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Recording Historic Buildings for Planning Purposes.
Tracing the history of your historic home through its fabric.

I am a Masters qualified archaeologist with a specialism in recording timber-framed and other historic buildings. I recorded my first timber-frame in 1986 taught by John McCann. I also took the Analysing and Recording Historic Buildings Course at Oxford University as part of my Diploma in Field Archaeology.

From 1991 to 2007 I worked for the Historic Environment Branch of Essex County Council in the Historic Buildings and Archaeology Sections. I have a large portfolio of published work in academic journals, popular books, exhibitions and websites as well as grey literature held in the SMR. My Masters thesis was on 'Historic Ironwork Repairs to Timber-framed Buildings'.

Since May 2007 I have offered my services as a freelance investigator of historic buildings in the Eastern Region including Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. I am based in Gosfield, North-west Essex and work for planners, developers, private individuals, archaeologists and anyone who can benefit from my services.

I can offer a complete service from a walk-round survey, drawn site survey, condition survey, fabric analysis to photography, report writing, social and documented history as well as producing a frame drawing and using the latest technology, a 3D computer generated fly-through model.

Contact me by e-mail to discuss your project. Whether it is for planning purposes or for your own interest I will be pleased to record your property.

I am listed on Essex County Council's list of investigators. Based in Gosfield, NW Essex.

Telephone 0794 2010703. Projects are charged at £30/hour.

Recent Historic Buildings Projects (May 2007- 2010) Latest ones first.

Click here for barn conversion projects.

Valley Farm
C15th Hall House with added C16th cross-wing and inserted first floor. Considerable Georgian rebuild. Description and Analysis Report. Shalford.

George Inn
Grade I Listed London Pub. Photographic repairs schedule for historic fabric.

Kings Inn
Timber-framed forge or wheelwrights shop attached to rear of C17th Coaching Inn. Ongar. Description and Analysis Report.


C15th Hall House with intact crown post roof in original cross-wing. Ramsden Heath. Description and Analysis Report

Nine Ashes.
Description and Analysis Report and Impact Justification Report for renovation of a C15th timber-framed house later split into cottages. Nine Ashes.

Bridge Street.
Survey drawings of part of a range of C16th shops as part of a renovation scheme. Witham.


1930's Garage and Toilet Block built by the local brickworks. Recorded for demolition to improve Pub facilities.


Description and Analysis Report and Impact Justification Report for internal and external changes to a 1830's Pub in Colchester.


Victorian designer gatehouse recorded for a Description and Analysis Report to discharge a planning condition for conversion into a luxury house. Hertfordshire.


1902 stable block recorded for a Description and Analysis Report to discharge a planning condition for conversion into luxury apartments. Hertfordshire.

Scaled photomontage for a new house in the garden of a listed building (house not visible). Brentwood, Essex.

 


Burnt out public house built in the early C19th using the offset butt purlin roof of a C17th barn or house. Recorded for English Heritage consent. Margaretting.


Seven farm buildings including a MC18th former stables with mansard roof, a Boulton and Paul prefabricated steel barn, C19th stables and cattle sheds. Description and Analysis Report to discharge a planning condition for conversion into a commercial use including an essay on Victorian High Farming. Bardfield, Essex.


Napoleonic War Era grain barn with C19th outshot recorded for conversion to holiday lets. Creeksea.


Small cottage in Mid-Suffolk which is a most likely a mediaeval small aisled hall with the aisles removed in the C17th. Bedingfield.



House and shops. Originally long walled jetty house of early 1500's converted to Georgian style town house in mid C19th. Extensive C20th alterations. Survey, analysis and impact justification statement to create four apartments from two existing. Gt Clacton.


Range of C18th barns with mediaeval origins and C19th remodelling. Much repaired after damage from explosion! Drawn and photographic survey to RCHME Level 3 for planning consent. Waltham Abbey.


Spains Hall, Finchingfield. Recording, analysis and interpretation of entire house. Over 50 rooms of an extensive C17th Great House with C15th origins, Georgian and Victorian additions and C20th refinements. Project ongoing. 33,000 word thesis and 85 record cards.


C17th Maltings / Coach House.
Survey, analysis and impact justification statement for new extension and rooms in the roof. Little Baddow.

C15th/C16th hall house with two cross-wings and original crown posts. C18th/C19th additions then connected to another cross-wing. Castle Hedingham.

C15th in-line hall house remodelled into a barn in C19th. Gt Burstead.
Survey, analysis and impact justification statement for successful appeal.



C16th house with C19th cottage extensions in Great Yeldham.


Public House listed as C16th but actually C15th with massive C18th/C19th additions.
Castle Hedingham.

Two houses originally a C16th open hall house with C16th and C18th insertions and new floors. Castle Hedingham.


House and cottage, originally long wall jettied town house early C16th. Coggeshall.

 

Recent Testimonial - one of my clients was kind enough to write an appraisal of my work for them.


Impact Justification Reports for Historic Buildings.

Kings Arms Public House in Colchester.1830 with massive C20th renovations. Recorded for Planning Consent. This is now published on the Colchester Borough Council website.

Building Analysis Report .pdf (1Mb)

Impact Justification Report .pdf (0.3Mb)


Recording my first timber-framed building in 1986, Coggeshall, Essex. It turned out to be a small aisled hall with the front aisle removed. (Photo John McCann. Drg BJHC).

 

Fire damaged buildings Historic Pubs


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