Willow And Easter Cottages (EHER 82919)

A pair of two-storey, semi-detached cottages, formerly a terrace of three, incorporating the remnants of a four-bay fifteenth century hall-house, with eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century alterations. The cottages have a rendered timber frame construction on a painted-brick plinth, which includes nineteenth century bricks. The gable roof has a tile covering, and three ridge stacks. Both cottages have been extended. Easter Cottage has an intact fifteenth century end wall frame and cross frame, and front and rear wall frames on both storeys in addition to surviving tie beams. The interior of Willow Cottage has been largely remodelled; it ha nineteenth century partitions and twentieth century replacements. Some fifteenth century timber survives. Both cottages have plain brick fireplaces and contain sixteenth century floor frames with substantial joists and widely chamfered bridging beams with lambs-tongue stops.

Information from NRHE CONTEXT An application to list Willow and Easter Cottages has been submitted to English Heritage as they are believed to contain the remaining structure of a fifteenth century, timber framed hall. The pair of semi-detached cottages is located in Broads Green, which is not designated as a Conservation Area. Neither building is under threat. HISTORY Broads Green is located to the south-east of Great Waltham in Essex, near to the county town of Chelmsford. In the eleventh century and twelfth century, the feudal manor of Walthambury, close to the present-day village, was owned by the De Mandeville's, later made Earls of Essex by King Stephen. There are a number of small greens in the hinterland of the village, of which Broads Green is an example. The cottages probably incorporate the remnants of a fifteenth century hall, floored over in the sixteenth century. It is unknown whether the hall was sub-divided before it was split into three cottages in 1870, but given the extent of subsequent remodelling, this seems likely. There have been a number of alterations of nineteenth century date including: a replacement roof structure to Willow Cottage which also incorporates twentieth century replacement timbers; a two storey extension to the west and a rear outshot to Willow Cottage; a front (north) addition of 1873 and two storey addition to the east of Easter Cottage. The windows of both cottages are twentieth century casements. Willow Cottage has recently been amalgamated with the central dwelling, previously known as Brook Cottage, to form one unit. The frame was re-rendered in the 1970s. DESCRIPTION A pair of two storey, semi-detached cottages, formerly a terrace of three, incorporating the remnants of a four-bay fifteenth century hall-house with eighteenth century, nineteenth century and twentieth century alterations and additions. The cottages have a rendered timber frame constructed on a painted-brick plinth, which includes nineteenth century bricks. The gable roof has a tile covering, and three ridge stacks. Easter Cottage to the east (left) has a two storey front addition and Willow Cottage has a single storey rear outshot. Additional bays have been added to the historic frame of both cottages. INTERIORS. Willow Cottage has a number of nineteenth century nailed, timber partitions of poor quality, probably associated with the late nineteenth century sub-division of the buildings. This cottage also has some replacement eighteenth century or nineteenth century studwork in the front wall frame and replacement Elm bracing, wall plate and studwork in the rear wall frame of unknown date. Twentieth century staircases lead to the first floor, where there has been considerable remodelling. Some fifteenth century cross frames partially survive, with those in the third bay of the fifteenth century build incorporating jowled storey posts. This cottage has a nineteenth century roof structure comprising a ridge plank and rafters with twentieth century replacement collars and purlins. The tie beams remain, some rough hewn from tree trunks. Both cottages have plain brick fireplaces which appear to be primarily nineteenth century or possibly eighteenth century and both contain sixteenth century floor frames with substantial joists and widely chamfered bridging beams with lambs-tongue stops. Easter Cottage has an intact fifteenth century end wall frame and cross frame of substantial scantling, pegged in place, and front and rear wall frames on both storeys in addition to surviving tie beams. The upper roof structure was not accessible. Part of the frame for a diamond mullion window, and jowled storey posts on both ground and first floor in the far eastern bay of the fifteenth century build, remain. ASSESSMENT All buildings dating to before 1700 containing a significant proportion of their original fabric are eligible for listing. Willow and Easter Cottages contain the remnants of a vernacular house, built from locally obtained materials, and reflecting traditional building techniques. Intactness and evidence of original construction techniques are important factors when assessing suitability for designation. Some fifteenth century timber frame survives, particularly in Easter Cottage, where the east, front and rear wall frames remain with the jowled storey posts and surrounds from a diamond mullion window suggesting a building of some status. In Willow Cottage, the survival is more patchy; on the ground floor, wall posts and studwork remain, and on the first floor there are some jowled storey posts and cross frames partially remaining. The sixteenth century floor over the hall is of good craftsmanship and survives well in both cottages. However, there has been substantial and incremental loss of the historic frame though later sub-division and re-modelling. In Willow cottage, parts of the front and rear wall frame have been replaced generally with low quality timbers, debasing the craftmanship of the historic fabric. Furthermore, the roof is of nineteenth century date and contains twentieth century timbers and although the roof space of Easter Cottage was not inspected it is reasonable to assume that the roof structures of both cottages are the same. The west gable end of Willow Cottage has also been broken through at first floor and the remodelling of the nineteenth century has resulted in nineteenth century additions to both dwellings and the installation of nineteenth century partitioning, resulting in the loss of plan-form. It is not clear from the exposed, surviving historic frame of both cottages where the service and 'high' ends of the hall were located, such is the fragmentation of the building through its subsequent use. It has been suggested that the jowled storey posts on the first floor of Willow cottage indicate the presence of a cross-wing to the original structure and that the building may have been jettied. However, there is no clear evidence in the remaining frame to support these claims. <1>