Grade II listing

Listing

When it was added to the register of listed buildings in 1955,  the house was described as a service building to the immediately adjacent farmhouse. The listing refers to its use as a dairy and kitchen, and a neighbour, John Watson, recalls visiting regularly when he was a boy to buy milk from the farmer.

But we were in for a surprise when archaeologists investigated the building, which was a condition of the planning permission that we eventually won. They found that it also been a brewhouse, which was why we changed the name to The Old Brewhouse.  The base of a brewing hearth was found in what had been – until the southern end collapsed – the central section of the building. The archaeologists also hinted that it may have been older than the late 16th century date suggested in the official listing. But we are still waiting for their report (February 2012), after two reminders.

The current Grade II listing was revised in 1987, and refers to a service building containing three bays (or sections). The fourth bay, the missing part of the house, is shown on the map that accompanies the official listing. The listing also refers to the rebuilt chimney, which was done after the Broomheads bought the property in 1983. There are mentions, but not a complete listing, of the mullion windows. (Is this because some were blocked up and plastered over at the time? Two are still blocked and one of those is still plastered over.)

This is the listing:

http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1033121

The summary text:

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

 SERVICE BUILDING IMMEDIATELY SOUTH WEST OF HOLM OAK HOUSE, RUSH GREEN

Grade: II

Date first listed: 29-Jul-1955

Date of most recent amendment: 14-Jun-1987

Former kitchen/dairy range to Holm Oak House (q.v.). Late C16, altered C19. Timber frame, plastered. Steeply pitched plaintiled roof. 3 bays. 2 storeys. Ground floor: cross entry to right of centre bay with a boarded door, kitchen to left with an early 3-light leaded casement and a 2-light glazing bar casement all under one hoodboard with door, to right dairy has a 2-light glazing bar casement. Right gable end has 2 ground floor and 1 first floor 6-light diamond mullioned windows, some mullions removed. To rear a boarded cross entry door, a 6-light diamond mullioned window to dairy, behind kitchen a rebuilt external stack with offsets, oven outshuts. Interior: early internal sliding shutters, exposed studding, jowled storey posts, stop chamfered binding beams and joists, reverse cranked arched braces in walling, cambered collars and halved principals clasp purlins.

This is the listing for Holm Oak House, the adjacent building:

http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1285277

And these are the summary details from the lisring:

HOLM OAK HOUSE, RUSH GREEN

Grade: II

Date first listed: 29-Jul-1955

Date of most recent amendment: 14-Jun-1987

GISLINGHAM RUSH GREEN (NORTH SIDE) TM 0771 6/56 Holm Oak House (formerly 29.7.55 listed as Rushgreen Farmhouse and Dairy wing)

GV II

House. Mid C16 with C15 origins possible, altered and extended c.1600, altered early C19. Timber frame, plastered. Thatched roof. Possible open hall origins, 4 unequal bays probably with a smoke hood in large upper bay, stack and 2 bay parlour added. 2 storeys. Ground floor: main entrance at lower end of hall with a c.1800 part glazed and part raised 6 panelled door, Doric doorcase with fluted pilasters, entablature and pediment; to left in original cross entry position a second recessed raised 6 panelled door, shaped brackets to simple hood; 2 and 3-light glazing bar casements with hoodboards, some metal frames. First floor dual 3-light part opening casements over hall, flanking part opening 4-light casements. Axial ridge stack between hall and parlour has chamfered arrises. Left end secondary hip to roof with a C19 external stack with oven outshuts. To rear a boarded cross entry door, 3- light metal frame casements and on first floor over parlour an C18 ovolo mullioned 4-light lattice leaded window. Extending behind service bay a low 1 storey and attic C18 backhouse with exposed plates and purlins. Interior: cross entry in broad bay with reset late C17 panelling from a screen, a chamfered 4 centred arched doorway into service bay, original stairs to rear of service bay, exposed studding of large scantling. Hall has chamfered cross axial binding beams, joists, storey posts and fireplace bressumer, traces of diamond mullioned window openings. Added stack bay has rectangular mullioned 2-light window openings. Parlour has close studding, stop chamfered cross axial binding beam, joists and fireplace bressumer, recessed ovolo mullioned 3-light window openings. First floor: reverse cranked and reverse curved arched braces in walling, cranked arched braces to cambered tie beams, towards upper end of hall chamber a truss to presumed smoke hood has been removed, inserted stop chamfered axial binding beams; parlour chamber has cranked arched braces in walling, stop chamfered cross axial binding beam. Queen post roof over 4 early bays, cambered collars, longitudinal arched braces; parlour roof has butt purlins with arched windbraces.

Note by the Archaeological Service of Suffolk County Council

This  recommends archaeological work and building recording for The Old Brewhouse (then The Old Dairy).

Paragraph 1.3 says “In addition, the building lies within an area of archaeological [sic], recorded in the Historic Environment Record, within an area of historic settlement and to the south-west of Roman and Anglo-Saxon find scatters (GSG 010), In particular, the Anglo-Saxon finds are indicative of a cemetery site and there is a strong possibility that the associated settlement remains will be located close by.

Note on status of building

For planning purposes it was an agricultural building or barn when we bought it, and it was listed as a service building. But Paul Broomhead says that it was described for (council) rating purposes as a garage when he and his wife bought the farmhouse and outbuildings in the early 1980s. This use would have been impossible – the doors are about 5ft6in by 2 ft6in maximum.