Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 1 Mulberry House Farm Wenden Road Arkesden

RG Heritage Statement 16 November 2020

Index Location 2 Mulberry House 2 Mulberry House Farm Frontages 2 Heritage Significance 2 Hobs Aerie 2 Historic maps 3 Surrounding Photographs 3-5 Existing Farmyard Layout 6 Farmyard Photographs 6-11 BRD Proposals 11-12 Consideration 12 Appendix 12

Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 2

Location Mulberry House Farm is located north of the valley of Wicken Water, around 500m north of Arkesden, on the south slope of the escarpment, near the ridge and aproximately 2 kilometres west of the M11. Mulberry House Farm is part of the small group of buildings to the north of a fork in Wenden Road with the lane towards Long Lane (north west). The neighbouring property to the north east is Hobs Aerie, a grade II Listed Building.

Mulberry House Mulberry House was rebuilt in the early twenty first century. The south front façade is a well mannered symmetrically fronted two storey building with a central neo-classical porch and door in a five window wide house design. It is constructed with red brick walls and a hipped slate roof. It is set in a relatively recently replanted former garden orchard which has yet to mature. Mulberry House sits in the south corner below the L-shaped site of these proposals. The road boundaries of Mulberry House have close boarded vertical timber domestic fencing with an evergreen hedge (laurel) behind.

Mulberry House Farm Frontages Due to the corner location of Mulberry House and the L-shape of the former farmyard behind, the road frontages of the proposal are on either side of Mulberry House site. These lane frontages are: 1. The adjacent west frontage is primarily situated amongst fence and hedge lined fields. Mulberry House Farm is screened by a row of set back evergreen trees. Behind these are two large functional farm buildings. 2. The adjacent east frontage, on Wenden Road, is behind the 3 horse chestnut trees on the west verge adjacent to the residential boundary walls and gardens on the west side. The lane front has a low concrete block wall and the side of a large functional farm building. There are fence and hedge lined fields to the east.

Heritage Significance As aforementioned, the neighbouring property to the north east is Hobs Aerie, which is a grade II Listed Building. The 18th century Chapman and Andre map and the Ordnance Survey 1877 1:2500 map show this former farmyard and Hobs Aerie as a single farmstead group. Consequently these proposals have been designed by BRD Ltd to consider and respect the significance, character and setting of this neighbouring Listed Building.

Hobs Aerie Hobs aerie is set at least twenty metres from its boundaries within a mature well mannered garden. The Wenden Road frontage has a gated corner entrance and east front brick and flint panel wall with mature shrubs and trees behind. The Historic Listing Designation Statement states that Hobs Aerie has a fine two storey pale buff brick 19th century façade, facing east towards Wenden Road. It has a classical symmetrical composition with three double-hung sash windows with glazing bars at first floor, in plain reveals with stuccoed heads. There is a raised stucco band extending across the front between the storeys. At ground floor there is a central 6-panel door with an ornamental fanlight with a Doric portico with fluted columns. The roof has a low pitch, with a slight overhang, and is clad in slate. The rear west side has an earlier 17th century timber frame and plaster structure, which can be partially glimpsed from the road.

Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 3

Historic maps

1777 Chapman & Andre map (* CC) 1881 O.S. 6” map (**National Library of Scotland)

The 1777 Chapman and Andre map shows a cluster of buildings, named ‘Hobs hary’, on the west side of the Wenden Road, approximately 100 metres north of the lanes T-junction. The 1881 Ordnance Survey map shows ‘Hobs Aerie’ as a more detailed farm and farmyard in this location. There is an orchard in the south corner of the site (where Mulberry House is sited today). The farmhouse is set back and is shown in a north east to south west orientation. The east access to the farm was where it is today. The farmyard is shown to its south. To the west side of the farmyard, the residual barn with midstrey (C1) is shown (also orientated north east to south west), with a large farm building at right angles to its west (no longer standing). C1’s west midstrey indicates that there was also a farm yard to its west. To the south west of the farmyard there is a line of outbuildings remaining but modified today (S1-S5). There is also a structure in the centre which is a cartlodge, which exists but modified today (C3). The farm access runs from Wenden Road through the farmyard, and continues north west to the north of the pond.

Surrounding Photographs

View from Wenden Road from south - across fields Mulberry House at Wenden Road junction Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 4

Mulberry House East boundary Roston Road to the east

Entrances to the former farmstead and Hobs Aerie

Roston Road treed verge and east 20th century barn East Barn North face

Wenden Road - North approach Hobs Aerie - glimpse Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 5

Hobs Aerie - glimpse Flint wall - raised

View from west – over field glimpse from lane to south

Entrance from lane to south Entrance from lane to south

South entrance to farmstead west South entrance to Mulberry House garden

Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 6

The Existing Farmyard and building layout

There is a loop of farmyard circulation through the farmyard site. This track allows connection through the farmyard courts serving the farm outbuildings. The track gives access to and from the fields to the north and west, access from Wenden Road on the Eastern boundary, and access from the lane to the south. Entering from the lane to the south, the South West forecourt is a wide concrete apron to the south west and in front of the sheds W1 and W2.

Farmyard Photographs

W1 – 20th C farmshed – SW façade W1 – south passage– W2 W2 - 20th C farmshed – SW façade

W1 interior – SW end W2 interior – NE end W2 interior – SW end

W2 – NE façade W2 - South passage – W1 W1 – NE façade

Shed W1 is on the West side of the South track. It is a large late 20th century steel frame farm building of five bays. It has low pitch gables to the north east and south west. The walls have a concrete block lower section with vertical spaced wood slats above and it has a corregated sheet roof. There are large doors in the NE & SW gable walls.

Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 7

Shed W2 is on the east side of the South track. It has a similar form and construction to that of W1. W2 is a large late 20th century steel frame farm building of five bays. The walls have a concrete block base, vertical spaced wood slats above those blocks and a corregated sheet roof.

There are concrete apron courts to the north of sheds W1 and W2. Where these meet the east boundary, there is a small gate and path into the north west corner of the grounds of Mulberry House. The aprons open out onto the West yard, which borders with a pond and farmland beyond. There is a free standing fuel tank structure near the middle of this yard, south west of W3.

The farm track has a Y junction in the West yard. The North farm track leaves to the north west of the site and north of the field pond. The farmyard track turns east through the concreted North Court to the east of W3.

West yard & W3 – S façade W3 – S façade West yard & W3

West yard – NE West yard & W1 - N façade North west court, W1 & W3

W3 - SE façade W3 interior - NW end W3 post/rafter joint

W3 is a large late 20th century steel frame farm building of five bays. W3’s roof and walls are clad with corrgated sheet.

The East farm track gives access to the cluster of south east farmyard courts, buildings and sheds, which border onto Mulberry House’s grounds. To the north side of the track is the boundary wall with Hobs Aerie. The eastern portion of the boundary is a brick and coursed flint wall, with a brick outbuilding nearer W3 at the western end. There are many mature trees behind these structures.

Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 8

NW court & N boundary N boundary outbuilding East track C1 west façade

C1 Interior – West aisle location central bays west side/central bays East side S1 connection with C1

S1 Interior – South wall S1 – South wall S1, East boundary with Mulberry House & W2

West central court – C1 & C2 South range (S2) North wall South range flint walling Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 9

C2 interior - NW corner S range interior South wall East central courtyard – S range & C2

E2 & E1 W sides, EC court & C3 E side E2, EC court & C3 cart lodge E side C3 interior North end

E1 – South West corner E1 North façade & East court East court silo

E2 monopitch, C3, C1 & East track E2, C3, C1, W3, East track & North boundary wall Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 10

East court & E2 E2, C3, C1, W3, E track, & n boundary wall E track & N boundary wall

The East farm track boundary is on the West verge of Wenden Road. There is a concrete block wall with a metal gate. This is to the south of the corner gateway and continuing front wall in front of Hobs Aerie. There is a small Eastern concrete surface court immediately behind the wall and inside the site. Shed E1 is built right up to the wall fronting Wenden Road at the south east corner of the site and on the west side is E2.

E1 is a large 3 bay 20th century farm structure with a wide west aisle. The lower walls are concrete blocks, the upper walls are corrugated sheet material and the low pitch roof is also clad with corrugated sheet material. The North and South walls are gabled, with the large doors in the North gable. There is a small prefabricated cylindrical metal silo to the west of the north door.

E2 is a 20th century cart lodge of 4 bays. It is clad with corrugated sheets, has a low corrugated mono-pitch roof and is open on its west face towards the East central farm court.

The East central court is accessed from the East farm track. On the west side is an earlier, 19th century cart lodge (C3) with a rusting corrugated roof, which is open to the east side.

At the south end of the central farm court is a range of attached minor outbuildings. S3 is a 19th century brick structure with a coursed flint panelled north face courtyard wall (reportedly once a piggery). To its west is a 20th century brick shed extension which has been constructed to have a mono-pitch lean-to roof onto the south of C1, the earlier 18th/ 19th century barn structure.

The South range is of various ages and have been altered at various times.There are blank walls facing the boundary with the garden of Mulberry House to the south (S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5).

C1 has a scaffold with a low pitch corrugated sheet roof covering the remnants of a five bay farm barn of the late 18th or early 19th century. Although the roof and rafters are no longer there, the tie beams, posts and wall plates of the north / south 5 bay barn remain jointed in place. The east wall has posts, mid-rails, studs, tenon and mortice joints of a closed wall in all four of the two east side bays. The central bay fifth bay is a full height opening for the east barn doors. The west side timber frame posts do not have mid rails or studs, but have the mortices which would have been for tie beams to former a former lean-to west aisle. The west central bay has the basic residual parts of the structure of a central bay midstrey on the west side for the full height large west doors of the threshing floor. All the barn posts are slender and slightly taper, (they do not have pronouced thick jowls at the top) and appear to be soft wood (pine). It is also noted that the 1777 Chapman and Andre and the 1881 Ordnance Survey maps show a barn in this location. However, this structure shows no evidence that it could have been constructed earlier than the mid 18th century. The west side mid-strey indicates that the contemporary farm courtyard for this barn would have been located to its west. Careful study can discern the fomer shape of the residual structure, but to be clear, the top of the roof trusses, the rafters, the purlins, of the main barn, the mid-strey and the walls of the side aisle structures are no longer present and unfortunately reuse for a different purpose would almost certainly necessitate total reconstruction. Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 11

C2 is a metal framed concete block structure of the mid 20th century. The walls are concrete block and the roof has a dual pitch.

In summary apart from the remains of parts of the 18th /19th century timber frame 5 bay lower barn frame (C1) the farm buildings were constructed to be functional. Nonetheless consideration should and has been given to the preservation or enhancement of the setting of the Listed Building to the north, Hobs Aerie.

Initially the removal of the existing functional farm structures should not be considerd to be detrimental to the character, setting or significance of the Listed Building.

Regarding the proposed development, the north boundary with Hobs Aerie has an existing 19th century brick and flint boundary wall as well as many mature trees. There is also a neighbouring brick outbuilding close to the boundary. All of these features should be retained, untouched and reinforced with additional screen planting along the south side of the access lane to strengthen the rural lane character. None of the existing fabric should be disturbed, as the existing farm track lane would be retained and utilised to remain as the access to the site.

All of the proposed residential forms would be much smaller than the existing farming building forms. Materials of buildings would be carefully considered and would be agreed to the satisfaction of the local planning authority. The proposals have been designed to have frontages which would look outward or away from Hobs Aerie, in order that Hobs Aerie would not be overlooked.

The building design and external spaces have been designed to be subsidiary to the size and scale of Hobs Aerie and to maintain and strengthen the landscape setting, particularly on the east boundary to Wenden Road and adjacent to the south boundary.

BRD Proposals

The Proposals The proposals would replace the large functional farm buildings with suburban housing cul de sac of 9 dwellings around an L shaped cul de sac access utilising the existing east track from Wenden Road. There would be 9 dwellings, 3 larger (L), 4 medium(M) and 2 smaller (S). At the east entry, there would be two M houses facing Wenden Road. These would be south of the access road, behind a shared access drive and garage. The front facades of these dwellings would be set back from Wenden Road. The other seven houses would be to the west of the site, with two of the larger houses facing the west lane and the vista to the south and west, four would be aligned along the north west side to face the fields to the west. These would replace the three large agricultural sheds in the western section. There would be 6 pyramid roofed square garage structures, set back from the residentail frontages.

The mature trees on the eastern verge of Wenden Lane have been noted, as have been the mature tree dominated landscape, which partially screens and contributes to the setting of the Listed Building to the north, Hobs Aerie. Mulberry House- former farmyard N RG Heritage Statement 12

The eastern front of the site has been carefully designed to retain the historic features and complement the mature landscape character of the Wenden Road frontage. The three verge mature chestnut trees, the brick and flint panel walls, the setting and the character of Hobs Aerie would be retained, respected and enhanced. Care around the entrances from Wenden Road, would retain and repair the boundary walls and protect the trees. The proposed additional planting on the south side of the access would strngthen the lane character and further screen Hobs Aerie.

Considerations In considering the proposals for this site, the existing location, rural character and qualites have been considered; the proposed design intends to retain and enhance the charater, setting and significance of the area and Hobs Aerie. However, it should also be noted that the existing late 20th century farm prefabricated functional buildings were not chosen or constructed for their aesthetic appeal.

There are two neighbouring properties. The Listed 19th century and earlier Hobs Aerie to the north and the recent Mulberry House to the south.

The proposal would remove all of the existing functional farm buildings. The larger farm buildings are prefabricated and functionally clad. The south range of single story sheds are altered and of minimal form or significance. The residual frame of the central part of the 18th century barn, has no roof trusses; and apart from the box frame members, has little of the external wall fabric to be able to wholly understand its original form.

The proposal would respect the road verge mature landscape and trees, and the new layout shouldnot be considered to detract from the setting of the neighbouring Listed Building. The retention of the access track and the neighbouring boundary wall should also retain the southern planted edge character.

For the above reasons, due to careful consideration of the significance and setting of the neighbouring Listed Building, it should be considered that the proposal would not detract from the setting of the Listed Building; and, by the removal of the predominantly functional farm buildings, would be considered to reinforce and enhance the setting of the Listed Building, Hobs Aerie.

This report has been prepared to support the proposed design by BRD Ltd for Amherst Homes by:

James Ross Heritage Consultant 26 November 2020

Appendix Historic England Designation description extract:

Statutory Address: HOBS AERIE, QUICKSIE HILL Heritage Category: Listed Building Grade: II Date first listed: 22-Feb-1980 List Entry Number: 1112519 Listing NGR: TL4852235232 County: Essex District: (District Authority) Parish: Arkesden This copy shows the entry on 25-Oct-2020 at 10:53:20.

2. Early C19 white brick house with a C17 timber-framed and plastered rear wing. Two storeys. Three window range, double-hung sashes with glazing bars, in plain reveals with stuccoed heads. A raised stucco band extends across the fronts between the storeys. A central 6-panel door with an ornamental fanlight has a Doric portico with fluted columns. Roof slate. (RCHM 23).