Site of 14th century timber framed hall house, 'Heybridge Hall', north-east of Heybridge Creek (EHER 9020)

Now destroyed. The site of a 14th (possibly 13th) century timber framed hall house with alterations from throughout the 16th-19th centuries. It was destroyed by a fire in 1997, and the remains further damaged by fire in 2004. It was formerly listed Grade II* but the listing was revoked in March 2008. The southern half of the main block comprised two bays on an early 14th century in-line hall house. To the north of this was a hybrid early 16th century two/three-bay cross-wing, forming a parlour and solar with a short utility bay to the rear. To the rear of the cross-wing was an early-mid 17th century stair tower, and to the north was a late 17th century extension. Further 18th and 19th extensions were positioned to the rear, and internally, the building retained many period features from each phase of its development. The curtilage of the hall enclosed an area of about 2 acres, and there is likely to have been a substantial ditch surrounding the manorial enclosure. The building may have been constructed on the site of an earlier timber framed building.

October 1951-March 2008. Formerly Grade II* listed: A 14th, 16th century and later timber framed and rendered house, with plain tile roofs. The building is on an extremely complex plan form: the principal range is a long rectangular block sited north-west/south-east, the roof hipped at the north-west end and gabled to the south-east. Behind the southern end is a substantial gabled block, at right-angles, abutting a pair of equal, narrower gabled ranges. Behind the north-west end of the main range is an extension of this with truncated hipped roof and a tall gabled staircase tower, leading up to the attics, and now partially buried in the later rear extensions. The south-east elevation also has a 19th century painted brick single-storey utility block with clay interlocking gabled pantile roof. At the time of survey all windows were boarded up. The hall is two storeys with attics. The southern half of the main block represents two bays of an in-line hall house of the early 14th century. This has two surviving open trusses with octagonal crown posts with moulded capitals and bases. To the north of this is a hybrid two/three-bay cross-wing of the early 16th century, forming a parlour and solar with a short utility bay to the rear. This has close studding, jowled posts and part of its crown-post roof with thin longitudinal braces. Remnants of window survive and a possible former garderobe door opening in the northern flank. Also on this flank is a late 16th century chimney stack with two diagonal shafts and arched fireplaces on each floor (that in the ground floor now destroyed). To the rear of the cross wing is an early-mid 17th century staircase tower with jowled posts, gabled roof and late 17th century dogleg staircase. To the north of the cross-wing is a late 17th century extension, served by a contemporary stair tower with octagonal central newel post and ovolo-moulded window. Further rear extensions of the late 18th and early 19th century partially enclose the earlier work and the main stack was extended by the addition of extra diagonal shafts. Between cross-wing and hall is a late 17th century bolection-moulded doorcase, abutting at right-angles an early 19th century elliptical arch, keystone and fluted pilasters framing an entrance to the stair tower. There is panelling from the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries in the various contemporary parts, and a fragment of an old wall painting of simulated studwork on the rear wall of the former hall. <1> See photos <2> and also <3>. The medieval manor of Heybridge would have had a predictable suite of buildings: hall, chamber(s), kitchen, diary, brewhouse and gatehouse. A farmhouse and its associated buildings were to the north of the Hall. The curtilage of the Hall enclosed an area of about 2 acres, there is likely to have been a substantial ditch surrounding the manorial enclosure that may have been subdivided or adjoining smaller enclosures. There is substantial evidence for the presence of an early medieval manor house on the site. Excavation around the present Hall revealed the remains of a series of foundation slots and associated postholes denoting the outline of a former timber structure related to an earlier phase of Heybridge Hall (EHER 18082). Well-preserved, buried, medieval occupations levels and finds including coarse domestic wares, including pottery, cooking pots and pans (EHER 9022) date occupation to the 12th to 13th century. An unusually grand hall house replaced this house. It is thought that the 13th century hall may have been part of a rebuilding programme carried out by Hugh de Boreham, who died in around 1265. The building was a two storey timber framed construction with attic. It had a complex plan form: the principal range was a long rectangular block, the roof hipped and gabled. In the southern half of the main block octagonal crown posts dated to the early 14th century hall house and to the north was a cross-wing of the early 16th century. The manor house had some post-medieval alterations and additions, including a late 16th century chimneystack, an early-mid 17th century staircase tower and a late 17th century extension. Further rear extensions of the late 18th century and early 19th century partially enclosed the earlier work and the main stack was extended by the addition of extra diagonal shafts. The building was damaged by fire and is no longer extant. <4> An evaluation in 1991 (EEX25819) had located an area of medieval activity (EHER 9022) to the east of the hall site, and beyond the eastern boundary of the 2007 evaluation (EEX55647). An excavation in 1997 (EEX53114) recorded evidence to suggest this area may have been the site of a timber building, either a predecessor of the now destroyed 13th century hall, or an ancillary building. See EHER 18082 for more details. <5> 14th, 16th century and later timber framed house, destroyed by fire in 1997. <6> Note: The 1997 date is not an error; the hall was initially destroyed by fire in 1997, and the remains were further damaged by another fire in 2004. Examination of a block of clay lump retrieved from the remains of the Hall identified a range of fossil insects that had made their home within the clay block. These included solitary bees Anthophora plumides and a beetle kleptoparasite of the bees Sitaris Muralis. <7>