Building record MCC241 - All Saints Court, Culver Street East, Colchester

Summary

Late 16th century house.

Location

Grid reference TL 9987 2516 (point)
Map sheet TL92NE
Non Parish Area COLCHESTER, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

RCHME survey of All Saints Court tenements. A T-shaped block on the W side of the court was built late in the 16th century with the cross-wing at the North end; to the North of this is a cellar of about the same date. The North range of the courtyard is of the 16th or 17th century and the rest of the buildings of the 18th century. There are some 16th century windows with moulded mullions . Inside the building the cellar has rubble walls, a doorway with a two-centred head and a number of recesses; on the South side are three narrow bays with quadripartite vaulting and divided up by modern partitions. The cross-wing of the original building appears to have been originally of one storey and three bays long; it has richly moulded wall-plates, hollow-chamfered tie-beams and collars with curved braces forming two centred arches; the trusses have been partly cut away. The staircase is of late 17th century date with turned balusters and moulded hand-rail. The wing extending South has original moulded wall-plates and beams; in the West wall is a moulded corbel formerly supporting a curved brace.'<1>

In 1939 All Saints Court was demolished. A number of photographs were taken of the frame of the house which was identified as late 15th century rather than the 16th century date suggested by the RCHME. Part of the structure was removed for display in the museum and the stone cellar was filled in, the following report was compiled by the Museum. The structure was a '15th century building which stood east of the Grammar School, ...The sola-wing, which ran south from the west end was destroyed before the cottages forming the west side of All Saints Court were built...the building was constructed of three bays one of which has been preserved in the museum, together with the carved door-heads. Excellent detail drawings of the construction, mage by Mr Sissons, are also in the Museum...The cellars beneath this building were masonry plastered over. The walls formed the foundations for the hall walls, the roof under the hall was of wood, on plain heavy joists of re-used timber. On the south certain small chambers ran off, and these were cross-vaulted, the vaulting plain and pointed. In the walls were frequent shallow, pointed recesses...It was intended to preserve the cellars, but long exposure during the 1939-45 war caused the plaster to crack and give, exposing the fact that the "masonry" was mostly plaster, made up with blocks of chalk and some Roman tile. Near the original stairs (at the South East corner) part of the walling was of small sixed bricks. Measurements were taken by Mr Poulter before filling in the vaults, but only a much longer survey and detailed examination could unravel the confusion caused by many recent alterations in modern brick and plaster".<2>

A number of photographs were taken during the demolition of the 15th century & later All Saints Court by Rudsdale between 1932 and 1939.<3>

Watercolour painting of All Saints Court, Colchester (now demolished). View faces southward through carriage passage into courtyard.<4>

An architects plan for the conversion and renovation of All Saints Court produced in 1938. The plan was never carried through and the building was demolished the following year, however the plan shows the vaulted cellar and internal features.<5>

Sources/Archives (5)

  • <1> Monograph: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1922. Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England): Essex, (North-East). Volume III. No 128.
  • <2> Unpublished document: Colchester Museums. 1939. Social History File: Culver St, All Saints Court.
  • <3> COLLECTION / PARENT: Rudsdale, E. J. (Mr). 1932-1939. All Saints Court, Culver Street.
  • <4> Graphic material: Rodwell-Smith, G (Mr). All Saints Court, Colchester.
  • <5> DRAWING - ELEVATION: Brown, Charles, R. (Mr) L.R.I.B.A.. 1938. Proposed Conversion of Old House, All Saints Court, Culver St..

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

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Related Events/Activities (5)

Record last edited

Jan 31 2017 8:55AM

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