Great Warley

35. GREAT WARLEY. (B.d.)

(O.S. 6 in. ^(a)lxvii. S.W. ^(b)lxxv. N.E.)

Great Warley is a parish and village 2 m. S.S.W. of Brentwood.

Ecclesiastical

^b(1). Parish Church of St. Mary has recently been pulled down with the exception of the modern West Tower, which contains the following:—

Fittings—Brass: In tower—to Margaret, wife of John Agmondesham, 1582, inscription only, with indent of shield. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: (1) On W. wall, of Gyles Fleming, 1623, and Gyles Fleming, his son, 1633, with Susanna, his wife, alabaster wall-monument with bust of man in ruff and cloak. In churchyard— S.E. of tower, (2) to John Stevens, 1711, headstone; (3) to Robert Stanes, 1712, head-stone. E. of tower, (4) to Elizabeth, wife of Cornelius Rockliff, 1714, head-stone. Floor-slabs: (1) to John Stedman, 169(3 ?), rector of the parish; (2) to John Wetherell, 1661, with shield-of-arms. Plate: includes cup, cover-paten and stand-paten, all of 1700 and dated 1701, also early 18th-century pewter plate.

Secular

Monuments (2–8).

The following monuments, unless otherwise described, are of two storeys, timber-framed and plastered; the roofs are tiled. Some of the buildings have original chimney-stacks and exposed ceiling-beams.

Condition—Good or fairly good.

^b(2). Franks, house, nearly 1 m. S.W. of the church, was built probably in the 15th century on an L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the N. and W. Later alterations include a 17th-century eastern extension of the middle part of the N. wing and considerable modern additions. The two main chimney-stacks are of early 17th-century date; the stack in the middle of the E. wing has two diagonal shafts. Inside the building is an original doorway with a two-centred head, and two rooms on the upper floor are lined with late 16th-century panelling divided by shallow fluted pilasters supporting small carved brackets. There are two doors of about the same date, one of which has 'cock's-head' hinges. The roof over the middle part of the N. wing is of central-purlin type and, above the W. wing, the original king-post with central-purlin two-way struts is visible. A fire-back, recently imported, has the initials T^PE and the date 1690.

^b(3). Bolens and Herds, farmhouse, 1¾ m. S.S.E. of the church, is a long rectangular building, probably of 16th-century date, with modern additions at the back.

Great Warley Street

^a(4). Wallets, house, at S. corner of the crossroads, was built in the 15th century with a central hall and N.E. and S.W. cross-wings. Late in the 16th century an upper floor was inserted in the hall and modern alterations include the addition of the staircase and the extension of the S.E. wing. The upper storeys of both the cross-wings project on the N.E. front. The chimney-stack at the S. end of the original hall is of late 16th-century date and of four shafts set diagonally on a cruciform plan with a square base. Inside the building one room is lined with panelling of c. 1600. The staircase is of 17th-century date and has turned balusters and moulded handrail but is not in situ. The original roof over the northernmost wing has a heavy tie-beam with square king-post and curved braces.

^b(5). House, now Post Office and tenement, on opposite side of the road and 30 yards W. of (4), was built in the 15th century with a central hall and E. and W. cross-wings. An upper floor has been inserted in the hall and there are considerable modern alterations. The upper storey of the E. cross-wing projects on the S. front and in the roof of the central block are two gabled dormers. The central chimney-stack was built probably when the upper floor was inserted but has been re-built above the roof. Inside the building the main tie-beam to the roof over the original hall is exposed and is supported by curved braces carrying a king-post; the curved braces to the main tie-beam of the roof are also exposed.

^a(6). Cottage, on S. side of the road to the church, 50 yards E. of (4), was built probably in the 16th-century on a rectangular plan with a cross-wing at the N. end; there is a modern addition at the back. The upper storey of the N. cross-wing projects on the W. front.

^a(7). House, now two tenements, N. of (6), was built probably in the 15th century on an L-shaped plan with the wings extending towards the S. and E. The insertion of partitions and alterations at a later date have obscured the original plan; there is a modern extension at the back. Inside the building is an original doorway with a two-centred head and in the upper storey of the N. wing an original tie-beam supported by rough braces.

^a(8). Cottage, on W. side of Brock Street, about 550 yards N. of the cross-roads, is of one storey with attics. It was built probably early in the 17th century, and has a modern extension on the W. There are two gabled dormers in the roof and at the N. end an original chimney-stack with two diagonal shafts.