Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
INGATESTONE AND FRYERNING
TQ64NE
723-1/7/357
29/12/52 HALL LANE, Ingatestone
Ingatestone Hall
(Formerly Listed as: BRENTWOOD
HALL LANE, Ingatestone
Ingatestone Hall
I
Country_house. 1539 and 1556. By William Petre. C18 alteration and C20 (1935-7) restoration of windows and interior. Red Tudor brick in English bond - some burnt headers. Stepped gables, peg-tiled roofs with prominent stacks, octagonal and rectangular shafts considerably restored as are many areas of walling as a consequence of alteration and reconstruction. PLAN: 3 ranges round a court, N S and E. Originally also a west range that contained the Great Hall but demolished
between 1790-1819 together with the division of 2 outer courts, a middle and a base court that led to the gatehouse to the W (qv).
EXTERIOR: Courtyard, W elevation of E range: 2 storey, brick
plinth 4 window range, all windows hollow chamfer moulded transoms and mullions, partly restored. All lights have C20 metal casements with leaded panes. Ground floor, 2 inner windows 4x2 lights 2 outer ones. 3x2 lights. 3 doorways. 4
centre arched heads with C20 oak boarded doors - large central one - C20 build with impost capitals and double leaf door. 2 outer doors between windows, one to N has a rebuilt head.
Blocked segment headed window adjacent to S door. First floor, three 5x2 light windows plus one 3x2 (rebuilt) at Send.
Central pair have some stained glass.
Courtyard N elevation of S range: similar to E range. At E
end, projecting octagonal stair tower rising above roof eaves, brick cornice with later upper crenellated parapet and 4
staggered windows with 2x2 lights partly rebuilt. Ground floor of S range - 4 windows considerably rebuilt, one 5x2, two 4x2 and one 3x2 (to E). To W, recessed doorway with a timber wall
bearer in front, metal grid and gauze infill. Towards E end, blocked original doorway, adjacent and below E window, an C18 mounting block of two steps. First floor - 4 windows partly rebuilt over those below. 2 outer 5x2 lights, 2 inner 4x2. W end has small octagonal stack at stepped gable apex. C18 addition to W end in Tudor style set back to S crenellated with 2xl ground floor window.
Courtyard, S elevation of N range: similar to Sand E ranges, but walling considerably rebuilt, straight joints and differing brick evident. Range somewhat irregular. Ground floor - three windows of 4x2 lights, blocked segment headed C18 window at E end. Central doorway. First floor, two 5x2 light windows, one 4x2 , one 2x2. Blocked rectangular opening towards W end with timber lintel and sill. Stack at E end, base original, rebuilt rectangular shaft with corbelled top. W end of range has C18 addition in Tudor style breaking forward with mid height window of 3x3 lights, some stained glass. Further W C18 crenellated block set back to N, (similar to one added to S range). Ground and first floors both have 5x2 light windows. Both C18 added blocks have stepped gables to W. E range, exterior E elevation: similar to W elevation with central C20 stepped gabled block on site of former C18 chapel.To S, projecting shouldered stack, rebuilt upper square shaft,further 2-storeyed step gabled projection with small stack at apex and 2x2 light upper window. Between projection - ground floor, two 4x2 light windows, first floor, one 5x2 window and one E C18 sash window 3x4 panes replacing site of earlier window. S end, windows, ground floor one 2x1 lights, first floor one 2x2. N end of range, C18 stair tower in chequered burnt header brickwork with central pilaster buttress and later crenellated parapet. Between tower and central projection, irregular infill C19 stack and ground floor doorway with adjacent C20 3x2 light window, also buttress with an original 5x2 light window each side on first floor. At N end of range, short length of domestic courtyard wall with shaped coping bricks abuts C18 tower. S range exterior S elevation: 2 storey and attics, irregular facade with original central ground floor doorway and adjacent massive triple shafted external stack to E. To S stepped gabled projection (end of E range) with ground and first floor 3x2 light windows. Between these units - ground floor 4x2 light and first floor 3x2 light windows. Above, gabled dormer window of 4 casements each 3x4 panes; similar dormer window above central doorway, below, 2x2 light window on first floor. E end of range, side of stepped gabled end with ground floor 2x1 light window. W of central doorway, stepped gabled projection with rebuilt octagonal stack and ground floor single light window; C20 `Tudor' doorway and 3x2 light window above. To W, twin facade gabled projection with crow-steps and small apex stacks, ground and first floors have two 5x2 light windows, attic window in each gable, 3x1 lights. W end, C18 crenellated addition, set back, ground floor room with 3x1 window; behind 2 storeyed, with first floor 2x2 window. N range N exterior elevation: central 2 storeyed C18 wing with hipped roof deeply projecting to N. E side of this unit, ground floor; doorway with C20 door and 4 simple casement windows, pantiled shed at N end running to E. First floor S-N 2 sash windows, weatherboarded surround 3x4 and 4x4 panes; 3 similar sash windows with segment heads. 4x4 panes. W side of C18 N wing has a `Tudor' style 2x2 window on ground and first floors. N end, ground floor, segment headed doorway with boarded door and segment headed window with C20 double casement 4x4 panes. E of C18 wing, small domestic courtyard wall with shaped brick coping and containing 3 segment headed low openings with bars on simple metal casement windows. Interior of courtyard irregular with projecting gabled shed, original range behind to S with central rectangular stack at roof apex. To W, 4x4 paned sash window, to E stepped facade gable with 3x2 light window on first floor. C18 corner tower at E end with 2x2 light window. W of projecting C18 unit, C16 block, restored and enlarged, similar to additions to S range. E-W twin facade stepped gables with ground floor doorway (now with glass door), small 2x1 light window to E and 4x2 light window to W. First floor, 2 similar 4x2 windows. To W C18 3-cant bay window through 2 storeys, embattled with stepped gable and finial behind. Bay windows, 2x2, 3x2, 2x2 lights on both floors. W end blank, embattled with slim external stack. Twin shafted stack in internal angle with bay window. W end of N and S ranges: N range has plain embattled end wall of C18 addition with restored stepped gable end of principal range behind and offset to S, ground and first-floor windows, both 5x2 lights. S range W end, 2 storey and attic step gabled end with octagonal finial. Ground floor windows, one 4x2 lights, one 2x2, first floor, one 5x2 lights, attic window in gable, 4x2 lights. To S, projecting embattled end wall of C18 addition with plain ground floor embattled wall of further addition set back to S.
INTERIOR: considerable alteration took place in the C18 and also in 1935-7 when panelling and mullioned and transomed windows were re-instated as well as doorways and ceiling joists. Some panelling is genuine and in situ some genuine but moved and some clearly C20. This drastic work has also made the plan of the house, shown in the RCHM volume, markedly different from that now seen. Consequently, the room names, used in this description are derived from a current plan prepared for Lord Petre prior to opening the house to the public. Principal historic features are: S range: the drawing room retains the form of a small late medieval hall with lateral fireplace and paired cross-entry doorways at W end. Also, projecting octagonal stair with original newel post at high E end leading to principal chamber above. (RCHM noted mortices in ceiling joists for low end screen - evidence now removed).Panelling c1600 also mid-C16 door frames. Fireplace c1600 cut down and re-assembled - most noteworthy in house with strapwork and grotesque decoration (derived from demolished Great Hall?). Adjacent to S, second projecting stair tower with reconstructed stair of c1600 style occupying tower and C20 S addition. Walled-off `priests hole' in tower void, access from stair. E range: S end - old study has another similar `priests hole' behind stack to adjacent stone hall. Old study has E C17 panelling comprising rectangle within rectangle and L-shaped corners, also strapwork decorated pilasters. The central stone hall also has panelling of c1600 but probably re-set. Fireplace of c1600 with flattened arched head and high set chamfer stops on jambs. N range: ground floor much altered - only stone fireplaces of late C16 remain from Tudor times. S range - first floor: Lord Petre's bedroom, a great chamber over the hall below; has c1600 panelling in situ with roll moulded ceiling joists crossed to create decorative panels. E range - first floor: Long gallery "fayr and stately gallery or walke mete for any man of honor to come into" - 1566. Ceiling was elliptical in section, now flat, early oak floorboards but frequent change in orientation suggests subdivision of the room at some time and now re-instatement of original plan. Stained glass in windows, some glass apparently derived from C18 chapel that once projected to the east. To S, Queen Anne room, still has C18 sash window with thick glazing bars. Exterior of outer frame though has C19 bead decoration. The room has E C18 pine panelling and fireplace with contemporary black marble bolection moulded surround. Roof above adjacent dressing room original - oak of clasped side-purlin type with curved wind braces - high quality construction. N range - first floor: W end, garden chamber - panelling of c1600. C16 stone fireplace, 4 centred arched head and high set stop to moulded chamfers on jambs. Lightly scratched graffiti in C16 script. Late C16 panelling with frieze containing shields with Petre arms and roundels of Renaissance style medallion heads. Whole wall now containing the frieze, known to have been moved to create passageway behind.
HISTORICAL NOTE: the original plan of the house and surrounding garden wall can be seen on a detailed map of 1605 by the John Walkers - father and son. The house is named `Inge Petre Hall'. The Petre family who have always practised the old faith have lived here ever since and the house is now the home of the eighteenth Lord Petreeq (RCHM: Central and SW Essex : Monument 3; Edwards A & Newton K: The Walkers of Hanningfield: PLATE XVIII; The Buildings of
England: Pevsner N: Essex: 1965-: 251).
Listing NGR: TQ6542298570
