The Georgian Renovation of the John Ray Building

2025 is, roughly, the 300th anniversary of the Georgian Renovation of the John Ray Building, which is believed to have taken place in about 1725. A large amount of the form of the John Ray Building today is the result of this Renovation.

Before this Renovation, the John Ray Building, which had been constructed in 1647, was a typical box timber-frame structure with a gable roof. Afterwards, it did not essentially have either of these.

At the time of its first construction, a large external brick cooking hearth that served only the ground floor was affixed to the north wall. In the Georgian Renovation, a lot of the existing timber-framing of the north wall was replaced with brick. A brick extension that was the full height of the Building, the length of the entire north wall and the width of the hearth chimney was also constructed. To aid the stability of this tall extension, part of the adjoining timber-framing of the east and west walls was also removed and the brick walling of the extension encroached into the lower areas of those walls. This encroachment on the west wall meant that the original ground floor door had to be moved slightly to the south. The original northern door post was then re-used as a window lintel in the Georgian Renovation of the Stone Building, which is where it still is today.

However, the most notable changes were to the height of the Building and its roof. The entire gable roof was removed and new timbers were added so that the new height of the John Ray Building matched the height of what the Jettied Building had in Tudor times. It also had a new hipped roof, which continued beyond the west wall of the John Ray Building. This meant that technically, the John Ray Building only had a hipped roof at its eastern end. The change in height as a result of this Georgian Renovation can be clearly seen today by the different colours applied to the plaster by Middleton Hall Trust when this Building was restored.

West face of the John Ray Building, 2021. Photograph taken by Joanna Habart.

All of the timbers used in the Georgian Renovation of this Building were re-used and they are thought to have all come from other parts of this Building. Only the west tie-beam timber of the original roof-frame remained in place and it can still be seen in the west wall today. However, the east wall is the best wall to reveal the complicated methods involved to extend the height without using new timber. All of the three principal posts of this wall were extended using different techniques. The south-east corner post was simply increased by the common method of a short strut connected via a scarf-joint. The central post was increased in height by the use of a long splice-jointed timber. The north-east corner post was very different and the new post present in that location after this Renovation was the full height of the new first floor. However, it was also only the height of that floor as a result of the bricks encroaching from the new northern extension. It is also confidently known that this north-east post is not in its original location because it has an empty mortice in its outer facia. However, where it came from is unknown.

First floor east face of the John Ray Building, during restoration by Middleton Hall Trust.

Furthermore, five new Georgian sash windows were added to the east wall of this Building, three on the first floor and two on the ground floor. Two new fireplaces were added to the south wall through the conversion of part of the Stone Building’s garderobe into a chimney. A new stone floor for the ground floor room, which is still present today, and new internal timber panelling for the first floor chamber was added. Finally, the external walls were covered with lime plaster to finish off the John Ray Building’s new Georgian appearance.

East view of Middleton Hall, showing the Georgian window arrangement, c.1895.

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

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