Details
TL 8422-8522 COGGESHALL ABBEY LANE
(south side)
9/12 The Abbot's lodging
2.5.53 and corridor of
Coggeshall Abbey
(formerly listed as
The Abbot's Lodging
and remains of Dorter
Wall and Ambulatory,
Coggeshall Abbey)
GV I
Abbot's lodging and corridor of Cistercian Abbey. Circa 1190, altered c.1220
and in late C16. Lodging of flint rubble containing brick, with brick
dressings; corridor of flint rubble with brick and stone dressings, and chalk in
the vault; both roofed with handmade red plain tiles. Lodging of rectangular
plain aligned E-W, the corridor extending northwards from the E end. Both of 2
storeys. The E elevation has on the ground floor one lancet window with plain
jambs and arch, on the first floor 2 lancet windows recessed in 2 plain orders,
and in the gable a late C16 window of 4 lights with chamfered mullions, jambs
and straight head. The N elevation has on the ground floor one late C16 doorway
with a straight brick head, one blocked lancet window in 2 recessed orders with
rounded arrises, and a doorway to the corridor; this has jambs and 2-centred
head in 2 orders with rounded arrises; on the first floor one late C16 window of
2 lights with chamfered mullion, jambs and straight head, and a doorway from the
corridor; this has jambs and a round arch in 2 roll-moulded orders; both
doorways are rebated inside. Near the W end is the stub of the W wall of the
demolished dorter, and in this angle and the angle with the corridor is a
moulded stone corbel, formerly supporting the vault. The S elevation has on the
ground floor a blocked lancet window. The W elevation has on the ground floor a
blocked similar window. The walls have been raised approximately 0.60 metre in
the late C16 with re-used original brick and tile, 2 floors inserted at the same
time, and a roof added, evidently for secular domestic use. In later
agricultural use window and door apertures have been made in the N, S and W
walls, apparently C18 and C19, and the attic floor removed. At the time of
survey, August 1987, part of the ground floor was in use as a stable, the
remainder only for storage. The floor comprises 4 chamfered transverse beams,
some supported on jowled posts, and plain joists of horizontal section jointed
to them with soffit tenons with diminished haunches, with many original boards.
The internal beam nearest the E end has empty mortices for a former studded
partition in the N half only; existing partitions on the ground floor appear to
be later insertions; at the W end many joists have been replaced. On the first
floor, between the E windows, is a tall recess with a 2-centred arch; and in the
S wall near the E end is a smaller recess with a 2-centred arch. J.S. Gardner
interprets these as for a crucifix and piscina (Coggeshall Abbey and its early
brickwork, Journal of the British Archaeological Association, third series 18,
1955, 19-32 and plates 5-14). The roof is in 5 bays, with queen posts, clasped
purlins and evenly arched wind-braces; one queen post is of re-used medieval
moulded timber, heavily weathered. The tiebeams have mortices for the former
attic floor, but none for partitions on the first floor; they are strengthened
with iron ties. One collar has mortices for a former studded partition on the
attic floor, dividing it into 2 and 3 bays. The corridor is of 3 bays with
chamfered quadripartite brick vaulting, and a shorter bay at the N end with a
4-centred barrel vault. The ribs are plastered and painted with orange false
masonry lines on white, some of whch survives in good condition. Above the ribs
are large irregular pieces of chalk set in mortar. The E wall is divided into
bays by brick buttresses, and has one round arch and one 2-centred arch, each
with a chamfered inner order stopping at imposts below which it is continued as
2 roll-mouldings. The arch to the N was blocked in the late C16 for a doorway
with chamfered jambs and 4-centred arch of stone, rebated internally for a door,
with one pintle hinge in situ. On the arch are inscribed the initials A.C. in
cursive script, and various graffiti. Above the door is a window of 3 lights
with chamfered mullions, jambs and 4-centred arches, and one original iron
diamond saddle bar. To N of this is a detached stone shaft with a moulded
capital, from which springs the cross-arch. The W elevation has a 2-centred
doorway with rounded external arrises, and internally 2 roll-moulded orders,
with a plain segmental arch above, and a 2-centred arch above it; Gardner
interprets this as an E doorway of the dorter, c.1180, altered c.1220 to conform
with the rest of the corridor. To N of it is a stone attached half-shaft with a
moulded capital, formerly supporting the vault of the dorter. One blocked arch
has stone dressings, and internally a window with clustered shafts and nook-
shafts with moulded capitals, a twisted and beaded central shaft, one incomplete
moulded inner arch and a complete moulded outer arch, formerly of the dorter,
c.1180. At the N end is a doorway of c.1220, with jambs and 2-centred arch of 2
roll-moulded orders, of plastered brick. The front of it is now within a short
link connecting the corridor to the C16 house called The Abbey (item 9/11,
q.v.). The upper storey of the corridor has a wide window aperture on each side
of the N end, and on the E side 2 blocked original splayed window apertures.
The N end is blocked off with thin studding and primary straight bracing. The S
end has over the doorway a late C16 timber framed gable with original wattle and
daub infill, and on the S side original lime plaster. The late C16 roof is in 4
bays and an incomplete bay at the N end, with chamfered straight tiebeams of
vertical section with lamb's tongue stops, clasped purlins and original rafters
of horizontal section. Most of the wind-braces are arched, but 5 are of
serpentine shape. RCHM (Little Coggeshall) 2. A.M.
Listing NGR: TL8552922241
