Kitchen/dovecote, approximately 100m north of Little Braxted Hall (EHER 8181)

A square, timber framed, 12th or 13th century kitchen, later used as a dovecote. Summary from record 38921: C15 timber framed kitchen, later used as dovecote.

'A square, wooden, 19th century dovecote in the north west corner has been renovated and is now used as a stable'. <1> Position of dovecote shown on copy of OS plan card in the EHER, within moated site (EHER 8179). <2> December 1959. Grade II* listed. In fact, this structure is a kitchen, later used as a dovecote. Window openings with central mullions in some walls. Timber-frame is heavily sooted throughout. No access at time of re-survey. <3> See photos <4>. Site Assessment: One of only a few such structures to have survived in Essex. The kitchen at Little Braxted hall is a grade II* listed timber framed building dating to between AD1397 and AD 1419. The building stands on a moated site (EHER 8179) and formed part of the residence of the medieval manor of Little Braxted. The present Little Braxted Hall (EHER 8178) stands a distance to the south west of the moated site; the house was probably built during the 16th century as part of major replanning of the site which resulted in the land within the moat being given over predominantly to agricultural use. With the removal of the main residence away from the former moated site there would have been no need to maintain the detached kitchen in its former use, and it seems likely that it was around this time time that the building was adapted for its later use as a combined stable/dovecote. <5> Assorted photographs of exterior setting and interior <6> - <9>. 1999. Dendrochronological survey. This square timber-framed building is thought to have been built as a medieval kitchen, and was later converted into a dovecote. It had previously been dated to the late-fifteenth century on stylistic evidence, but this study dates the most likely period for the felling of the oaks (Quercus spp.) used in its construction to the period AD 1398 - 1410. The large arch braces and the wall plates were found to be of elm (Ulmus spp.). The strongest crossmatching for the site chronology was found with a number of sites within a 60 km radius, suggesting a probable local origin for the timbers. <10> See also <11> <12>. NRHE data transfer: A square, wooden, 19th century dovecote in the north-west corner has been renovated and is now used as a stable. <13>