This is the second occasion that we have been to sweep at the medieval vicarage of All Saints in Maldon. It is an amazing 15^th century timber framed house that still retains a wealth of original features. Originally it was built as a hall house with a solar and in all probability would have had an open hearth. It is a Grade II* Listed Building: Listing No: 1257084, Date listed: 24 Sept 1971. After the three churches, the oldest building in Maldon is the Vicarage.

It was built as a vicarage in about 1350 and it has always been the vicarage of the parish except for a short period in the 18th Century when the then vicar thought it was not grand enough and moved himself into Friary House (at the bottom end of the public car park across the High Street) and housed his curate in the vicarage. The original house was raised to a second story in 1450 when Mr D’Arcy’s bequest installed two chantry priests with a house and an acre of ground adjacent to the church. The substantial walled garden still exists within 50 metres of Maldon High Street. The most recent addition, the east wing, was added in 1670. For 200 years the half-timbered fascia was covered with rendering until in 1902 it was stripped away and the porch restored to reveal the frontage in its full glory. From the rear it is much easier to see just how this house evolved. Inside there are some walled paintings dating from the 15th century and timbers reputed to have been trees at the time of the Norman Conquest.

The British listed buildings web page notes that: Vicarage. 1449, early C16 and C17, restored 1902. Timber-framed and rendered with some exposed framing and gabled plain tiled roof. Complex plan form with main block of hall with 2 cross-wings type. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. The front of the west cross-wing has carved barge-boards of 1902 with pomegranates and gable framing exposed with arched down-braces from the crown post. The tie beam has moulded soffit and an early C20 square oriel has 3 large brackets and flat lead roof. The 3-light casement window of this as other contemporary windows on front are of hardwood with square fixed lights above transom with leaded glazing. The exposed 1st-floor framing has double wall bracing. The ground floor is jettied with original brackets and square oriel of 4 lights as above. Rendered and truncated old stack on west flank. The 2-storey hall block has exposed framing with 2 major wall posts framing a probable window opening. The 1st floor has one 1902 window of 2 lights and similar 3-light window linked by a 2-light ovolo-mullioned leaded window with wrought-iron subsidiary mullions. Also one similar window now as cross-mullioned. The ground floor has an ovolo-mullioned 2-light window, either side of a 3-light casement of 1902. Gabled projecting porch of 1902 with ornamental barge-boards with grape pattern and front posts with attached shafts with moulded bases and capitals. Recessed arched door head with carved and dated (1902) spandrels and door of multi-studded battens with rectangular fanlight over. The east gable has moulded and carved barge-boards of 1902 with grape pattern and of 45 degree pitch. The gable framing is exposed with ogee-curved down-braces to crown post. The exposed tie beam has a moulded soffit. 1st floor has exposed frame and single wall braces to corner posts and 3-light 1902 flush casement as others. The jetty is exposed but with modern fascia over framed and moulded jetty bressumer. One jetty bracket of mid-C17 character remains. Ground floor has square 4-light oriel as others and 2-light c1600 ovolo-mullioned window with leaded glazing. The eastern cross-wing has 2 late, 2-storeyed extensions on its east flank. These have parallel plain tile, gabled roofs, at right-angles to the cross-wing ridge. The southernmost of these has painted decorative tiling and a plain 2-light casement on its south wall at 1st-floor level. Other walls are rendered and 12-pane sash window at 1st floor on east elevation. Larger extension behind projects further and has exposed brick and pantile-roofed lean-to extension on its east wall. The ground floor has 16-pane sash windows and C20 casement over. T-shaped stack in valley between extensions. The rear of the west wing is hipped with a gablet and there is a gabled stair tower adjoining. INTERIOR: the west cross-wing is a high quality, 2-bay structure with unjowled posts and with a single chamber on each floor. Floor joists with centre tenons and soffit shoulders. The ground floor front wall shows evidence for further double wall bracing and a square oriel window. Fireplaces to west flank, that to the upper floor having a stone late medieval surround. It is suggested that the original stack position was in the rear bay of this flank where there is a substantial gap in the framing and a probable window opening adjoining. The rear wall of this structure has vertically aligned door openings on each floor, that to the ground floor with an arched head. Presumably one or both of these gave access to a stair but this area was altered in the late C17 (painted date on wall) to provide an additional rear bay. The east wall has elaborate curved wall bracing exposed within the later hall. A crown-post roof substantially survives of cross-quadrate form over the central tie beams.

 Here is something a bit different fore this week’s blog – As you will have seen from previous blogs, we sweep a number of biomass boilers across our sweeping area, ranging from small domestic boilers to large appliances that heat a number of properties or just one large property. This example is a Gilles boiler and is located in an outbuilding at a property near Wickhambrook. We have been sweeping this appliance annually for quite some time now. Just above my head is a T-Piece and soot collection trap which has to be cleaned out following sweeping. I use rotary power sweeping equipment to clean the robust factory-made chimney.

A search on the internet revealed that Gilles were bought out in 2020: Biomass-boiler supplier Hargassner from Weng in Upper Austria announced in September 2020 the acquisition of Gilles. The family owned company Hargassner engages 450 employees and manufacturers Pellet, Wood Log and Wood Chip boilers in a power scale of 6 kW until 330 kW. Through the acquisition, the range is now extended with industrial boilers up to 2.500 kW. Hargassner is very strong international committed. Due to various innovations, Hargassner is known as a leading supplier for biomass in Europe.

Hargassner Biomass Heating Ltd

Unit 215b Holme Lacy Road
Hereford HR2 6BQ

Office: +44 (0) 1432 513777
Out of hours: +44 (0) 7391 590 689
office@hargassner.co.uk
www.hargassner.com

In the middle of the week we were working in Great Sampford at Post Cottage when we took this photo of the view from the front garden. A fantastic heritage shot of the centre of a quintessential English village. The church of St Michael is Grade 1 listed, Listing Number: 1322547, Date listed: 21 Feb 1967. I just love the feature of the blocked transept window, the tracery and medieval stained glass having long disappeared and the void being filled with old soft red brick. Not only is it evidence of ‘pleasing decay’, it tells a story of the rising and declining fortunes of the village over time. It is absolutely beautiful. The old cottages in the foreground just add to the whole pleasing effect.

We had a real treat this week when we were sweeping in Little Bradley, where the most loveable and affectionate Cocker Spaniel Alfie lives. Alfie likes nothing more than to have big hugs and lots of fussing, and if you stop stroking him he will quickly let you know by talking to you. Such a typical Cocker! Both Claire and I are Cocker people, we have three of our own, but Alfie is definitely something else, he is on a whole new level of adorable! Who can not enjoy working when you have days like these!

I came across this Stovax Riva 2 323-325 Wood-Burning Inset Stove at an address in Wimbish just the other day. This was the first time I had seen one of these Riva 2’s, like most sweeps I see plenty of the Stovax Riva’s as they are a very popular model of stove and are therefore to be found in many homes that I sweep at across the area. The original Riva’s have a double baffle system, with a lower baffle held up by side pins on either side of the stove and a top baffle held up on two pins in the roof of the stove. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to find that the Riva 2 is much more simply put together, with just one baffle supported on the two vermiculite side bricks, making the Riva 2 much more straight forward to dismantle and clean. A real result. Having said this, its simplicity does not seem to affect its performance, and the customer is more than pleased with the way that it heats the room.

The Stovax Heating Group has been dedicated to the design and manufacture of exceptional stoves, fires and fireplaces for 38 years. Today, we are one of the UK’s leading stove and fireplace manufacturers, exporting to over 25 countries worldwide.

Across our wood burning, multi-fuel, gas and electric products, we strive to create the future of fire. Each of our heating products is the result of decades of expert craftsmanship and class-leading innovation – representing the pinnacle of British engineering.

The Stovax Heating Group is proud to be part of the NIBE Stoves group, a market-leading provider of domestic heating products.

Based in Exeter, England, Stovax Ltd was established in 1981 to design, manufacture and distribute wood burning stoves and fireside accessories. By 1988, the sister company Gazco Ltd was formed to develop and produce gas and electric versions of Stovax stoves.

Today, Stovax and Gazco continue to work very closely together. Each company has constantly developed its product range such that the combined businesses have grown to become one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of stoves, fireplaces and fires, with exports to countries worldwide.

In 2006, Stovax Ltd purchased Yeoman, a long established manufacturer of wood burning stoves that specialised in more rustic, rural styling. The company continues to produce a distinctive and separate range of wood burning, multi-fuel, gas and electric stoves and fires under the Yeoman brand.

Stovax is also the UK and Republic of Ireland distributor for a number of additional fireplaces and stove brands including Dovre, Lotus, Nordpeis & Varde. You can find your nearest retailer in the UK and the Republic of Ireland by using the Find a Retailer tool on this website. For information on distributors in other countries, please contact exportsales@stovax.com.

https://www.stovax.com/information/contact/

No, on this occasion I was not sweeping for the Bishop of Chelmsford when I visited great Canfield church, but for a private customer who lives in a large house nearby. The thing that strikes you immediately when approaching this small Essex church is its Norman doorways. These Romanesque doorways assist in dating the church back in the past as far as the Norman period. After a walk around the outside of the church examining the flint fabric, I was excited to have a look inside. However, I was quickly disappointed as the church was locked. There were however the details of the Church Warden from whom the key could be obtained. Unfortunately, I had other jobs to do and was somewhat time pressured, so I did not have the time to obtain the key and have a look around. Reading further on the internet, it would appear that I missed a real treat, and I will therefore have to make the time for a return visit when I have more time.

The Norman doorways of the church are not the only external features that place the church in the Norman period. Close by are the remains of a Norman Mote and Bailey Castle. The castle was built by the De Vere family who were the Earls of Oxford and who also built the notable Norman castle at Castle Headingham which survives intact to this day. The castle at Great Canfield, while clearly not in the same league as Castle Hedingham, is nonetheless a particularly fine example of its type. The earthworks are large and impressive and its ditches, which also include a partial diversion of the river Roding, indicate the power of its owners.

The present church at Great Canfield dates back to the time of the Mote and Bailey Castle, but probably replaced an earlier church. The church itself is rather impressive and is evidence of the wealth of its once powerful benefactors the De Vere family. On entering the porch the visitor is confronted with a most unusual Norman doorway. The tympanum itself is fascinating with it stylised “rising sun” chevron work and billeted extrados but the real interest lies just below in the capitals. Here, on the left, is thought to be a representation of Odin with the ravens Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory) whispering to him. On the return there is a row of five swastika carvings. The opposite capital features another Norse face and what appears to be a snake. Whether these are indeed Norse carvings or perhaps relate to Biblical stories is unclear, yet the Norse style of execution is compelling. It is possible that these carvings originate from an earlier building.

Inside the church there is a wealth of architectural features, chief amongst these is the magnificent Norman chancel arch. In addition, there is a Thirteenth-Century wall painting featuring an image of the Virgin Mary which Nikolas Pevsner considered to be the finest in the country. It is believed that the wall painting, and the accompanying decoration on the east wall, may once have formed an unusual painted reredos.

I haven’t posted a picture of any thatched animals we have come across in our work for quite some time now, so here are some thatched ducklings we saw on a recently thatched roof in Ashdon. This is a job we have been doing for a number of years, and each time we have been the thatch looked increasingly tired, until on the last occasion it had a tarpaulin stretched over the rear section to keep the rain out. The new occupiers thought it was high time for some drastic action and had the whole roof entirely rethatched, with remarkable results. I think that you will agree that the thatched ducklings are a pleasing touch. It is an interesting fact that the farm is surrounded by a dried-up medieval moat, so at one time in the past ducklings would have been swimming around the farm. Medieval moats are quite a common feature in this area of Northwest Essex and yet unlike the defensive moats built around castles these moats were decorative statements of wealth constructed by rich landowning families.

As can be seen in the photograph, the farmhouse has a large inglenook chimney. However at the business end of things there is a Dovre 250 Multi-Fuel Stove. This make of stove has a fixed baffle plate, so the chimney has to be swept via an inspection hatch in the stovepipe. In my view it is not the most attractive of stoves, but has a functional, businesslike appearance. The customer said that it really does a good job of heating the room in the winter. Dovre are a French stove company whose products are distributed in the UK by Stovax.

It was a first for us this week when we had Vicki accompany us for a couple of days. Vicki is one of our longstanding customers and has always had wood-burning stoves. Over the years we have helped train as many as 15 male sweeps of varying ability, not all of whom are currently sweeping. One guy notably managed to shut himself inside the mid-section of the van!!

Vicki in the two days she was working with us demonstrated that she was extremely capable, and I would say that she is easily one of the best we have taken out. She seems to have a natural ability for chimney sweeping and took to the work easily in a relaxed and confident way. I was particularly impressed with her physical strength and her strong work ethic. She is clearly a hard worker who has plenty of drive and ambition. I think that proof of this is in part evidenced by her decision to take up chimney sweeping in the first place, which is a physical, dirty job in what is still a male dominated industry. Strength of character indeed!

Vicki has already completed the HETAS chimney sweeping course at Specflue in Sudbury and is developing a solid knowledge base through book learning. Vicki lives close to Bury St Edmunds, so her sweeping activity will be focused in the Bury area. Vicki is hoping to be operational by the autumn just in time for the chimney sweeping silly season. In my humble opinion Vicki has the making of an excellent, profession chimney sweep. Claire and I will obviously give her all the help, advise and support that she requires to ensure that she develops a thriving business. We wish her all the best for the future and will be taking her out for further familiarisation soon.

No I definitely haven’t seen anything like this before!! This stove was in a house we swept at this year in Ellsenham, although it is part of a modern installation, I have never come across anything quite like it before.            At first I thought it might be an old Jotul model, however searches on the internet have revealed nothing similar. Embosed on the front of the stove are the words: Bryende, Tory, Briketter, Kul and Koks. There is also a logo embossed on the stove which looks like an upside-down letter T with an S scrolling through it. Using Google translate, these words are Norwegian and translate as follows: Bryende (Boiling), Tory (?), Briketter (Briquettes), Kul (Cool) and Koks (Coke). I’m thinking perhaps my original guess at Jotul the Norwegian stove manufacturer was not that far out!

If anyone out there recognizes the make/model please do let me know, I would be intrigued to find out what it is. As I said, it is a modern installation and is attached to a factory-made chimney which has a T-Piece and soot collection trap.

Here we are working at another heritage property, this is Birbecks in Sewards End. It is a Grade II Listed Building: Listing No: 1196236, Date listed: 01 Nov 1972. The property, like many heritage properties in the area, is timber framed and has a beautiful peg tile roof.

The central feature of the property is a large inglenook open fire with register plate, hood and inspection hatches. Cleaning such a thing is labour and time intensive as you have to clean each side of the inglenook individually. I know that it is certainly a tiring thing to do and always makes my arms quite tired afterwards. The chimney is constructed with old soft red brick, which is a common feature in the area. It also has old clay/lime pargetting as an interior lining in the chimney. Great care therefore has to be taken when cleaning the chimney so as not to dislodge the old lining. With this chimney I use a soft 24” inglenook brush to ensure that I don’t damage the chimney. The chimney is also of such a height and width that I have to use aluminium stretcher rods in order to prevent the rods/brush folding back on themselves in the chimney. Just some little tricks of the trade!

In all likelihood Birbecks originally was a manor house or the home of a successful Yeoman farmer. It is certainly a very attractive, picturesque house and very characteristic of this part of north-west Essex.