Brandon Park Engine HouseBrandon, SuffolkClient: Brandon Country Park (Breaking New Ground Project)
Date: April 2015
BRD 234Historic Building RecordSACIC Report No. 2015/024Author: M. Sommers© SACIC
Brandon Country Park, Bury Road, Brandon, Suffolk The Engine House and adjacent structure
BRD 234
Historic Building Record
SACIC Report No. 2015/024
Author: M. Sommers
Editor: Dr. R. Gardner
Report Date: April 2015
HER Information
Report Number: 2015/024 Site Name: The Engine House, Brandon Country Park,
Bury Road, Brandon, Suffolk Planning Application No: pre-determination Date of Fieldwork: 8th April 2015 Grid Reference: TL 7867 8501 Client/Funding Body: Brandon Country Park (Breaking New Ground Project) Client Reference: n/a Curatorial Officer: Dr. Richard Hoggett Oasis Reference: suffolka1-208194 Site Code: BRD 234
Digital report submitted to Archaeological Data Service:
http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/library/greylit
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed in this report about the need for further archaeological work are those of the Field
Projects Team alone. Ultimately the need for further work will be determined by the Local Planning
Authority and its Archaeological Advisors when a planning application is registered. Suffolk County
Council’s archaeological contracting services cannot accept responsibility for inconvenience caused to
the clients should the Planning Authority take a different view to that expressed in the report.
Prepared By: M. Sommers
Date: 14th April 2015
Approved By: Dr R. Gardner
Position: Contracts Manager
Date: 14th April 2015
Signed:
Contents
Summary
1. Introduction 7
2. Topography and landscape 8
3. Archaeology and historical background 10
4. Methodology 13
5. Results 16
The Engine House 16
The Bothy 27
The outbuilding (Building 3) 30
6. Archive deposition 30
7. Acknowledgements 30
8. Plates 31
List of Figures
Figure 1. Location plan 9
Figure 2. 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map pub. 1882 11
Figure 3. 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map pub. 1905 11
Figure 4. General arrangement of the buildings and surrounding area 14
Figure 5. Building elevations (based on drawings by the architect, Tim Buxbaum) 15
Figure 6. The Engine House – internal detail 18
Figure 7. The Engine House – arrangement of timbers, shafts and belts 21
Figure 8. The Bothy and the outbuilding– internal detail 28
Figure 9. Photographic locations for plates 1 to 19 and 59 to 78 70
Figure 10. Photograph locations for plates 20 to 58 (interior of Engine House) 71
List of Plates
Plate 1. General view of the buildings from the south. 31
Plate 2. Concrete hardstanding and brick floor of former washing shed 31
Plate 3. Engine House, external view, camera facing northeast 32
Plate 4. Engine House, external view, camera facing northwest 32
Plate 5. Engine House, external view, camera facing southwest 33
Plate 6. Engine House, external view, camera facing east 33
Plate 7. Engine House window (SE elevation, 2nd window from SW end) 34
Plate 8. The same window from within the Engine House 34
Plate 9. Southwest gable wall window, external and internal views 35
Plate 10. Door in southwest gable, external and internal views 35
Plate 11. Large battery fragments in Room 1 of the Engine House 36
Plate 12. Northwest elevation of Engine House showing brick supports 36
Plate 13. Iron strap securing timber cross tie 37
Plate 14. Remains of the central glass toplight along the ridge of the roof 37
Plate 15. Top section of the surviving cast iron drain pipe 38
Plate 16. Cast iron gutter joining section, Engine House, Room 1 38
Plate 17. Decorated cast iron vent cover. Engine House southeast elevation 39
Plate 18. Southern corner of the Engine House’s Room 1 39
Plate 19. Brick lined openings in northwest elevation of Engine House 40
Plate 20. General view of the well head and pump driving equipment 40
Plate 21. General view of the well head and pump driving equipment 41
Plate 22. Well crankshaft and its northwestern bearing 41
Plate 23. View looking down the well showing the pump driving crankshaft 42
Plate 24. Mounting for unknown equipment adjacent to well top 42
Plate 25. Exposed section of wall in northern corner of Room 1 43
Plate 26. View down the well showing the crosshead arrangement,
ladder and water pipe 43
Plate 27. Collection of water pipes emerging from the rear of the well 44
Plate 28. Toothed wheels driving the well crankshaft and a redundant pulley 44
Plate 29. High level driveshaft 45
Plate 30. Fixed and loose pulley mounted on lower driveshaft 45
Plate 31. System for moving belt between pulleys on lower driveshaft 46
Plate 32. Pulley and belts connecting the electric motor’s to the high level driveshaft 46
Plate 33. Manufacturer’s plate on the electric motor 47
Plate 34. Setting of the electric motor showing the additional cover above
and rafters presumably cut to enable the motor’s installation. 47
Plate 35. Repair to beam to enable installation of the large diameter pulley for
the electric motor, the timber supports for which can also be seen 48
Plate 36. Upright timber inserted to provide additional support for the electric motor 48
Plate 37. A 16hp Hornsby oil engine as seen at Strumpshaw Steam Engine Rally 49
Plate 38. Probable site of the oil engine with a depression for the flywheel and
a plinth for mounting a mainshaft bearing to the right 49
Plate 39. Alignment of engine flywheel and the probable dynamo mount 50
Plate 40. Probable mounting block for the dynamo (plinth 1 in Fig. 6) 50
Plate 41. View of plinth 3 with the site of the engine and plinth 2 beyond 51
Plate 42. Alignment of plinth 3 and the southeastern pulley on the low level shaft 51
Plate 43. Site of water tanks for cooling the oil engine (plinth 4) 52
Plate 44. Site of former stove or heater as marked by fire-resistant sheeting 52
Plate 45. Light switch, Engine House Room 1 53
Plate 46. Switch gear for a modern electric pump in the base of the well 53
Plate 47. General view of the southwest end of Room 2 showing access doors,
the upright posts and the high opening in the cross wall 54
Plate 48. Western corner of Room 2 showing the recess in the cross wall
and a large waste oil separator in the foreground 54
Plate 49. Workbenches against the southeast wall of Room 2 55
Plate 50. Items on hooks, including the possible piston rings from the oil engine
and the drive belt joiners on the shelf below 55
Plate 51. General view of the eastern corner of Room 2 showing the saw bench
and the access doors in northeast gable wall 56
Plate 52. The saw bench in Room 2 56
Plate 53. The saw bench in Room 2 57
Plate 54. Alternative belt route through cross wall 57
Plate 55. Water pipe valve located below floorboards in Room 2 58
Plate 56. Mysterious fitting/mount below floorboards in Room 2 58
Plate 57. Collection of drive belts and fire extinguishers 59
Plate 58. Packaging for ‘anti-gas eyshields’, on workbench in Room 2 59
Plate 59. The Bothy, external view, camera facing east 60
Plate 60. The Bothy, external view, camera facing south 60
Plate 61. The Bothy, external view, camera facing northeast 61
Plate 62. The Bothy, external view, camera facing southeast 61
Plate 63. The Bothy, external view, camera facing southwest 62
Plate 64. The Bothy, external view, camera facing west 62
Plate 65. The Bothy, showing roof space vent in southeast gable wall 63
Plate 66. The Bothy, lean-to to rear of main structure 63
Plate 67. The Bothy, Room 1 (camera facing southeast) 64
Plate 69. The Bothy, Room 2 (camera facing southwest) 65
Plate 70. The Bothy, Room 2 (camera facing northeast) 65
Plate 71. The Bothy, Room 3 (camera facing north) 66
Plate 72. The Bothy, Room 3 (camera facing east) 66
Plate 73. The Bothy, cistern in the WC off Room 3 (camera facing northeast) 67
Plate 75. The outbuilding, external view, camera facing southwest 68
Plate 76. The outbuilding, external view, camera facing northwest 68
Plate 77. The outbuilding, internal view showing iron/steel beams within the
roof structure, camera facing northwest 69
Plate 78. The outbuilding, internal view showing one of the angled vents 69
List of Appendices
Appendix 1. Brief
Appendix 2. OASIS form
Summary
An English Heritage Level 2 building recording was undertaken of a pair of estate
buildings associated with Brandon Park House. The larger of the two buildings, known
as the Engine House, comprised a single storey structure built of chalk blocks faced in
flint with limited decoration in ‘white’ brick (quoins, chaînes, door and window
surrounds). The structure was rectangular in shape with a single apex roof covered with
corrugated metal sheeting. A top-light formed of glass sheets set along the each side of
the ridge was originally fitted although this is now covered with further sheeting. The
interior of the building is lined with vertical timbers and is divided into two chambers.
One contains a deep well with in-situ pumping equipment that was actuated by rods and
a crank driven via geared wheels, drive shafts and belts, many of which are in place. In
its final phase, the pump was driven by an electric motor but documentary evidence
suggests it was previously powered by an oil engine. The probable base of this former
engine survives along with the concrete/brick plinth for a probable dynamo, which was
also powered by the oil engine. The second chamber housed a workshop and contains
a pair of substantial workbenches along one of the walls and a freestanding bench saw,
which would have been powered, via shafts and belts, by the oil engine, and later the
electric motor, situated in the other chamber. A number of small tools and fittings are
still present within this room along with a redundant drive belts and other miscellaneous
equipment. Map evidence indicates this building was constructed between 1883 and
1905
The second building, known as The Bothy, stands to the northeast of the Engine House
on a perpendicular alignment. It is rectangular in shape with a lean-to and a small
extension to the rear. The walls are built of fletton bricks although the southwest wall,
which faces the area adjacent to the Engine House, is faced with flint and white bricks in
a matching style. The roof is covered with slate with a tiled ridge. Internally the building
is divided in three rooms, the largest of which contains a fireplace, and a small WC. This
building was constructed after 1905. The presence of a bathroom suggests the building
was used for domestic occupation but this represents a later phase of activity.
A third building was also recorded. It comprised a flat roofed rectangular structure built
of fletton bricks a with a flat concrete slab roof It was open at each end although sturdy
doorframes with the remains of substantial door hinges were present indicating doors
had been originally fitted. The date and purpose of this structure are unknown.
7
1. Introduction
An English Heritage Level 2 Building Recording was carried out on a pair of adjacent
buildings located within the estate of Brandon Park House. The two buildings are known
as The Engine House and The Bothy. The Engine House contains a deep well that once
supplied water for the main house and its ancillary buildings. At some point in its history
it contained a dynamo for the generation of electricity for use on the estate. The Bothy is
thought to have been an associated accommodation building.
Brandon Park House dates to the early 1820s and was once the focus of an estate of
c.3000 acres. The house is still extant but is now run as a private nursing home. It is a
Grade II Listed Structure. Most of the original estate is now owned by the Forestry
Commission and maintained as a commercial plantation although a 32 acre area
around the former house is owned by Suffolk County Council and forms Brandon
Country Park, which is managed in partnership with Forest Heath District Council for the
benefit of the general public.
The survey was undertaken on the 8th April 2015, ahead of their proposed
refurbishment. The proposed refurbishment comprises one the projects being
undertaken as part of the Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnership Scheme,
which, with the help of an already secured Heritage Lottery Fund award, aims to deliver
a range of heritage and landscape projects across an area of East Anglia known as the
Brecks. The Engine House and Bothy are currently owned by the Forestry Commission
but will be leased to Suffolk County Council on the understanding they will be restored
and incorporated into the Country Park.
The Breaking New Ground Landscape Project Scheme were informed that the Suffolk
County Council County Conservation Team would recommend that planning permission
be conditional upon an agreed programme of historic building recording work taking
place prior to development. In light of this Suffolk Archaeology Community Interest
Company were commissioned to undertake said recording work in accordance to a Brief
issued by Dr Richard Hoggett of the Conservation Team (Appendix 1). At the time of
writing an application for planning permission is yet to be submitted.
8
The buildings are located on the present edge of Brandon Country Park, Bury Road,
Brandon in an area of woodland. They are located adjacent to the garden area of the
nearby Laundry Cottage. The National Grid reference for the approximate centre of the
Engine House is TL 7867 8501. The Bothy is located immediately to the northeast. See
Figure 1 for a location plan.
A third structure, ‘the outbuilding’, a flat roofed building about the size of domestic
garage, is to be brought back into use as a store as part of this scheme. Its original
purpose is unknown but it is thought to possibly be a military shelter of that could
potentially date back to the Second World War. This building was also included in the
building record.
2. Topography and landscape
The local topography comprises flat or very gently rolling plateaux of freely-draining, but
agriculturally poor, sandy soils. These soils gave rise to the Brecklands landscape type
and once comprised vast areas of open gorse covered heathland, although large parts
have now been converted to arable farmland or large tree plantations.
The underlying geology comprises Cretaceous Chalk overlain by a chalky and flinty drift
geology, which can be up to 3 or 4 metres thick, though it is often thinner on undulating
or sloping ground. The drift deposit is essential a mix of chalk and sand, often mixed
with angular flints, which weathers to give light sandy soils.
The Engine House and Bothy are located in a clearing within an extensive area of
mixed woodland. Much of this woodland is the result of manipulation of the landscape
through the extensive planting of trees on the estate in order to create the 19th century
parkland although the area to the northeast consists primarily of evergreen trees
planted by the Forestry Commission.
The buildings are situated adjacent to the garden of Laundry Cottage, which was
formerly one of the estate houses. It is now the private residence of Mr Barber, a former
Forestry Commission employee who, having worked on the estate for c.40 years plus,
has a wealth of knowledge about the local area. He has also undertaken some personal
research regarding life on the estate.
9
Norfolk
SUFFOLK
Essex
25km0
Figure 1. Location plan
N
Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright 2015
10
3. Archaeology and historical background
The history of the Brandon Park estate is outlined in the Brandon Country Park
Conservation Management Plan (2005) and the Brandon Engine House Conservation
Statement by T. Buxbaum (2013). A brief summary of the history follows below:
The recorded buildings are situated within the estate of Brandon Park House, which was built in its
present form the early 1820s by Edward Bliss. Following his initial purchase of the house he
acquired other land in the area to eventually create an estate of c. 3000 acres. Prior to the
enclosure of Brandon parish in 1810 it had been open heaths and sheep walks. The estate was
managed primarily as a sporting estate for the shooting of game and as such extensive woodland
plantations were established to provide cover along with a series of drives and open rides.
The estate remained in the Bliss family until 1903 when it was purchased by Mr. A. H. Paget, later
Baron Queensborough, who held it for ten years before it was sold to John Aird in 1913 although
he only held it until 1917 when it was purchased by J. B. Kind. Now reduced to just over 1800
acres the park was sold to Lewis Wigan in 1923. He held it until his death in 1935 and it was then
sold to the Forestry Commission in 1936. The house and a small park of 32 acres where leased by
Commission to private individuals whilst the remainder of the estate was turned over to commercial
plantations.
The estate was requisitioned during the Second World War with part of the park being used as a
training ground for the Home Guard. From the late 1950s through to the 1970s the site was used
by the USAF/USAAF.
The Engine House was one of many ancillary buildings constructed to serve the needs
of the estate. It precise date of construction is unknown. It is not marked on the 1st
Edition Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, map of 1882 (Fig. 2) but does appear on the
2nd Edition of 1905 (Fig. 3), suggesting it was built between the two surveys. The Bothy
does not appear either of the maps and is therefore later although its southwest wall is
in a similar style to the Engine House demonstrating a desire to create a harmonious
architectural appearance. It is likely to be contemporary with Laundry Cottage (c. 1910),
which is built of the same fletton brick as the Bothy.
Although the Engine House is not marked on the 1st Edition map there is what appears
to be a square structure that is coincidental with the site of the extant well within the
present building. This could simply be a coincidence although it is more likely to be a
small structure housing the well and suggests it predates the existing Engine House.
11
Figure 2. 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map pub. 1882 (rescaled extract – Engine House and Bothy in red)
Figure 3. 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map pub. 1905 (rescaled extract – Engine House and Bothy in red)
12
Other, presumably related, structures marked on the 2nd Edition map are the two tanks.
One is circular and lies just to the northwest of the Engine House (marked ‘Tk.’) whilst
the second, which is square in plan, is situated c.50m to the southeast. Neither are
extant although they are marked on relatively modern maps as both structures survived
until at least the earlier 1980s. The square tank was in fact a water tower (as marked in
Fig. 1) whereas the circular tank was a below ground feature (Mr Barber pers. comm.),
the site of which is still visible.
The earliest reference to an ‘Engine House’ on the estate, identified during this survey,
is a listing in a 1921 sales catalogue for the estate, which records ‘Engine House with
Hornsby’s oil engine for generating electric light, Dynamo, Accumulator House, Workshop with
saw bench, Granary, Blacksmiths shop etc.’. There is no mention of a well or pumping
equipment but this may be an oversight as the catalogue does record that many of the
other buildings in the vicinity have ‘water laid on’.
A range of buildings are marked to the south and east of the site of the Engine House
on both the early Ordnance Survey maps. These are likely to originally have originally
been stables although in the 1921 sale catalogue they are probably the buildings
described as ‘The Garage Premises… built of brick with a slated roof. There is a large Motor
Shed capable of holding six cars, with cemented floor. Secondary Garage with pit. Electric light
is installed. Water is laid on. Large covered Washing Shed.’ The long thin building visible
along the northwest side of the range is the covered washing shed, the brick paved floor
of which is still extant in the area adjacent to the Engine House. The broken bases of
cast iron uprights that once supported the glass roof are also visible. There was no
obvious evidence for the other buildings in this group but it is highly likely that below-
ground evidence survives.
The catalogue also states there are three adjoining cottages in this area. An undated
sketch map of the estate (part of Mr Barber’s private collection) records three dwellings,
Garage Cottage, at the northern end of the garage range, Laundry Cottage and Kennels
Cottage, both of which are still extant. The map also marks the Engine House as ‘well
and water pump’ and, more interestingly, the Bothy, as ‘Estate Office, converted to
Bungalow’, which gives an indication of the original purpose of this structure.
13
It is recorded that Paget converted an existing gashouse to cater for electricity
(Buxbaum 2013) but it is not known if this refers to the Engine House or another
building. It is possible that the circular tank close to the Engine House was in fact the
base of a gasholder rather than a water tank, which could suggest that for a period the
Engine House was indeed associated with gas production, although no obvious
evidence for this was identified during the survey. The 2nd Edition map marks an
additional structure adjoining the northwest of the Engine House. This building has been
described as the Accumulator House (for the storage of electricity), as mentioned in the
sales catalogue, but was possibly the site of the gashouse.
What is also clear from the 2nd Edition map is the relationship between the service
buildings and the main house. It can be seen that the service buildings are located in
such a way as to be hidden from the main house by an area of woodland and at a
distance that would negate potential noise pollution but not too far as to be inconvenient
as regards access, although it is unlikely the residents of the house would ever need to
visit the service area as horses/cars etc. would be brought to the house as required.
4. Methodology
To carry out the survey of the structures a series of photographs were taken with an 18
megapixel digital camera that stored the images in a compressed format (jpg).
Photographs were taken of all exterior elevations and of the buildings’ general setting.
Photographs were then taken of each space within the structures and of all pertinent
features or objects located in each space. The interior of both buildings, but particularly
the Engine House, were quite dark necessitating use of the camera’s built in flash.
The client supplied a series of plans and elevations produced by their architect, Tim
Buxbaum, which have been used during the survey and in this report. The elevations
are presented as is, with some minor additions, whilst the floor plans have been have
been digitised to enable the addition of further details that had been recorded in
measured sketch plans made during the survey.
The Engine House (Building 1), The Bothy (Building 2) and the outbuilding (Building 3)
are marked on modern Ordnance Survey maps and this data has been used to provide
a record of their locations.
14
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16
5. Results
Figure 4 shows the general arrangement of the site and the relationship between the
buildings and Figure 5 are the elevations of both buildings. Figure 4 also shows the
location of the former washing shed (plates 1 and 2) and the position of the nearby tank.
Concrete hardstanding is present along the southeastern edge of the Engine House and
in the area between the Engine House and the Bothy. This did not extend across the
ends of either building, despite the location of the entrances, and no surfaced paths to
these doorways were present.
The Engine House
General description
The building comprised a single storey structure, rectangular in plan, with a single apex
roof running longitudinally (Fig. 6 and plates 3 - 6). It measured approximately 16m by
6m with eaves at a height of 2.2m and the ridge at c.4.5m. The external wall surfaces
were faced in knapped flint with white brick at the quoins, the door and window
surrounds, panel dividing chaines, and along the top of the wall at eaves level. The
actual walls themselves are approximately 400mm thick and formed of chalk blocks.
The internal faces are lined with vertical timber planks fixed to horizontal members let
into the masonry of the walls. The internal space is divided into two rooms by a central
masonry cross wall.
Fenestration comprises metal framed windows with a top hung open casements over
fixed lower lights (plate 7 and 8). There are four of these in the southeast elevation and
one in northwest elevation, although this has been boarded over inside and out. The
tops of the window openings are formed of shallow brick arches and the sills are of
stone. A further, slightly taller and narrower window is centrally located in the southwest
gable wall although this is partly obscured by ivy (plate 9).
Only two entrances are present, one in each gable wall. The entrance in the southwest
gable wall consists of a single, vertical timber door, c.0.75m wide and set into a timber
frame inserted into a brick lined opening with an arched head (plate 10). The
northeastern entrance is significantly wider, at c.2.2m and is closed by a set of three
17
vertical timber doors. A further opening panel runs across the top all three doors to give
additional height to the access (see plates 5 and 51). All are set into a timber frame.
The edges of the opening are formed of brickwork whilst the spanning lintel is a length
of timber although this has become bowed by the weight of the gable above. Decorative
barges boards are present at each gable end but these are partly obscured by ivy.
An opening, blocked by modern blockwork, is present on the northwest wall close to the
western corner of the building. This is located at the point where an additional structure,
as marked on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey map, was accessed. An area of
concrete hardstanding is present on this side of the building that may have been part of
the internal floor surface or a surfaced area between the two buildings. This lost part of
the building has been described as the location of the ‘Accumulator House’, as recorded
in the 1921 sales catalogue (Mr Barber pers. comm.). The accumulator house would be
for the storage batteries to store surplus electrical charge from the dynamo in order to
provide power when the dynamo was not running. Two fragments of what were
probably large batteries were present within the Room 1 of the Engine House (plate 11)
although their presence may coincidental as these appear to be solid chemical batteries
whereas the accumulators used here would probably be of a lead-acid type.
A ?cast iron beam with a ‘T’ shaped profile is set into the ground adjacent to the eastern
corner. This is presumably not in-situ but may have been put here as an additional
support for the structure after removal of the adjacent building. It may have originated
from the cast iron frame of the demolished washing shed.
Two low brick walls are present on the northwest wall close to the northern corner
(plate 12). These extend for c.1.4m and were approximately 0.45m high. Mortar marks
present on the Engine House wall indicated they had been no higher. They are likely to
be supports for an external tank for an unknown purpose, possible fuel oil or gas.
The roof is covered in corrugated metal sheeting laid on horizontal timber planking
mounted on the rafters. Six timber cross ties are present, which are secured to the wall
plates by iron wrought straps (plate 13). A narrow strip either side of the ridge was once
covered by sheets of glass to provide toplighting to the internal spaces but on the whole
this has been replaced with further sheets of corrugated metal although some areas of
glass are still present towards the northeast end of the building (plate 14).
18
5m0
service channel
site of stove
base (1) ?oil engine
posts
saw bench
tie beams over
concrete floorwooden floor
ROOM 2
door
recess for ?oilengine flywheel
plinth (2)?engine shaft
bearing
low brick walls
bench 1
bench 2
blocked wall
well with cranksand drive shaft
door plinth (1)?dynamo
ROOM 1
plinth (4)?water tanks
service channels
plinth (3)?shaft bearing
base (2)
Figure 6. The Engine House – internal detail
N
19
A plastic gutter runs along part of the southeast wall but this is a later addition. the
original gutters would have probably been cast iron although the only component
surviving in-situ is a cast iron drain pipe fixed to the northern corner of the building
(plate 15). A number of sections of cast iron gutter are stored in the lean-to behind The
Bothy which are said to have originated from the Engine House (Mr Barber pers.
comm.). A small cast iron joining segment, decorated with a lion’s head, and stored in
Room 1 of the Engine House, is also thought to be an original part of the Engine House
guttering (plate 16).
A series of four vents with decorated cast iron grates (plate 17) are mounted just below
the eaves on the southeast wall. There is one vent for each end of the two rooms
although only the one closest to the southwest gable was actually open to the room.
From inside the building it could be closed with a sliding panel (plate 18). The other
three vents appear to be sealed by the internal timber lining which could suggest this is
a later addition to the building and that originally the walls were bare. Exposed areas of
the wall are whitewashed and this treatment could in fact predate the timbering. No
obvious vents are present on the northwest wall although a series of four small
rectangular brick lined openings of an unknown purpose are present at just below level
of the eaves (plate 19).
Room 1, or the Well Room, contains the well and associated pumping equipment (plate
20 and 21). The well itself is a circular brick (or possibly chalk block)-lined shaft
approximately 1m in diameter. Its depth was not measured but it is said to be around
120 feet (c.36.5m). The top of the well is surrounded by a raised rectangular plinth
formed of brick and concrete that stands 0.58m high. Within this two short lengths of
iron girder are fixed and upon these the bearings for a cranked shaft, which runs across
the top of the well, are mounted (plates 22 and 23). A 1.63m wide section of the plinth
extends to the southwest by just over 1m and on the flat surface of this are a series of
vertical threaded rods, some of which have been cut flush with the surface, which
suggest this was a mounting for a piece of unknown equipment (plate 24). It was
presumably associated with a short length of horizontal bar that is fixed by two brackets
on the southwest edge of the plinth.
The floor of this room is covered in red and yellow ceramic tiles which also run up the
sides and across the top of the well head structures. All four of the walls of the room
20
itself are lined with vertical timber planks which continue up to the level of the rafters.
Above this the gable wall and the cross wall are exposed and whitewashed. A low down
rectangular area of the timber boarding is absent on the northwest wall, close to the
northern corner (plate 25). The edges of the adjacent timber boarding are lined with
timber battens indicating this has been done for a specific purpose. What the purpose
was is not immediately apparent although it is coincidental with the service channel that
passes under the wall at this point. A small section wall immediately above the route
service channel has possibly been rebuilt or at least repointed.
The pumping equipment is contained within the well itself and cannot be seen from
ground level. It is presumably comprises three hydraulic rams actuated by rods attached
to the three cranks on the shaft across the top of the well, via connecting rods and a
crosshead mounted on a pair of angle-irons running across the well shaft (plate 26). An
iron ladder, which appears to extend the full depth of the well, is mounted on the iron
straps fixed to the cross angle-irons, which are present at intervals down the well shaft
to support guides for the pump rods. A cast iron pipe, jointed with large bolted flanges,
runs up the side of the well before turning to run horizontally to the northeast within a
service channel set in the floor that is covered with a sheet of steel. Also on this side of
the well a number of other pipes of varying diameters and types that emerge from the
service channel or come up through the floor. They are no longer connected and all
terminate within a relatively short distance (plate 27).
The crankshaft has three cranks that are off-set to each other, presumably at 120˚. The
crankshaft was turned by a large fixed toothed wheel to the southeast side of the well
top that engaged with significantly smaller cog mounted an adjacent shaft (plate 28).
This shaft is driven via a fixed 60cm diameter pulley on the northwest end, which is
turned, via a canvas belt, by a smaller pulley (c.20 cm) fixed to a high level driveshaft
mounted in the rafters (plate 29). A loose pulley is also mounted on the lower shaft and
the belt can be moved across to this by pulling a length of iron with prongs that pass
each side of the belt to disengage the drive (plates 30 and 31), although the
arrangement of this control is rudimentary suggesting it is a later alteration. A pin
hanging on a chain nearby was presumably used to secure this control in position. In
the pump’s final mode of operation, the rafter level driveshaft was driven by a large
electric motor, mounted on timbers in the roof space, via four rubber belts around a
93cm diameter pulley and a smaller pulley on the motor’s axle (plate 32).
21
2m0
high leveldriveshaft
and pulleys
site of oil engine
timber beams inserted tosupport the drive shafts
(marked in black)
shaft with pulleys (projected)mounted on upright posts
saw bench
belt
braces
site of dynamo
belt
low levelshafts and
pulleys
electric motordrivebelts
belt
cut andrepaired
beam
belt transmitting drivebetween high and low
level shafts
openingthrough
cross wall
high levelelectricmotor
Figure 7. The Engine House – arrangement of timbers, shafts and belts (projected fittings in red)
N
22
The relatively high RPM of the electric motor would be greatly reduced at the well
crankshaft by the arrangement of the pulleys and toothed wheels. A manufacturer’s
plate affixed to the motor indicated it was built by Brook Motor Ltd. of Huddersfield
(plate 33) and was a single phase motor with a rotational speed of ?940 rpm. It’s not
clear but there is a possible reference to the year 1957 that would suggest the motor
was this year or later. There is evidence to suggest that the roof was cut away and the
motor inserted from above and the roof then reinstated. An additional sheet of tin was
also fixed over the motor to provide further protection from leaks (plate 34).
To support the high level driveshaft additional cross beams and perpendicular joists
have been built into the roof space. The mounting for the electric motor involved the
insertion of further timbers and a timber plank base over the original beams and the
insertion of an upright timber as additional support. To install the large diameter pulley
for the drive from the electric motor one of the cross beams had a section cut out and
another timber attached to the northeast side of the beam to bridge the gap (plate 35).
Additional holes in the longitudinal beams supporting the high level driveshaft suggest it
was originally located slightly further to the southwest and has been moved to increase
clearance for the motor drivebelts. Figure 7, based on a measured sketch, shows the
arrangement of the roof space timber work built to support the driveshaft and pulleys. It
also attempts to show the relationship between the high and low shafts and the
projected route of transmitting power to the saw bench in Room 2.
A series of wire mesh and timber plank guards are in place over the top of the well and
around the toothed wheels, the pulleys and the belt drive (see plate 28). These have a
modern appearance and are unlikely to be original fittings. They probably relate to the
later installation of the electric motor. It can be seen that the guards around the toothed
wheels and adjacent pulley are fixed to an upright timber that was probably inserted to
help support the weight of the electric motor (plate 36).
A second pulley, 73m in diameter, is also fixed to the rafter level driveshaft (visible in
plate 32). A drive belt hangs loosely on this pulley but it can be clearly seen that this belt
would have originally run through an opening in the cross wall and into the Room 2. An
additional 60cm diameter pulley is also fixed to the southeast end of the lower driveshaft
(visible in plate 28).
23
A group of other plinths or machine bases are present within this room, all of which are
probable associated with the Hornsby oil engine and the electric dynamo that were
recorded in the 1921 sales catalogue. The engine has unfortunately been removed but
examples are still maintained and occasional run by enthusiasts. A Hornsby engine of a
similar size and type to that originally fitted here can be seen in plate 37.
A smooth concrete slab set in the floor bore marks of it having been cast against a
rectangular base that was fixed with a substantial bolt close to each corner which is
probably the site of the oil engine (plate 38). Adjacent to this is a rectangular shaped
depression in the floor for the engine’s flywheel. This flywheel also appears to have also
have been used as the driving pulley for the dynamo, which would have been mounted
on plinth 1 in the southern corner of the room (plates 39 and 40). Plinth 2, adjacent the
flywheel pit, was possibly used to mount an additional bearing to support the oil
engine’s main shaft, which may have been required given the use of the flywheel as a
drive pulley. The large diameter flywheel/pulley would have driven, via a belt, a much
smaller pulley on the dynamo. This arrangement would have increased the dynamo’s
speed, which would need to be relatively high in order to efficiently generate electricity.
It is assumed to the oil engine would also have driven the pump. Although it is not clear
exactly how this was achieved. One possibility is that the engine’s main shaft, or
possibly an additional shaft, could have extended across to a bearing mounted on plinth
3 (plate 41), adjacent the well, and a belt could have then transmitted power to the
otherwise redundant pulley on the southeast end of the well top shaft. There is a gap in
the wire mesh guard which would allow a belt to run in at this point (plate 42). This
would restrict access through the building, although an alternative route would be
available around the northwest side of the well. It is possibly that the drive to the well
from the oil engine could have passed through to the rafter level driveshaft but this
seems unlikely. It was theorized above that the guards were added when the electric
motor was installed. The gap in the guard at this point could indicate that both the
electric motor and the oil engine were in place simultaneously or that this pulley was
used as power take-off point run a drive belt to some other piece of equipment that may
have been associated with plinth 3 (or on the well head plinth to the southwest). The
base of some other unknown piece of equipment is located to the northwest of plinth 3,
which could also be associated.
24
The fourth mounting block, plinth 4, is probably the site of one or two water tanks that
would have been used for cooling the oil engine (plate 43). A pair of pipes are mounted
on the cross wall which would have run to the tanks via the service channel to the
southeast and from there to the oil engine. A pair of small pulleys are mounted on
beams at the level of the rafters. The purpose of which may have been to provide
access to a control valve on the water tanks or, more likely, were associated with a
simple water level indicator using a rope, one end of which was attached to a float in the
tank and the other to a pointer that ran up and down a scale.
A heat resistant cladding material had been added to the building’s timber lining in the
eastern corner of Room 1 indicating that a stove had once stood in this location
(plate 44). The hole where the flue passed through the roof had been repaired
externally with an additional piece of corrugated metal sheeting.
Various phases of electric wiring to provide lighting and power sockets were present in
the building. The exposed grey wiring appeared to be relatively modern, whilst the
earlier wiring was contained in steel pipes or ducts and appeared to be related only to
lighting circuits. One feature of interest was a surviving early light switch mounted on a
wooden block adjacent to the blocked wall on the northwest wall of Room 1 (plate 45). It
clearly was originally one of a pair as wiring is visible although the upper fitting had
been removed.
The later wiring appeared to be contemporary with a significantly later electric pump that
was thought to have been fitted by the Forestry Commission (Mr Barber pers. comm.).
The pump itself appeared to be suspended down the well by its electrical flex (visible in
plates 23 and 26), although it may have been secured in place at the base of the well,
and pumped water up a black plastic pipe. The electric flex was looped over the rafters
before running down to a pair of electrical switch boxes mounted on the southeast wall
(plate 46), identified as having been fitted by FHV Hewson and Son, water engineers of
Thetford, before running back to a three-pin electrical socket mounted on the inserted
vertical timber adjacent the well. This arrangement was temporary in appearance
although the equipment was still place.
25
Room 2 could be accessed from Room 1 via openings on either side of the cross wall,
each of which was fitted with a door. The opening in the cross wall on the southeast
side of the building was significantly larger but had been reduced to a single door’s
width by timber infill. The door in the northeast frame was formed of vertical timbers
suggesting it was an original fitting; the other door was paneled suggesting a domestic
origin (both visible in plate 47). A rectangular recess, lined with timber and presumably
for storage, was set in the cross wall adjacent to the southwest door (plate 48).
This room, like Room 1, was also lined in vertical timber planks although a large section
of this was missing in the northern corner of the room. The horizontal members set into
the masonry of the wall were still in-situ suggesting the vertical boarding had once been
present in this area. The floor in the southwest half of the room is formed of stout
wooden planks on joists whilst the remainder of the floor is concrete.
This room was clearly fitted out as a workshop with two stout benches positioned along
the northwest wall (plate 49). The larger bench was free standing whilst the smaller
bench was fixed to the wall and supported on a single upright. The wall fixing was
achieved by two substantial bolts that passed through the wall of the building and were
secured to a timber placed against the outer face of the wall (visible in plate 12). Other
than a pipe bending vice fitted to the smaller bench no other equipment was present
although a rectangular shaped depression was present in the top of the smaller bench,
which presumably related to some specific piece of equipment or activity.
A length of timber with numerous drilled holes that would have held tools was mounted
to the wall behind the benches and above this numerous hooks were present, upon
which miscellaneous cables, wires and other fittings, mostly car related, were hanging.
Of interest with regards this building was a collection of steel ‘combs’ used for joining
sections of the drive belts (plate 50) and a collection of split steel rings (c.0.19 dia.),
which were hanging on a hook. It was suggested these may be piston rings from the oil
engine (Mr Barber pers. comm.). Further similar rings were hanging from a hook on the
southwest wall along with other tools and fittings, all of which appear to reflect the
building’s more recent use.
The main feature of this room is the large saw bench which is bolted to the concrete
floor close to the doors in the northeast gable wall (plate 51). The main body of the
26
bench comprises large single casting in iron/steel. The casting includes the sides of the
bench, the flat top, and a pair of mounts for a guide bar at the southwest end. The text,
‘T ROBINSON AND SON LIMITED ROCHDALE ENGLAND’, is formed by raised letters
on the northwest side of the casting (plate 52). A channel, covered by a close fitting
steel plate, runs across the top if the bench within which the main axle for the large
circular saw blade is fitted. A vertical casting attached to the bar at the southwest end of
the bench is used to guide the timber to be sawn and this can be adjusted to alter the
width of the resultant planks. A large casting to support the end of the main axle and
two pulleys, one fixed and one loose, bolts onto the southeast edge of the bench (plate
53). A handle is present on the northwest bench frame which controls the position of the
drive belt. A large circular saw blade is fitted, which, when viewed from the northwest,
rotates clockwise. Consequently the timber to be sawn would be fed in from the
southwest end of the bench. Two spare blades are hanging on the wall nearby.
Openings in the base of the saw bench casting were closed with timber panels held in
place by lengths of iron. These would trap the saw dust within the saw bench and
prevent it from flying around the room although it would need to be manually emptied.
The saw bench would have been powered via belts and shafts from Room 1, the
probable arrangement of which is depicted in Figure 7. Drive came from the high level
shaft in Room 1 via a belt that passed through a timber-lined opening (c.1.2m by 0.7m)
in the cross wall. A pair of the supporting beams also pass though this hole and bear on
a pair of cross beams. The belt is still present but is now hanging loosely on the pulley
in Room 1. The remainder of the drive route has been removed but would have
consisted of a secondary shaft mounted on brackets fixed to a pair of upright posts
(visible in plate 47), and a further belt that then ran to the pulleys on the saw bench
itself. The belt to the saw bench was relatively lengthy and would have needed to be
correctly tensioned to reduce slippage. This would have put a pulling strain of the
upright posts, both of which, but particularly the post adjacent to the driving pulley, have
had braces added to secure them in place.
The route of the belt from Room 1 is presumably an alteration to that that originally
employed. A second opening through the cross wall has been formed below the main
opening to enable the lower loop of the belt to pass through. This opening is not lined
and as the belt passed through it has worn grooves on the sides (plate 54). The main
opening is 2.7m above floor level whilst the additional opening is 0.17m high and 2.1m
27
above floor level suggesting the pulley on the missing shaft was at least 0.6m in
diameter. This alteration is probably related to rearrangements of the shafts and pulleys
to enable the installation of the electric motor in Room 1.
Other features of note in this room is a valve on what is presumable the main water pipe
from the well. It is located under the floorboards and was accessed by removing a small
section of boarding (plate 55). Another small section of the floorboards could be lifted in
the area adjacent to the large work bench which revealed a circular section of timber
with a bored central hole set upright into the ground (plate 56), the purpose of which
was not immediately apparent.
An amount of assorted loose equipment was present within the room. It comprised a
large vertical tank for the separation of waste oils (visible in plate 48), spare belts, which
probably includes the belt to drive the saw bench (plate 57), a large water control valve
and a collection of valve taps. Also present throughout both rooms are a number of fire
extinguishers of various types and vintages, some of which were fitted to the walls for
actual use. One artefact of note was a packet that once contained ‘anti-gas eyeshields’
(plate 58), that presumably relates to the military occupation of the site.
The Bothy
General description
The building comprised a single storey structure, rectangular in plan, measuring
approximately 10m by 4.7m with a 3m by 2.5m wing or extension to the rear (Fig. 8 and
plates 59 - 64). It measured approximately 16m by 6m with eaves at a height of 2.5m
and the ridge at c.4.4m. The building is primarily constructed of a pale orange-brown
fletton bricks although the southwest wall, which lies perpendicular to the main axis of
the Engine House, is faced in knapped flint with white brick at the quoins and window
surrounds in a similar style so that the buildings, which form a corner to the yard area to
the south, have a uniform appearance. The roof is slate and a simply decorated brick
chimney stack, which serves a single fireplace in the main room, emerges from the
ridge. The roof space itself is vented via cast iron grates in each gable wall (plate 65). A
timber lean-to is present at the rear of the building, which is covered by an extension of
the main roof (plate 66). A break in the roofline timber, hidden behind a later
bargeboard, suggests this is a later addition to the structure.
28
OU
TB
UIL
DIN
G
5m0
ven
ts
ba
th
fence
RO
OM
2
RO
OM
3
sin
k
toile
t(s
ite o
f)d
oor
low
bric
k w
alls
RO
OM
1
lea
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fire
plac
e
TH
E B
OT
HY
Fig
ure
8. T
he B
othy
and
the
outb
uild
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inte
rnal
det
ail
N
29
The internal space is divided by brick built walls into three main rooms, and a small WC,
accessed via the rear room. The internal wall surfaces in Rooms 1 and 2 are plastered
but are painted bare brick in the Room 3 and the small water closet (WC). Access to the
building is via a single door in the northwest gable wall. Windows are present on the
northwest gable wall, the southeast wall and on the northeast gable wall of the rear
wing. All windows are metal framed, except in the rear room, which is wooden.
Room 1, the largest of the three spaces, was rectangular in shape with a single
fireplace, devoid of grate, in the southeast wall (plate 67). The floor is of concrete, which
slopes gently to a central drain, and a pair of low walls are present in the western corner
(plate 68). These features are related to the recent history of the building when it was
used as pens for dog breeding. Other than modern furniture and debris the room is
empty.
Room 2, access via a vertical timbered door from Room 1. It is rectangular in shape
and relatively featureless (plates 69 and 70). An electrical switch on the southeast wall
may have been for a cooker suggesting this area may have been used as a kitchen.
The concrete floor has been broken up but is still present as rubble. The ceiling is
boarded with timber planks.
Room 3 is situated in the rear wing/extension and is accessed from Room 2 via a two
paneled wooden door with an upper glass insert. The walls are painted bare brick,
although the lower sections of the northeast and northwest walls were originally clad in
board fixed to wooden battens, most of which been removed and is lying fragmented on
the floor (plate 71). The ceiling is boarded with timber planks similar to Room 2. A
modern steel bath is situated in the eastern corner (plate 72) and a modern ceramic
sink is fixed to the northeast wall below the window. An electric water heater is mounted
on the wall in the northern corner. The floor is concrete and was covered in a pale red
linoleum. A door is present in the western corner of the room which leads into a small
WC. The walls are painted brick, the ceiling is low and formed of a section of board
against the underside of the sloping roof. The floor is similar to the Room 3. A small
window is present in the northeast wall but this is partially obscured by a cast-iron
cistern, named, ‘The Burlington’ (plate 73). A second window is present in the northwest
wall but this looks into the lean-to and the glass has been painted over (plate 74), which
could be seen as further evidence the lean-to is later. The toilet pan is missing.
30
The outbuilding (Building 3)
General description
A small rectangular building about the size of domestic garage. Measures
approximately 4.8m by 2.9m and stands approximately 2m high. Built of fletton bricks
with a buttress at each corner (plates 75 and 76). Open both ends with a robust steel
door frame upon which are mounted hinge pins that suggest a pair of substantial doors
was originally fitted at each end; these are now missing. The roof is concrete probably
cast in-situ between steel joists that span the width of the building Plate 77). At each
corner an angled vent runs through the wall (plate 78) terminating in a grate, all four of
which are broken away. The vents alternate between high and low levels on each wall
and at each end.
The purpose and date of this building is not obvious. It has been speculated that it may
date from the Second World War. Given the construction methods, the door frames and
the angled vents, this is entirely possible.
6. Archive deposition
Paper, digital and photographic archive will be sent to the County HER, ref. BRD 234.
A copy of the report will be uploaded to the OASIS on-line database (suffolka1-208194).
7. Acknowledgements
The building record was carried out by Mark Sommers from the Suffolk County Council
Archaeological Service, Field Team. The project was managed by Dr. Rhodri Gardner,
who also provided advice during the production of the report.
Special thanks also go to Mr Bill Barber, resident of the adjacent Laundry Cottage, for
his help and access to the results of his personal research and his recollections of life
on the estate. Also, to Nick Dickson, The Breaking New Ground Project Manager, for
his help and assistance.
31
8. Plates
Plate 1. General view of the buildings from the south. The brick floor of the former washing shed is visible in the foreground
Plate 2. Concrete hardstanding and brick floor of former washing shed
32
Plate 3. Engine House, external view, camera facing northeast
Plate 4. Engine House, external view, camera facing northwest
33
Plate 5. Engine House, external view, camera facing southwest
Plate 6. Engine House, external view, camera facing east
34
Plate 7. Engine House window (SE elevation, 2nd window from SW end) showing iron frame set in brick surround with stone sill. Note the slot cut in sill
Plate 8. The same window from within the Engine House
35
Plate 9. Southwest gable wall window, external and internal views
Plate 10. Door in southwest gable, external and internal views
36
Plate 11. Large battery fragments in Room 1 of the Engine House
Plate 12. Northwest elevation of Engine House showing brick supports. The brace for the fixed
bench in Room 2 is also visible
37
Plate 13. Iron strap securing timber cross tie, as seen in Room 2 of the Engine House
Plate 14. Remains of the central glass toplight along the ridge of the roof
38
Plate 15. Top section of the surviving cast iron drain pipe
Plate 16. Cast iron gutter joining section, Engine House, Room 1
39
Plate 17. Decorated cast iron vent cover. Engine House southeast elevation
Plate 18. Southern corner of the Engine House’s Room 1 showing the sliding vent cover
40
Plate 19. Brick lined openings in northwest elevation of Engine House
Plate 20. General view of the well head and pump driving equipment (camera facing north)
41
Plate 21. General view of the well head and pump driving equipment (camera facing west)
Plate 22. Well crankshaft and its northwestern bearing (camera facing east)
42
Plate 23. View looking down the well showing the pump driving crankshaft
Plate 24. Mounting for unknown equipment adjacent to well top (camera facing northwest)
43
Plate 25. Exposed section of wall in northern corner of Room 1
Plate 26. View down the well showing the crosshead arrangement, ladder and water pipe
44
Plate 27. Collection of water pipes emerging from the rear of the well
Plate 28. Toothed wheels driving the well crankshaft and a redundant pulley (camera facing northwest)
45
Plate 29. High level driveshaft (camera facing east)
Plate 30. Fixed and loose pulley mounted on lower driveshaft
46
Plate 31. System for moving belt between pulleys on lower driveshaft
Plate 32. Pulley and belts connecting the electric motor’s to the high level driveshaft
47
Plate 33. Manufacturer’s plate on the electric motor
Plate 34. Setting of the electric motor showing the additional cover above and rafters presumably cut to enable the motor’s installation.
48
Plate 35. Repair to beam to enable installation of the large diameter pulley for the electric motor, the timber supports for which can also be seen
Plate 36. Upright timber inserted to provide additional support for the electric motor
49
Plate 37. A 16hp Hornsby oil engine as seen at Strumpshaw Steam Engine Rally in 2003
Plate 38. Probable site of the oil engine with a depression for the flywheel and a plinth for mounting a mainshaft bearing to the right
50
Plate 39. Alignment of engine flywheel and the probable dynamo mount, visible in the distance
Plate 40. Probable mounting block for the dynamo (plinth 1 in Fig. 6)
51
Plate 41. View of plinth 3 with the site of the engine and plinth 2 beyond
Plate 42. Alignment of plinth 3 and the southeastern pulley on the low level shaft
52
Plate 43. Site of water tanks for cooling the oil engine (plinth 4) note vertical water pipes visible behind the wooden ladder
Plate 44. Site of former stove or heater as marked by fire-resistant sheeting affixed to the wall
53
Plate 45. Light switch, Engine House Room 1
Plate 46. Switch gear for a modern electric pump in the base of the well, southeast wall of Room 1 in the Engine House
54
Plate 47. General view of the southwest end of Room 2 showing access doors, the upright posts and the high opening in the cross wall
Plate 48. Western corner of Room 2 showing the recess in the cross wall and a large waste oil separator in the foreground
55
Plate 49. Workbenches against the southeast wall of Room 2
Plate 50. Items on hooks, including the possible piston rings from the oil engine and the drive belt joiners on the shelf below
56
Plate 51. General view of the eastern corner of Room 2 showing the saw bench and the access doors in northeast gable wall
Plate 52. The saw bench in Room 2 (camera facing southeast)
57
Plate 53. The saw bench in Room 2 (camera facing north)
Plate 54. Alternative belt route through cross wall suggesting an alteration to the originally intended arrangement
58
Plate 55. Water pipe valve located below floorboards in Room 2
Plate 56. Mysterious fitting/mount below floorboards in Room 2
59
Plate 57. Collection of drive belts and fire extinguishers in the southern corner of Room 2
Plate 58. Packaging for ‘anti-gas eyshields’, on workbench in Room 2
60
Plate 59. The Bothy, external view, camera facing east
Plate 60. The Bothy, external view, camera facing south
61
Plate 61. The Bothy, external view, camera facing northeast
Plate 62. The Bothy, external view, camera facing southeast
62
Plate 63. The Bothy, external view, camera facing southwest
Plate 64. The Bothy, external view, camera facing west
63
Plate 65. The Bothy, showing roof space vent in southeast gable wall
Plate 66. The Bothy, lean-to to rear of main structure
64
Plate 67. The Bothy, Room 1 (camera facing southeast)
65
Plate 69. The Bothy, Room 2 (camera facing southwest)
Plate 70. The Bothy, Room 2 (camera facing northeast)
66
Plate 71. The Bothy, Room 3 (camera facing north)
Plate 72. The Bothy, Room 3 (camera facing east)
67
Plate 73. The Bothy, cistern in the WC off Room 3 (camera facing northeast)
68
Plate 75. The outbuilding, external view, camera facing southwest
Plate 76. The outbuilding, external view, camera facing northwest
69
Plate 77. The outbuilding, internal view showing iron/steel beams within the roof structure, camera facing northwest
Plate 78. The outbuilding, internal view showing one of the angled vents, camera facing north
70
64
OU
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TH
E B
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(Bui
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75
76
77
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68
67
69
70
71
72
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63
66
61
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(Bui
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12
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Fig
ure
9. P
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N
71
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49
47
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5848
50 51
42
54 55
57
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3536
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34
56
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24
2838
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41
22
23, 26
40
45
Figure 10. Photograph locations for plates 20 to 58 (interior of Engine House)
N
Appendix 1. Brief
The Archaeological Service
Economy, Skills and Environment
9–10 The Churchyard, Shire Hall
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 1RX
Brief for Historic Building
Recording at
THE OLD ENGINE HOUSE, BRANDON COUNTRY PARK
Planning Authority: Forest Heath District Council
Planning Application Number: TBC
HER No. for this Project: To Be Arranged
Development Proposal: Restoration and construction of link
This Brief Issued By: Dr Richard Hoggett, Archaeological Officer
Tel. : 01284 741226
E-mail: [email protected]
Date: 16 March 2015
1 Summary 1.1 The Local Planning Authority (LPA) will be advised that any planning consent
should be conditional upon an agreed programme of historic building recording work taking place before development in accordance with a Written Scheme of Investigation which has been submitted to and approved in writing by the LPA.
1.2 A Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) based upon this brief and specification must be produced by the developers, their agents or archaeological contractors and submitted to the Conservation Team of Suffolk County Council’s Archaeological Service (SCCAS/CT) for scrutiny. SCCAS/CT is the advisory body to the LPA on archaeological issues.
1.3 Following receipt of the WSI, SCCAS/CT will advise the Local Planning Authority (LPA) if it is an acceptable scheme of work. Work must not commence until the LPA has approved the WSI. Neither this specification nor the WSI is, however, a sufficient basis for the discharge of the planning condition relating to the building recording work. Only the full implementation of the approved scheme – that is, the completion of the building recording and the production and deposition of an acceptable report – will enable SCCAS/CT to advise the LPA that the condition has been adequately fulfilled and can be discharged.
1.4 The WSI should be approved before costs are agreed with the commissioning client, in line with Institute for Archaeologists’ guidance. Failure to do so could result in additional and unanticipated costs.
1.5 The WSI will provide the basis for measurable standards and will be used to establish whether the requirements of the planning condition will be adequately met. If the approved WSI is not carried through in its entirety the report may be rejected.
2 Archaeological Background 2.1 Brandon Park House, set in a country estate of extensive parkland, was built in
1826 by Edward Bliss. The house was supplied by water, and then later electricity, from a separate Engine House. This building survives today, with much of its original machinery, and is a great example of a late 19th-century functional building.
3 Brief for Historic Building Recording 3.1 Historic building recording and analysis is to be carried out prior to the
commencement of works so that the affected building(s) can be recorded in their unaltered state.
3.2 The objective will be to compile a descriptive record of the affected buildings at English Heritage’s Level 2, as described in Understanding Historic Buildings: A Guide to Good Recording Practice (English Heritage 2006), before development of the buildings takes place.
3.3 The academic objective will be to provide a detailed understanding of the nature of the buildings, and to provide the historical context, development and significance of the building group.
3.4 This brief remains valid for 12 months. If work is not carried out in full within that time this document will lapse; the brief may need to be revised and re-issued to take account of new discoveries, changes in policy and techniques.
4 Specification for the Historic Building Recording 4.1 The survey methodology will form part of the WSI and is to be agreed in detail
before the project commences; defined minimum criteria in this outline are to be met or exceeded. Any variation from these standards can only be made by agreement with SCCAS/CT, and must be confirmed in writing.
4.2 English Heritage Level 2 recording must be carried on the buildings and their setting. Both the exterior and interior will be viewed, described and photographed. Any distinctive features must be both described and photographed.
4.3 A block plan must be produced of the site, to locate the buildings within the group. The main components of the complex shall be numbered for reference in the report.
4.4 An historical document search (documentary, cartographic and pictorial) must be undertaken to situate the history of the building complex within its immediate local context. This must include a map study to illustrate the development of the buildings complex – typically using the tithe assessment of the 1840s and Ordnance Survey mapping of the 1880s and early 1900s (all available in the Suffolk Record Office). Note must also be taken of the oral history of the complex, particularly relating to the historic use of the buildings.
4.5 The record will present conclusions regarding the location, form, date, development and use of the buildings.
5 Arrangements for Historic Building Recording 5.1 The composition of the contractor’s staff must be detailed and agreed by
SCCAS/CT, including any subcontractors/specialists.
5.2 All arrangements for the recording of the building, the timing of the work and access to the site, are to be defined and negotiated by the archaeological contractor with the commissioning body.
5.3 The project manager must also carry out a risk assessment and ensure that all potential risks are minimised, before commencing the fieldwork. The responsibility for identifying any constraints on fieldwork rests with the commissioning body and its archaeological contractor.
5.4 Reporting and Archival Requirements
5.5 The project manager must consult the Suffolk HER Officer to obtain an event number for the work. This number will be unique for each project or site and must be clearly marked on all documentation relating to the work.
5.6 All parts of the OASIS online form http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/project/oasis/ must be completed and a copy must be included in the final report and also with the site archive. A digital copy of the report should be uploaded to the OASIS website.
5.7 The report should include a brief history of the buildings complex, relating it to the map study and should include illustrations of the maps at a sufficient scale and quality for the buildings to be identifiable. Please remember that copyright permissions should be sought from the Suffolk Record Office, and/or other document owners or holders, for items included in the report. The report should include a description of the building fabric(s), their structural use and any particular features. It should also present the available evidence for the dating and use of the structure(s). The photographs should be listed with a description of the viewpoint and included on a CD to accompany the report.
5.8 A copy of the report, clearly marked DRAFT, should be presented to SCCAS/CT for approval within six months of the completion of fieldwork unless other arrangements are negotiated with the project sponsor and SCCAS/CT.
5.9 Following approval of the report by SCCAS/CT, a single copy of the report should be presented to the Suffolk HER as well as a digital copy of the approved report.
5.10 An archive of all records is to be prepared consistent with the principles contained in Understanding Historic Buildings: A Guide to Good Recording Practice (English
Heritage 2006), particularly section 7. This should be deposited with the County HER within six months of the completion of work. It will then become publicly accessible.
5.11 Where positive results are drawn from a project, a summary report must be prepared for the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History.
6 Standards and Guidance 6.1 Detailed standards, information and guidance to supplement this brief are to be
found in Understanding Historic Buildings: A Guide to Good Recording Practice (English Heritage 2006), which defines the different levels of recording recommended by English Heritage.
6.2 The Institute for Archaeologist’s Standard and Guidance for the Archaeological Investigation and Recording of Standing Buildings or Structures (Institute for Archaeologists 2001) should be used for additional guidance in the execution of the project and in drawing up the report.
6.3 Technical standards, applicable to detailed survey, are covered in Measured and Drawn: Techniques and Practice for the Metric Survey of Historic Buildings (English Heritage 2006).
6.4 Standards, information and advice to supplement this brief are to be found in Gurney, D. and Bryant, S. (2003) Standards for Field Archaeology in the East of England, East Anglian Archaeology Occasional Papers 14.
7 Notes 7.1 The Institute for Archaeologists maintains a list of registered archaeological
contractors (http://www.archaeologists.net/ro or 0118 378 6446). There are a number of archaeological contractors that regularly undertake work in the County and SCCAS will provide advice on request. SCCAS/CT does not give advice on the costs of archaeological projects.
Appendix 2. OASIS form
OASIS ID: suffolka1-208194
Project details
Project name Brandon Park Engine House
Short description of the
project
Historic building record of late 19th century estate buildings - primarily an engine
house with well, pumping equipment and other misc. machinery
Project dates Start: 07-04-2015 End: 20-04-2015
Previous/future work No / Not known
Any associated project
reference codes
BRD 234 - HER event no.
Type of project Building Recording
Current Land use Other 2 - In use as a building
Monument type WELL Post Medieval
Significant Finds NONE None
Methods & techniques '''Annotated Sketch''','''Measured Survey''','''Photographic Survey'''
Prompt National Planning Policy Framework - NPPF
Project location
Country England
Site location SUFFOLK FOREST HEATH BRANDON The Engine House, Brandon Park, Bury
Road
Study area 180.00 Square metres
Site coordinates TL 7867 8501 52.433388072 0.628549533575 52 26 00 N 000 37 42 E Point
Project creators
Name of Organisation Suffolk Archaeology CIC
Project brief originator Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body
Project design originator Suffolk Archaeology Community Interest Company
Project
director/manager
Rhodri Gardner
Project supervisor Mark Sommers
Type of sponsor/funding
body
Developer
Project archives
Physical Archive Exists? No
Digital Archive recipient Suffolk HER
Digital Archive ID BRD 234
Digital Contents ''other''
Digital Media available ''Images raster / digital photography'',''Text''
Paper Archive recipient Suffolk HER
Paper Archive ID BRD 234
Paper Contents ''other''
Paper Media available ''Correspondence'',''Plan'',''Report''
Project bibliography 1
Publication type Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript)
Title Historic Building Record: Brandon Park Engine House, Brandon, Suffolk
Author(s)/Editor(s) Sommers, M.
Other bibliographic
details
SACIC Report No. 2015/024
Date 2015
Issuer or publisher SACIC
Place of issue or
publication
Needham Market
Description Printed sheets of A4 paper with card covers and a plastic comb binding
Entered by MS ([email protected])
Entered on 20 April 2015
Suffolk Archaeology CIC Unit 5 | Plot 11 | Maitland Road | Lion Barn Industrial Estate Needham Market | Suffolk | IP6 8NZ [email protected] 01449 900120 www.suffolkarchaeology.co.uk