24. BRAUGHING.
(O.S. 6 in. (a)xiv. N.W. (b)xiv. S.E. (c)xiv. S.W.
(d)xxii. N.W.)
Roman
(1). See Unclassified below.
Ecclesiastical
c(2). Parish Church of St. Mary, stands
in the N.E. corner of the village. The
walls are of flint, partly covered with cement,
and the dressings are of clunch and stone.
The Chancel was built c. 1220, the Nave, Aisles,
West Tower, and South Porch with parvise,
are all work of the first half of the 15th
century, but possibly the nave retains a few
stones of the early 13th-century building. The
North Chapel (now used as vestry and organ
chamber) was added early in the 17th century,
and has been repaired. Much external stonework was renewed in the 19th century.
Architectural Description—The Chancel
(34 ft. by 16½ ft.) has two early 13th-century
lancets in the N. wall, much repaired; one is
blocked, but can be seen in the vestry, into
which the other also opens. The other windows
and the blocked doorway in the S. wall have
been almost entirely restored, but retain a few
of the old stones inside. The chancel arch, of
two moulded orders, is of the 15th century, but
the bases and capitals of the jambs are modern.
In the North Chapel the E. half of the floor is
raised, to cover a vault; the windows are
modern. The Nave (63 ft. by 16½ ft.) has
15th-century arcades of four bays with compound pillars having moulded capitals and
bases, and two-centred arches of two orders; in
the wall E. of the N. arcade is a small trefoiled
opening into the N. aisle; in the S.E. corner are
the stairs to the rood-loft, with one doorway
from the aisle, a second, blocked, at the
level of the former loft, and a third opening
on to the roof, above which the staircase is
carried up in an octagonal turret, finished
with an embattled parapet. The clearstorey
windows, each of three lights, have 15th-century inner jambs, but are otherwise restored.
The North Aisle (12½ ft. wide) has an unglazed
E. window of three lights with old jambs and
modern tracery, opening into the vestry; the
three N. windows and the W. window are all of
the 15th century, each of three lights with
modern tracery; the N. doorway is blocked,
and its label stops are decayed. The South Aisle
(15 ft. wide) has windows resembling those in
the N. aisle, and an original S. doorway, with
moulded jambs, a pointed arch in a square
head, and a label with defaced head stops. The
West Tower (14 ft. square) is of four stages, with
square angle buttresses to the lower stages, an
embattled parapet and a slender leaded spire.
The lofty pointed tower arch is of c. 1420;
in the W. wall is a square-headed doorway
with traceried spandrels, and above it is a three-light window with modern tracery. The third
stage has small quatrefoil lights, and the bell-chamber has tall two-light windows with
traceried heads, all repaired. The South Porch,
with parvise, is higher than the S. aisle. It has
gabled square buttresses at the angles, and an
embattled parapet with crocketed corner
pinnacles; the doorway has a pointed arch
under a square head, and the side windows are
of two lights with traceried heads, repaired.
The floor has been removed from the upper
room, which has a square-headed S. window of
two lights. The chancel Roof has old trussed
rafters with three modern arched braces; the
nave has a 15th-century roof with plastered
panels, moulded ribs, carved bosses, and figures
of angels at the feet of the intermediate trusses;
the E. bay is more elaborately treated than the
others and its colour decoration has been
renewed; the aisles have 15th-century roofs of
similar detail, with trusses supported on
stone corbels carved as angels holding shields;
the old timbers remain in the flat roof of the
N. chapel, with an inscription painted on the
wall plate recording the building of the chapel
by Simeon Brograve (ob. 1638).
Fittings—Bells: eight; 4th 1628, 5th 1562,
6th 1615, 7th 1653, and 8th 1631. Brasses:
on the E. wall of the S. aisle, of a
civilian and his wife, c. 1485: on the floor, to
Richard Grene, inscription only, 1561: to
another Richard Grene, inscription and heraldic
shield, 1610: of Barbara Hanchett, with inscription, 1561: lower half of woman's figure,
probably late 15th-century. Font: modern:
at E. end of N. aisle, recently replaced in the
church, disused font, early 14th-century, mutilated; with flat wood cover, early 17th-century, much decayed. Monuments: on N.
side of chancel, to John Brograve, died
1625, and his younger brother Charles, died
1602, alabaster and marble, with round-arched
recess, in which are their recumbent effigies in
armour; their armorial bearings are in a
cartouche above the recess: on wall, same side,
to Simeon Brograve, 1638, and Dorothy, his
wife, 1645: on S. wall to Augustin Steward,
1597, alabaster, bust in armour: to Sir John
Brograve, 1593. Niches: on each side of W.
doorway, niche for image, with canopied head
and foliated finial: in S. wall of parvise, two
niches with foliated arches under square heads.
Paintings: at W. end of N. aisle, large picture
of the Resurrection, probably part of 17th-century altar piece, recently discovered and placed
in present position. Plate: earliest pieces
1718. Seating: in the nave, a few buttressed
bench ends and fronts, oak, 16th-century.
Stoup: in S.E. corner of porch, with a round
basin, slightly broken.
Condition—Good substantially, much restored; a few of the stones outside are decayed:
on the tower and S. porch is a great deal of
cement, which is scaling off the walls of the
porch.
Secular
Homestead Moats
a(3). At S.W. corner of Turk's Wood, nearly
circular, with entrance on S.W.
Condition—Good.
c(4). At Hobb's Farm, fragment.
b(5). At Cockhampstead.
c, d(6). Upp Hall, house, barn, and moat,
1 mile S.E. of the church. The house is of
three storeys, and built of red brick, the roofs
are tiled. The greater part is of early 17th-century date, and is half H in plan, the wings
being on the E.; the space between them has
been filled in by a modern hall, and a modern
wing has been added on the N.E. The W. front
has two gables, with plain brick copings of later
date; under the northernmost gable is the main
entrance, the marks of its junction with a
former porch being visible in the wall on each
side; the door, with four-centred arch and good
strap hinges, is original, but partly repaired,
and is flanked by pilasters supporting a pediment: the plinth and two moulded stringcourses which mark the first and second floor
levels are cut off square at the N. end, and the
return wall is modern, indicating that the house
once extended further N.: the windows on the
ground and first floors are unusually wide, and
have modern oak mullions and transoms: in
the gables are smaller windows of three lights,
with brick hood-moulds, and above them are
small bullseye openings: near the S. end is a
blocked niche or hole a few feet above the
ground (see also barn). The S. end of the main
block and both the E. wings are gabled; the
northernmost wing contained the original staircase, now destroyed; and at the junction of the
other wing with the main block the chimney
stack is partly old. The disposition of the
rooms has been altered: in the hall is
a large open fireplace, probably inserted
late in the 17th or early in the 18th century, as
it partly blocks a window on the W. A room on
the first floor has a stone fireplace with moulded
jambs and a Tudor arch, now painted.
Opposite the chief entrance to the house are
the two large posts of the original main gateway; they are of brick with stone caps and ball
heads.
The exceptionally large barn (140 ft. long).
N.W. of the house, built probably 40 or 50 years
before it, is of red brick with diamond patterns
picked out in blue bricks, and has gabled ends;
the roof is tiled. At the W. end of the S. front
are traces of two wings, one smaller and of later
date than the other, on the same site. There
are two large entrances on the N., now blocked,
and two, of modern brickwork with four-centred
arches, on the S. The narrow loop lights,
in two ranges, are of different dates; the older
lights have arched, and the others have square
heads. In the N. wall outside, about 4 ft. from
the ground, are two small arched niches, one
with an inner recess behind it.
A small 17th-century building of brick with
a tiled roof, called the 'Granary', stands N.
of the house.
The moat now consists of two ponds.
Condition—Buildings, good. Moat, poor.
c(7). House, W. of the church, formerly an
inn, now divided into two cottages, is of late
16th or early 17th-century date. It is a two-storeyed building of timber completely covered
with plaster; the roof is tiled. The plan is
rectangular, divided by cross partitions, and
there are three brick chimney stacks. On the
street front the upper storey projects, and the
plaster is divided into square and circular
panels decorated with carbuncles, etc., in low
relief. In the ground floor room there is a
partly built up fireplace, with a moulded beam
over the opening. Two of the rooms have
ceilings with moulded ribs.
Condition—Good.
c(8). House, S. of the church, now divided
into a cottage and schoolroom, built early in the
17th century, of timber with herring-bone brick
nogging; the roof is tiled. At each end of the
main front, which faces N., the upper storey
projects, and is gabled. The plan is rectangular,
but the interior has been so much altered in the
19th century that its original arrangement is
uncertain, and the greater part of the floor over
the schoolroom has been removed.
Condition—Good.
c(9). The Causeway, S.W. of the church, is a
red brick and timber house of early 17th-century
date. The front, plastered probably late in the
17th or early in the 18th century, has rusticated
quoining in plaster, and retains the old window
frames and fastenings. The interior has been
much altered; the newel staircase is probably
original, but repaired.
Condition—Good.
c(10). Fordstreet Farm is a two-storeyed
plastered timber building on brick and flint
foundations, of early 17th-century date.
On the street front the plaster is decorated with
comb-work, and there is a small overhanging
bay window.
Condition—Good. It has been much altered
and repaired, both inside and out, during the
19th century.
b(11). Rotton Row, a farmhouse, nearly
2 miles N.E. of the church, built probably in
the 16th century and altered in the 17th, 18th
and 19th centuries; it is of two storeys, with
timber-framed and plastered walls. The plan
was apparently of half H shape, but the space
between the wings has been enclosed. The main
block has a gabled roof covered with slate, and
the wings have lower gabled roofs, tiled, with
hipped ends. The two plain chimney stacks
are of thin 17th-century bricks. On the S.
front the main entrance opens into a passage,
which is part of the original hall; the rest is
used as a parlour, and has a large 17th-century
fireplace, filled in with a modern grate
and cupboards, one containing the original
chimney-corner seat. The position of the
moulded ceiling joists shows that this fireplace
replaces an earlier and larger one. In each
wing is a narrow enclosed staircase with oak
steps, built probably in the 17th century, and
now disused. The principal staircase was added
in the 18th century. One room on the ground
floor is panelled with oak of early 17th-century
date, now painted.
Condition—Fairly good.
d(12). Thorpe House, formerly an inn, in
the village of Puckeridge, on the E. side of the
main street, is a two-storeyed 17th-century
timber building, plastered externally; the roofs
are tiled, and there is a central chimney
stack. Some of the windows retain their
original frames, and at the S. end of the front is
an old, wide, timber gateway. The interior has
been much altered.
Condition—Good.
d(13). The Crown and Falcon Inn, near
Thorpe House, probably built c. 1530, is a
timber house plastered externally; the upper
storey projects on the S. and W. sides, and is
supported on a moulded bressumer. On the
W. is a wide, timber gateway with a four-centred head and old doors, and under the archway a small doorway, with a four-centred head,
is also original.
Condition—Good. The chimneys, windows,
and the interior of the house have been much
restored and altered.
a(14). Farmhouse, now three tenements, in
the hamlet of Dassels, on the E. side of the
Barkway road, was built c. 1610, on an L-shaped plan, with the longer wing facing W.
The walls are of timber and plaster, and the
plaster is decorated with a combed pattern; the
roofs are tiled; the roof of the longer wing is
hipped at the N. end; the shorter wing is gabled
at both ends, one gable being at the S. end of
the W. front, against which a large chimney
stack is built; of the octagonal shafts only the
moulded bases remain. The main wing has a
central chimney stack with a cluster of square
shafts set diagonally. The windows are much
altered, though a few of the original casements
remain; the doorways are modern. The interior
has been completely re-modelled, and all the
old fittings removed.
Condition—Fairly good; interior defaced.
Unclassified
c(1). Lark's Hill, or Lark's Field, is the
promontory of a hill, which runs out, S.E. of
the village, between the high road (Ermine
Street) and the Great Eastern Railway. It
has a steep western slope and terraces along
the E. end, which 18th-century antiquaries
took to be the artificial defences of a Roman
station. There is, however, nothing to show
that the steep slope is other than natural,
and the terraces now look like cultivation
terraces rather than defences. A Roman
mosaic, indicating a dwelling house or farm,
is said to have been found somewhere on
the hill about 1799; many Roman remains
(coins, potsherds, oyster shells) are recorded
from the neighbourhood of the railway station
700 yards S. of the hill.
Condition—Covered with trees.