Buildings Recording And Investigation at Beaumont Hall Barns, Beaumont

The building recording survey took place in January 2021. Existing survey drawings of the floor plans, sections and elevations of the Grade II listed barns were prepared by Randall Surveys LLP in advance of the Planning and Listed Building applications granted in February 2018. These drawings were presented in the report. For the purposes of the Level 3 historic building recording survey drawings were overlaid with information to illustrated features of significance to the development of the Heritage Assets and their character. Where required current floor plans, long and transverse-sections will be completed at scale of 1:100 using the Historic England drawing conventions. The floor plans will depict positions of doors, framing including studs and rafters, windows, internal partitions, stairs, bay divisions/truss positions, fixtures and fittings plus later additions and evidence of phasing. A Heritage Statement was carried out by David Andrews in 2018. The Heritage Statement included a cartographical regression study and documentary research to illustrate the historical development of the buildings complex and place the history of the site within its immediate local context. These documents were used to inform on-site observations and off-site conclusions. Comprehensive photography was used during the building recording survey. Photographs were taken for recording purposes and off-site analysis. The photographic record is accompanied by a photographic register detailing the location and direction of views. General photographic views of all non-designated heritage assets and other farm buildings associated with the farmyard were included within the photographic record of the report. For clarity all relevant timber, bays and trusses were assigned a specific code for identification and location purposes. The main body of the reports consists of a descriptive record of the exteriors and interiors of the designated Hertage Assets, as well as an analytical record of the design and purpose of the buildings as well as features of interest within the buildings. Beaumont Hall was held by the De Veres during the 13th-century and later passed to the Crown. It was then settled on Thomas Lord Darcy of Chick and remained with the family until the 18th-century when it was purchased by Guys Hospital. Essex County Council bought Beaumont Hall Farm in 1920 and sold it in 1925. In 1992 the Hall was separated from its original farmland only retaining 17 acres of land including the farm buildings to the north-west of Beaumont Hall. Beaumont Hall and farm buildings were purchased by Stone Crest Homes Ltd in 2021 with Planning and Listed Building Consent to renovate and convert the agricultural buildings. The complex of agricultural buildings at Beaumont Hall range in date from the 17th to 20th-century. The complex comprises of three Grade II listed Heritage Assets; " A 17th century brick granary and threshing barn forming the north enclosure of the farmyard. 17th century brick barns are not typical for Essex. " A timber framed late 18th century 'Byre' on the south side of the farmyard. Andrews described it as a 'rare example of a non-standard 18th-century agricultural building designed for housing livestock'. The range is a nine bay timber framed building with brick sides with a granary over. " The west side of the farmyard comprises a late 18th century double brick threshing barn having two five bay units that are separated by a brick wall. The eastern boundary of the courtyard is formed by a central range that formerly divided the farmyard into two courtyards. The standing structure (now in poor condition) was attached to a central east-west range at right angles to the late 18th century barn. The central east-west range has been demolished. The east and central east-west range along with the subdivision of the farmyard occurred by the 1870s.