were examined for this report. To the north of the stair tower a 19th century passage way was built linking the shop, side passage and rear range. At first floor level on the front range further evidence of a 17th century building remains. Some of the floor beams supporting this floor were visible in the northern shop while at first floor level remnants of the rear wall at the south end showed that originally the front range was a 17th century four bay building with central rear stair tower. This evidence was part of the corner and one intermediate post, one brace and mortises for two more, one stud and two stud mortises plus a face halved and bridled scarf to the wall-plate near the stair tower. All other details appear to have been lost in a major nineteenth re-fronting of the building incorporating a roof raise to enable the attic floor to be fully used. All windows to the front date from the 19th century with many 20th century repairs. The roof structure is also all of this period. End chimney stacks and a small one in the front wall appear to be 19th century. A building heavily reworked in the 19th century to make maximum use of the site with the fast growth of Epping after the arrival of the railway. <1> March 2013. Trial trenching. In March 2013 Archaeological Solutions trial trenching was undertaken. The only features revealed during the evaluation were modern service trenches relating to buildings on Hemnall Street and High Street, and post-medieval and modern features related to former buildings that previously occupied the site. The only firmly datable feature was a late 16th-early 18th century ditch which cut on a south-west/north-east angle. <2> NRHE data transfer: The building has two storeys and an attic. It has some interior timber framing, encased in rendered brick. The facade has a parapet, and 20th century ground floor shop fronts and a number of 20th century light industrial buildings are attached to the rear of the building. The stair turret has some interest, being a rare survivor in Epping District. However, the 17th century framing is too fragmentary to discern any structural details of the early building. Planning permission has been sought for the demolition and redevelopment of the site. <3> No List Case: 161253