hidden pargetting??! *PIC*

[Anonymous]

Hello,
I found something I find pretty exciting at the weekend and I just have to share and hopefully learn a bit more about it.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">
I was about to brick up the hole left by the removal of my old boiler flu when I spotted something rather exciting.. throught he hole I could see the structural timbers of the house as I'd expected.. but what I didn't expect was laths and plaster on the outside of these timbers wth a swirl/ rainbow shape pattern embossed on it, a pattern I'd seen on a number of houses in town (I live in Saffron Walden).. the puzzling this is the house was supposed to be built in 1822 by a brickmaker but the pargetting I've found is on the outside of a wattle and daub type wall and then hidden behind the brick wall and it seems unlikely that a brick maker would build a brickless house? so does this mean he adapted an earlier structure and my house is at least partially older than I thought? does anybody know anything about dates when this kind of structure/decoration where in common use in east anglia? also have a very wide board oak floor (up to 17inch wide, looks like they just sliced up a tree down the middle!) which from what I've read about floorboards on the site seems very hefty for a very late georgian agricultural workers cottage, could this also be part of an earlier building? or am I barking up the wrong tree entirely? included a pic below of the view thru the hole in the wall so you can see what I'm raving about.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">

Becca

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know much about pargetting, but in Essex and other parts of East Anglia it was very common for timber framed houses to be "modernised" in the 18th or early 19th century by having a fashionable brick facade built on. Saffron Waldon is just the kind of town where this is likely to have been done.

Dating timber framed houses is possible I believe from a close examination of features like the king or queen posts in the roof etc. This is not my field, never having owned anything earlier than Victorian, but I do recall a good book "English Historic Carpentry" by Hewitt, which has many East Anglian examples and may help you. I have a copy buried somewhere in my attic.

 

[Anonymous]

yes there are a few like that i've spotted, especially in the high st, flashy georgian facade with a much older looking roof.. unfortunately the roof timbers won't be much help having been further 'modernised' in the 1950's.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/frown.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> so i have slghtly higher than before modern roof with concrete tiles <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/frown.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> the odd thing is, i can't see anyone wanting this cottage to look flashier as according to the late 1800 census's the whole square is occupied by large families of agricultural workers (i still mavel at how they got that many children in a 2 up 2 down!) i wondered if the brickmaker builder might have built out from an older structure tho there was nothing obvious on the site in an early 1700's map i saw a while back (tho admittedly i wasn't expecting anything then..as I'd already found the 1822 date and who built the square , a guy by the name of Abel Cain whose parents clearly had a biblical sense of humour.. )

 

[Anonymous]

When a brick fron was built onto a timber building with a jettied first floor the ground floor section would have been in front of the original timber wall so that it could incorporate and support the ends of the floor joists of the upper storey. This may be why the old external finish has survived behing the brick.

 

[Anonymous]

that would make sense, especially as the ground floor walls do appear to be solid brick, with the exception of one section of party wall which is just timber infilled with what looks like a mix of lime plaster and straw and then plastered over.. this wall seemed particularly odd as it is a small flying freehold of about maybe up to 2 foot which never made sense of the cottages were built as 5 individual houses, but makes perfect sense if they were adapted from a house with a jettied first floor.. tho I must have been an extension to this original house (unless insternal; walls did this too?) as I have a larger ground floor room and smaller upstairs..

 

[Anonymous]

I believe there is a process called something like dendrochronology that can be used to date timbers.
I've heard of it being used to date beams, but don't know whether it would work with laths.
However, there's bound to be someone on the forum who'll know all about it.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think it would work on laths because there would not be enough growth rings in one piece to get a reliable match with a part of the dendrochronology database. It only works if you have a few inches of timber.

 

[Anonymous]

yes I was looking at that on the 'Finding Out' part of the site, would definatly be interesting if I can find suitable timbers (I think alot of the more accessable upright timbers might be elm and undateable) first stop is a good look through old maps of the town at the record office this weekend, see if I can find an older house on the site and go from there.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">

 

[Anonymous]

Where do you buy them 'endrochronicology' thingies from then?

I think I could do with one as I don't stand much chance of dating the 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' on a good day!

They are 'cordless', are they not?

Brunhilde

 

[Anonymous]

'Moo-Becca' - you two sound like something out of a 'Star Wars' triology!

Wanna job in the movies huh?

Huh??

Hands-So low

 

[Anonymous]

Have you got a Vernacular Buildings Group nearby? They are groups of people with detailed knowledge of local building styles and may be more than happy to investigate your woodwork, scramble around your loft and answer your questions. Even for free!

 

[Anonymous]

I dated something wooden once. Her name was Joanna and she lived in Ipswich.

 

[Anonymous]

Have you tried Saffron Walden museum? They may know when various areas of the town were built, or maybe even individual houses?

 

[Anonymous]

Further to suggestions by others - there is the Essex Historic Buildings Group that meet at Moulsham Mill, Chelmsford once a month. The Essex County Council Conservation Officers (based at Chelmsford) belong (most anyway) and perhaps the best way to contact the Group would be through the Essex Historic Buildings Department. The Group membership is open to anyone, but most members are owners of historic buildings, researchers, COs and professionals. Some members of the group undertake research for a reasonable fee.

The Essex archive is at the library in Chelmsford and this might have useful information.

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you all.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/oh.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":O">) I shall investigate what can be found at my local record office and pick the brains of the woman who works there and see if theres any info to be had at the library or museum, and then it looks like a trip to chelmsford would be in order.. all very exciting as I thought I had the date all sewn up before as 1822 but now its all looking much more intriging.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/oh.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":O">)

 

[Anonymous]

p.s. the little faces were supposed to be smiley <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> not <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/oh.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=":O"> I always forget not to put a nose on them when I'm typing on here..

 

[Anonymous]

incised pargetting has been used since the 17th century. raised pargetting is mostly a 19th century adaptation

 

[Anonymous]

This is definatly incised pargetting.. I suspect it might have been part of a crocus design like on the stamp shown on this website..

http://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/museum/displays+and+collections/displays/local+history/default1.htm

as I recognise the pattern from other places around town but couldn't really see enough of it to be sure...

 

[Anonymous]

looks asf it certainly could be..... the use of 'block printing' tools was common as was the use of everyday objects which could provide an incised pattern - incised patterns can be quite simple (chevron marking) to quite intricate patterns of strapwork. lots of differing local variations i am sure. the vast majority were through coloured to match the plaster and, as far as i know, colour only really came to the fore with raised work. other posters have indicated that it was relatively widespread to refront buildings, mainly public facades, as fashion dictated hence your house was remodelled in th eearly part of the 19th c by a brickmaker advertising his product on his own building? what better advertisement!

 

[Anonymous]

you might have hit on the answer there... <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> the brick cottage built/modernised in the 1820's has always been a workers cottage so updating for prestige seemed unlikely.. but what better and quicker way to show off how good your bricks are than to adapt an old timber framed structure, saves time in the building as the frame/floors etc are already there so you can concentrate on making the brickwork look good (which I've been told is very good quality, something to do with how it was laid/ pointed?)... all makes sense.. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT="">