18th century shed and farm outbuilding at Beaumont Otes, Chignall St. James (EHER 80769)

The two farm buildings originated in the 18th century.

July 2020. Level 3 building survey. Beaumont Otes is legible from Woodhall Hill as a historic farmstead in a derelict condition. The site of the existing open yard was the site of the farmhouse in the late 16th century. Building 1 on the north-eastern corner of the farmstead appears to have been a four- or five-bay shelter shed (although it is not impossible that it was originally used as a cart shed) which would have served the small yard to the west seen on the 1960s photograph. This former shelter shed is distinguished by its eastern wall, which comprises 18th or early 19th century Flemish bond. Its northern elevation is partly open and infilled with boarding. It is open-fronted to the west and its southern bay has collapsed. Other than the rear wall, the shed appears to have been rebuilt in the 20th century, with a machine-cut, plank-ridged roof. It has the remains of unattractive pantile roof but is in a notably poor state of repair. Building 2 is on the broad footprint of a building that was in place in the late 19th century but the eastern elevation has largely been rebuilt in stock brick in the 20th century. The western elevation, however, does retain 18th century brickwork, although this appears somewhat vestigial in relation to the rebuilding of the rest of the structure. It incorporates an enclosed garage with metal up-and-over doors at its eastern end but otherwise serves as an open car-port. It has a modern soft-wood roof and corrugated fibre roof coverings.