Early 19th century outbuilding at Wilderness, Little Waltham (EHER 80761)

Early 19th century building, typical of the crisis caused by the Napoleonic War period.

October 2016. Level 3 building survey. The timber-frame of the outbuilding is of very poor quality – cobbled together from reused timbers as well as scantling cut from the fields. Of the remaining tie-beams, the westernmost is from a 16th or 17th century building, well finished with an axe, cambered and dovetailed into the top-plate. The easternmost one is waney and secured with ironwork apparently without a dovetail. The frame is primary braced with nailed interrupted studwork in no particular pattern, the end walls have curved braces from the central storey posts, while the other braces are straight and of differing sections. The northern wall has a girt rail near the ground where most of the studs are rebated and nailed or skew nailed in. The other walls are disrupted with door and window openings. The outbuilding is not shown on the 1777 map of Essex by Chapman and Andre while a building corresponding with the house is. However, the house, although not part of this study, was examined and in particular the visible timber frame, staircase and door frames would indicate a building of around 1800. The outbuilding may be later, constructed in the economic crisis that occurred after the end of the Napoleonic War, put together by low skilled workers using reused timbers and non-standard fabrication. Externally it had the appearance of a Victorian High Farming era building, with rendered panels over weather-boards with extensive use of lath and daub – a fashion revived in the early 19th and used in new builds at least until the end of the 1830s. It was most likely built as a stable, coach house, and store for the house. The historic mapping implies the building was twice as long as it is today and the internal outfitting shows it was converted into a modest dwelling, with fireplace, chimney and a staircase up to at least two rooms. The style of the fireplace and the fabric of the staircase would suggest this was done in the middle of the 19th century when machined timbers were available for construction work. The walls have lath and daub panels and the internal partition for the scullery is built over the brick floor. Lath and daub was being used, even in new builds, into the 1840s in the countryside. It is more than likely that part of the walls were boarded on the inside and that the present form is a 20th century interpretation of the original decor. The upper floor is supported on nailed on plates, leading to spread and failure in later years. The floorboards are of varying widths and materials. Between 1921 and 1957 the building was reduced in length and the small brick pig sty added to the western end using reclaimed red bricks set in grey cement. Anecdotal evidence given to the present owner implies that the building was lived in by up to twelve people in the early 20th century but as the building does not appear to have a separate address, no documentation was found to elaborate on this. The building has been incrementally patched up, with a re-laid white brick floor, various nailed on repairs and several shelves and hooks for implements. A double garage was added to the eastern end made of machined timbers and sheets of ply. The building is now in a parlous state. The walls are falling outwards and the joists are failing from rot. Much of the weight is being taken on timber and steel props which have been in place many years. The upper floor is fragile and the boards rotted. The chimney has been reduced in height before the current was roof was added in the last twenty years or so. None of the doors or windows function, the frames have warped and the fabric is failing throughout. It is one of those buildings where only the woodworm holding hands is keeping it together. The outbuilding may represent the living conditions of farm labourers in the mid 19th into the 20th century. The building is of poor quality, badly made using inferior materials reflecting the agricultural poverty of the mid 19th century onwards. <1>