“Old Brewery House” was built a long time ago, around the 1600s. The current owner is busy restoring it and discovering the buildings true history. Once a brewery and in latter days a private house it is, like many houses in Froyle, an amalgam of four houses! |
The photograph above shows “Old Brewery House” around 1970 - the restoration has removed the coloured exterior and taken it back to the brick. In the process the owner has uncovered several fascinating builder’s marks, some of which are shown below. |
We start off with a couple of Witches Marks - the lower picture is an enlargement of the first. They are postioned over a window. The best explanation of these particular marks I have found comes from the website of a firm of surveyors as part of a glossary of terms used in their reports. They are known as Apotropaic Markings: |
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More usual, especially in Froyle, are the initials of the builders, but, so far, we have not had much luck in identifying the initials. |
IT also appears on “Limit Cottages” - just up the road from “Old Brewery House”. |
TM could be Thomas Messenger, but, when we have read the various deeds and indentures, we may know more. |