RochfordD i s t r i c t C o u n c i l

HeritageGuide

2011:Layout 1 25/10/10 12:56 Page 1

Welcometo Rochford

Whispering PostRochford

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Ashingdon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Barling Magna and Little Wakering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Canewdon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Foulness Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Great Wakering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Hawkwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Hockley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Hullbridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Paglesham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Rayleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Rawreth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Rochford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Stambridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Sutton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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Introduction

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The District was first calledRochford Hundred in Normantimes and stretched from theRiver Crouch in the north to theRiver Thames in the south.(The term Hundred is an ancientadministrative division of a countyoriginally thought to contain ahundred families). Covering 65square miles it once includedboth Southend and Leigh andhad 19 districts. Various changestook place in the 20th Centuryand it now has 14 parishes, eachwith its own distinct history andcharacter. Compare the area ofthe map by Chapman & Andre in1777 to one of today.

Surrounded on three sides bywater (sea and river), nauticalpursuits abounded. The waterwas excellent for the productionof oysters (a staple diet of thepoor) and smuggling contraband,which was easily hidden from thecustoms men in the creeks andinlets. Boat building was athriving industry as well.Advantage was also taken of therich London clay soil and manylocal brickworks transported thebricks to London by Thames Barge.Inland, agriculture was prominent.corn for the mills was grown inmany fields and horses wereextensively used to help cultivatethe crops.

Sailing on the River Crouch

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In early days much of the areawas covered by forest andwoodland and included parks forthe benefit of Royal pastimes.Much of the woodland was felledfor houses, fuel and boat buildingand in the clearings animalsgrazed and small communitiesexisted. Little changed forcenturies until the railway arrivedin 1889. From this datelandowners started to sell theirestates and property buildingspread to all areas andpopulation levels increased.

The District is now split in to 13parish councils and one towncouncil as outlined below:

Ashingdon – best known for thebattle in 1016.

Barling Magna – still retains itsrural charm including the 11thcentury church at Little Wakeringonce visited by King George III in1769.

Canewdon – on the south bankof the River Crouch. Ancientsettlement mentioned in theDomesday Book.

Foulness Island – best knownfor its wildlife and associationwith the Ministry of Defence.

Great Wakering – mentioned inthe Domesday Book and knownfor its brickworks. Now mainlyresidential.

Hawkwell – has a variety ofpublic open spaces as well as a14th Century church with a 15thcentury timber belfry.

Hockley – well known to manywho enjoy a stroll in HockleyWoods but don’t forgetPlumberow Mount, undiscoveredby many.

Hullbridge – another riversidevillage once part of the pilgrimroute to Canterbury before thebridge was destroyed long ago.

Paglesham – part of the RoachValley Conservation Area. Waswell known for smuggling as wellas a reputation for oysterproduction.

Rayleigh – historic market townwith a wealth of history andcharacter. Buildings and sites ofinterest include a 14th century

parish church, 18th century Dutchcottage, windmill, Martyr’sMemorial and the Mount (site ofthe castle). Origin of theWhispering Court.

Rochford – the chief town of theHundred. The centre of trade forcenturies best known for itsassociations with Henry VIII andAnne Boleyn. Home of thePeculiar People.

Rawreth – mainly agriculturalwith many moated farmhouses.

Stambridge – also mentioned inthe Domesday Book, the TidalMill was built over 500 years ago.John Harriott, who founded theThames Police Force in the 18thcentury, was also a resident.

Sutton – once a fishing villagewith its own market fair in the11th century.

Mike Davies(Rayleigh Through the LookingGlass)

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The Battle of Ashingdon wasfought on the low groundbetween Ashingdon Hill andCanewdon Hill on October 18th1016. It resulted in a decisivevictory for The Danes led byCanute, who overcame theEnglish army led by King EdmundII (‘Ironside‘). This battleconcluded the Danish reconquestof England, and most of theEnglish nobility was cut down inthe very bloody battle, whichinvolved an element of treachery.

In the morning of the battleIronside attacked Canutehead-on, rushing down the hill toengage in battle. The Danes

pretended to fall back, but thenreformed to beat the English. Oneof the English generals, Eadric ofMurcia, had remained on the hillwith his men, he did not assistIronside, but later joined Canutein completing his rout of theEnglish force.

This important victory for Canuteresulted in an agreement to dividethe country between himself andIronside. The death of Ironsideshortly afterward gave Canute theCrown of England. St AndrewsChurch, overlooking the battle

Ashingdon

St Andrews ChurchAshingdon

site, was built by Canute as atribute to the many who died inthis awful but significantencounter.

It is believed that SouthFambridge, an area in the northof Ashingdon, was the site of thefirst air-field in Britain. Amemorial was un-veiled on thevillage green to the south of thevillage, on 20th February 2009 –the 100th anniversary of the datewhen the airfield was firstmentioned in the press. Theairfield used Crane Court, aformer crane factory, as a hangar.

Neil Pemberton-Billing owned theairfield. He later formed acompany called Supermarinewhich employed R J Mitchell thedesigner of the Spitfire.

In a field to the north ofCanewdon Road in Ashingdon isa small memorial to the crew ofan American B26 aircraft whichcrashed on 24 September 1944.

The aircraft was flying fromFrance to its home base atMatching Green, and came downin bad weather killing all five crew.

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Airfields of Britain MemorialSouth Fambridge All Saints Church

People have lived in the areasince the Stone Age. From themiddle of the Stone Age, peoplewere attracted here by the fertilesoils of the brick earth. TheRomans were also in evidence inthe area but it is the Saxons whogave the names of Barling andLittle Wakering to the villages.

Barling is now generally acceptedto mean ‘Baerla’s people’ andLittle Wakering from the ‘Peopleof Wacor or Waecer’.

In 998, Leofwine, a Saxon Thegn,left Barling in his will, to BishopWulfstan and it became part ofthe lands owned by St Paul’s inLondon who already owned landin neighbouring Shopland.

When the Domesday Book wascompiled in 1085, the manor ofLittle Wakering was part of thelands of Swein and Barling waspart of the Lands of the Canonsof St Paul’s. Richard, son of

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Barling Magna

St Marys ChurchBarling

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Gilbert held Barrow Hall andBishop Odo, brother to Williamthe Conqueror held Mucking Hall.

There are two ancient churches inthe villages. During the 1100’s,construction of both churches isbelieved to have started, the naveand chancel at St Mary’s areNorman and there is proof thatthey were built before 1190 whenthe advowson and land of StMary’s, Little Wakering wasdeeded by William de Tayden to StBartholomew’s Hospital, London.The Tower at St Mary’s is said tohave been built by John Wakering,Bishop of Norwich of Barrow Hall,with financial assistance fromAnne, Countess of Stafford as athanks offering for his safe returnfrom Agincourt in 1416.

The south wall of the nave in AllSaints’, Barling Magna is believedto be the oldest dating from the12th century with additionsthrough to the 15th Century.The Victorians undertook a majorrenovation in the mid 1800’s.

Both churches once had their ownVicarages. The present LittleWakering Vicarage, adjacent to thechurch was built in 1866 and wassold in 2006. The Glebe inBarling, dating from the 1700’s has

been in private hands for aconsiderable time.

Barling had at one time a windmill.In 1181, a mill is recorded to haveexisted there. On maps datingfrom 1724 and 1749, a mill symbolis shown, close to the church inChurch Road, the smock mill builtaround 1760 stood on the site untilit was demolished in 1946.

During the time of Elizabeth I,Barling was a busy sea tradingport and in the returns of 1564,Barling reported 23 ships with48 marines and fisherman. Inthe 1580’s Little Wakering built 6vessels under a bounty scheme.Both ports traded with Londonand the Low Countries, the maincargoes being grain, oysters,timber and wool.

The area has always been andstill is agricultural. In the pastthere were numerous farms andhomesteads, these have nowbeen amalgamated into three orfour large farms. The area isbordered by marshland andcreeks. Winter wading birdsfrequent the area and there is arich assortment of wildlife.

Barling Magna Parish Council

Canewdon is a large parish, whichextends for several miles along thesouthern side of the River Crouch.The name is derived from theSaxon ‘hill of Cana’s people’ and isnot named after King Canute.

Evidence of early settlementshave been found in the areaincluding bronze age artefacts,Roman red hills and a paddledated around 1000 BCdiscovered in the river bank.

The Parish church of St Nicholaswith its impressive tower is alandmark for many miles aroundand was used as an observationand signalling post during theFirst World War. It stands on aridge overlooking the Crouchestuary on an ancient site in alarge churchyard. The church’simpressive tower is said to havebeen erected by Henry V inthanksgiving for his victory atAgincourt. Its site at the end of thevillage street is typical of a Saxonvillage with the church ‘tacked on’at one end, suggesting the village

layout was completed before thechurch was founded.

To the east of the church is the oldvillage lock-up and stocks. Theseused to be located adjacent to thepond in Lambourne Hall Road.Canewdon played a key roleduring the Second World Warbeing the fourth Transmission andReceiver site for RADAR to bebuilt and was part of a chain ofstations around the coast.

The modern day Canewdon is aclose-knit village community. Alsoincluded in the area is the island ofWallasea, a very popular centre forsailing and now being managed bythe RSPB as a wetland sanctuaryfor wildlife.

Joyce Smith

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Canewdon

St Nicholas ChurchCanewdon

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Foulness IslandThe island’s name derives from‘Fulganaess’, the Old English forwild birds nest, and today thearea remains a santuary to greatcolonies of wading birds,including oystercatcher, redshank,avocets and brent geese.

The earliest known occupants ofFoulness and the smaller islandswere the Romano-British.Archaeological evidence tells usthat a civilian settlement existed atLittle Shelford in the south-west ofthe Island, this consisted of acemetery where cremation urnswere recovered, some withevidence of human remains inside.Archaeological excavation of thesite has revealed that farming,fishing and in particular thecultivation of oysters was takingplace, but it would appear theproduction of salt was the mainindustry in this area at thisparticular time. The potteryexcavated gives us a date foroccupation as the late first centuryAD. The site appears to be

abandoned circa 280-230 AD dueto the flooding caused by risingsea levels. The first recordedreference of sea walls on theIsland was in “The Charter Rolls”for 1271 AD.

Foulness was originally sharedbetween five mainland parishes:Rochford, Sutton, Little Wakering,Shopland, and Little Stambridgeall in the Rochford Hundred.These parishes held detachedrights on Foulness. Theinhabitants had to pay tithes tothose parishes on whose landthey dwelt, this lasted until all theIslands’ tithes were commuted tomoney payment in 1847.

Archaeological evidence suggeststhat the first substantial qualitydomestic dwellings wereconstructed in the sixteenthcentury; however more recentarchaeological excavation(2001-03) shows high status livingexisted on the Island in thefourteenth-fifteenth century. There

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appears to have been threemajor building phases on theIsland: Mid 16th century,late 17th century – early 18thcentury, late 19th century –early 20th century. The firstbrick built dwellings wereconstructed in the early18th century.

During the medieval periodthe Island was populated byshepherds and fishermen.Arable farming was takingplace, but Foulness was wellknown for its dairy produce.The marshlands were idealfor grazing sheep andcheese, meat and ewes milkwere in plentiful supply. Thesheep also provided wool forthe wool trade which was atits height in England duringthe medieval period.

The population began to increasein numbers from the sixteenthcentury due mainly to thedevelopment of arable farming onthe island. During the seventeenthcentury Dutch names appear inthe Parish registers. One theoryput forward for this is they were

leaving the lowlands to escape theprotestant persecutions. By thelate nineteenth century thepopulation had risen to almost800.

The church has played a leadingroll in relation to the moral

St Mary the Virgin ChurchFoulness Island

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development of Foulness over thepast 720 years. In 1283 a chapelwas built on the Island to serve thesmall community and in particularthose who could not receive divineservice in their own detachedparish. The chapel was replacedduring The Tudor period by awooden church, which was in turnreplaced by the present church St.Mary the Virgin in 1850.

In 1846 The Church of EnglandPrimary School was built to take120 children, it was extended in1872 to take a further 52 children.In 1988 the school becameredundant due to the smallnumber of children attending (11).The school remained empty for 13years but after negotiationsbetween Defence Estates and TheFoulness Conservation andArchaeological Society it wasrenovated and is now “TheFoulness Heritage Centre”.Foulness has seen someprominent Lords of the manor.

At the time of Domesday it wasSuene, then Hubert de Burgh,followed by Sir John de Rochford,the De Bohuns, and the RichFamily. The manor became part ofthe estates owned by the FinchFamily in 1688, when Daniel Finch2nd Earl of Nottingham marriedLady Essex Rich one of six co-heirs of the Rich family. The manorremained in the Finch Family untilthe death of Alan Finch in 1910; itwas his successor Wilfred HenryMontgomery Finch who sold theLordship to the War Departmenton the 13th July 1915.

Foulness Parish Council

River Crouch

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Wakering: The Settlementof Waecer’s People

Fifteen hundred years before thefirst Saxon settlers gave this placeits name; men had settled andprospered farming the fertile soil.The British and County Museumsexhibit just a small proportion ofthe large number of artefactsdating from late Neolithic toMedieval times that have beenuncovered during brick-earthexcavations.

Wakering’s prosperity in themiddle ages can be shown by twoseparate quarrels over the titles,between the Bishop of London,the Prior of Prittlewell and theMonks of Beeleigh Abbey, andThomas Rawlins correspondingwith William Cecil. The Manor ofWakering Hall was the highestrated Essex Manor when ShipMoney was levied in 1639.

A village with large farms, widefresh marshes providing grazingfor cattle and thousands of sheep.An industrial village, with brick, tile,cloth, glove and cheese-making

concerns, the famous Essexcheeses with which Drake and hisfellow captains victualled theirships; oysters and fish from thecreeks, sands and estuary wereshipped to Billingsgate along withwild fowl over the centuries.Bricks and tiles have beenmanufactured since Tudor timesand with the industrialisation of theindustry in the mid nineteenthcentury, over six hundred menwomen and boys produced thebricks which were carried to therapidly expanding London by afleet of sailing barges.

Wakering was described inCatholic Queen Mary’s reign as “anest of heretics”. Under ElizabethI two vicars were deprived asPuritans, as was ChristopherScott, a great preacher. The oral

Great Wakering

tradition of the village was a Puritanstronghold, which developed laterinto a non-conformist centre withthe radical views that gave Essex itsfirst Labour Parish Council in 1928.It is also known to be the driest placein Britain.

Mr P W HunterMr P N JeffriesMrs G M RawlingsonThe Rev B J Shannon

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St Nicholas ChurchGreat Wakering

Great Wakering

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HawkwellHawkwell is mentioned in theDomesday Book, but not as'Hawkwell', it is Hacuuella orHechuuella. In ancient records ithas been spelt in various ways,such as Hacwell, Hachewell,Heckwell and Hawkeswell. Asrecently as 1858 Hackwell wasused on a Deed in connection withthe Manor of Clements. It could bederived from Hawk and Wellalthough Philip Benton, in the late19th century, suggested that itcould be from the German'Hochwell', or High Well.

There were many wells in theparish, but the High Well was theone near the White Hart. There wasalso one at the top of VictorGardens, and one in Ironwell Lanewas called the Iron Well becausethe water was hard, as comparedwith the soft water of the HighWell. Also Hacuuella or Hechuuella,could be from the Saxon words for'bend in the stream' – the truth ishidden in the mists of time!

Another mystery is the age of theparish church of St. Mary theVirgin. Philip Benton estimated thedate to be about 1400 but othersthink it could be older, perhaps

1300. William de Bayeuse is thename of the first Rector but it isnot dated. The second, Alexanderde Bayeuse, has the date of 1323.In the church porch, and as it waslisted in the church records, wasonce kept part of the top of astone coffin believed to be of aformer Rector of the church anddated 1280 AD.

There were two manors inHawkwell – Clements Hall Manortook its name from Philip Clementwho owned it in 1440. Many yearslater Thomas White was the owner.He was the brother of the Rev.Gilbert White who wrote the verywell known book 'The NaturalHistory of Selborne'. The presenthouse, a timber framed, weather

The Church ofSt Mary the VirginHawkwell

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boarded building, is 16th centuryand had a restored fireplace with acarved wooden over mantel andsome 17th century paneling.The jurisdiction of the Manor ofHawkwell became extinct, but inthe reign of Edward the Confessor(1005-66), Ulmar, a free man,owned the parish and at the timeof the Domesday Book survey,Eudo and his under tenant Pirot,together with Suene (Sweyne) hadlands here. Pirot's successorscontinued at Hawkwell Hall until1340. Hawkwell Hall is now a farmand can be seen from St. Mary'sChurch. The present house wasbuilt in 1833.

There are several other old housesin the parish:-Mount Bovers farmhouse, builtapproximately 1448, was at one

time owned by Christ's College,Cambridge.

Sweynes (Swaines) Farm (knownby Philip Benton as "Porters".) Thisis 16th century, with later altera-tions, timber framed and blackweather board. This is in the MainRoad opposite Mount Bovers Lane.

Swaynes Farm House (Now ThePriest's House of St. Teresa'sRoman Catholic Church inRochford). This is 15th Centurywith later alterations and additions,timber framed, 18th century, redbrick faced. Holly Tree Cottage.Mid 17th century with lateralterations and additions, timberframed and weatherboarded, inMain Road, Hawkwell.

Hawkwell Parish Council

SwaynesFarmHouse

HawkwellHall

Benton's Cottages just past theWhite Hart were three clapboarded cottages with ropestaircases and peg tiles on theroof. They were demolished in1936 and the present house called"Bentons" was built usingmaterials from the old cottages,some of the bricks were said to be400 years old.

The White Hart public house ismentioned as early as 1792 whenJames Benton was the Innholder.This building does not appear toshow on the map by Chapman &Andre of 1777. In the mid 18thcentury a stage coach went threetimes a week through IronwellLane, which was then the mainroad, and on to London.

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HockleyToo large to be a Village, but toosmall to be called a town,Hockley's origins are lost in themists of time. A signpost to thepast, however, is PlumberowMount, a tumulus that tops a hill atthe end of Plumberow Avenue. Inthe early days of the 20th centurythe Mount was excavated in thehope that it would yield a wealthyburial. Unfortunately theexcavators were disappointed forall they found were brokenRomano British pots and a Romancoin. The true purpose of this relicof Hockley's past remains amystery to this day.

We are on firmer ground in 1086when Hockley is mentioned noless than three times in the

Domesday Book, and the thenhamlet of Plumberow twice. Atthat time the main manor ofHocheleia as it was then calledwas in the possession of the royalSaxon abbey of St. Mary's,Barking. The abbey retained itsresponsibility for the living ofHockley's beautiful church until theReformation when it eventuallypassed into the possession ofWadham College, Oxford.

The small and much loved churchwith its unusual octagonal towerstands on a high hill to the west ofthe village with magnificent viewsacross the Crouch valley. Thepresent building dates mainly from1220 when it was rebuilt andenlarged.

Plumberow MountHockley

Church of St Peter& St PaulHockley

Next to the church and oppositethe old manor house, is Hockley'soriginal school which first openedits doors in 1839. When thebuilding became too small a newschool was built on the Main Roadin 1903. To the rear of the schoolare Hockley Woods, which forcenturies served the local

community as a resource for fueland building material. The woodswere divided amongst a number ofowners and jealously guarded withhigh earth banks, which can stillbe seen today. Southend pier wasconstructed with timber fromHockley Wood.

Hockley had one brief moment offame when in 1843 a mineral spawas established in the village. Apump room and a hotel toaccommodate the expectedvisitors were built. Unfortunatelythe craze for taking the waterswas on the wane with peoplepreferring instead to visit the newseaside resorts such as Southendand the venture failed. Over theyears the old pump room has hada chequered life becoming derelicton several occasions.

The quiet and pretty village ofHockley changed forever in 1889when the Great Eastern Railwayreached Hockley. With Hockleynow easily accessible to London,local landowners grasped theopportunity to get rich quick andsold off their farmland fordevelopment. Special trains wererun from London and the plots ofland were sold at auctions wherechampagne flowed freely.Eventually the holiday shacks wereerected into more permanentdwellings and the Hockley oftoday was born.

Lesley Vingoe

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HockleyWoods

HullbridgeHullbridge started as a smallhamlet with a few cottages,surrounded by farmland, clusteredaround an inn on the riverside. Itwas here that pilgrims crossed theriver on their way to Canterbury.Signs of the old causeway can stillbe seen at low tide but no remainsof the bridge, said to have spannedthe river from circa 1240 toCromwell's time, are left to be seen.

In latter years a ferry-man wouldrow children across the river fromWoodham Ferrers to the OldSchool House in Hullbridge(still standing in Ferry Road). Jock,the last of the ferry-men, was astand-in for Johnny Weissmuller,the first Tarzan of the movies.

In 1923, High Elms Farm was soldand divided into building plots andfrom this development the villageof Hullbridge grew, but the foot-paths that crossed the fields canstill be traced in the alleyways andpassages between the house oftoday. The developers took the lineof the original hedgerows to buildthe roadways, which explains why

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Swans on the River Crouch

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the majority of the roads in thevillage today are straight and atright angles to each other.Before gas and electricity arrived,barges unloaded coal at the wharfnear the existing slipway and thiswas stored on a barn whereSmugglers Den stands today.Fresh water was supplied by wells,one of which was under the carpark of the Anchor public houseand another under the cherry treeon the corner of Pooles Lane.

The attractive Anchor Cottages aresaid to be about four hundredyears old and as most oldbuildings, rumoured to be haunted.

A brickworks on the site of theTower Caravan Park made fourmillion bricks and thousands of

tiles each year and the terrace ofhouses nearby were built to housethe workers.

The circular brickwork in the RoseGarden at the northern end ofFerry Road is the head of a verticalshaft 54 feet deep and at thebottom a brick and steel linedtunnel seven feet in diametercrosses under the river. It wasconstructed in 1926 to house awater main so that fresh waterfrom the River Chelmer could bepumped across country to arapidly expanding Southend.

Kendal Nature Reserve wasformed from ancient scrubland,which has a short but delightfulwalk alongside the River Crouch.

Hullbridge Parish Council

Anchor Cottages Kendall Nature Reserve,Hullbridge

PagleshamBordering the River Roach is thedelightful village of Paglesham,where history abounds. Thevillage sign depicts those whoworked on land and sea, andwhere also the cowslip (paigle inold Saxon) probably gave thevillage its name; i.e. Paigles’ ham- the hamlet of cowslips.

It is divided geographically intotwo parts, Church End and EastEnd. There is just the one streetat the former, boasting an ancientpublic house which was at onetime a sail loft, and Saint Peter’schurch a place of worship datingpartly back to the 11th Century.Red brick cottages and older

timber framed buildings look outonto farmland all around. A mileor two to the south east lies EastEnd, where yet another hostelryinvites you in to its cosy ambienceof yesteryear with hiddensuggestions of the many

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St Peters Churchwith Stained GlassWindow, Paglesham

smuggling activities that aboundeda century or two ago when,according to customs records,virtually every family in Pagleshamwas involved in this lucrative, butillegal, pastime.

The creeks and inlets from theriver afforded a fairly easy meansof bringing ashore contraband inthe form of spirits, silks and lace.Many of which made their wayfurther inland by horse and cart tobe generously distributed else-where to the financial advantage ofthe smugglers. It was to combatthis that HMS Beagle was mooredin a strategic location in the riverto act as Watch Vessel No 7 (asshe was later named), where thecoastguard officers aboard couldkeep an eye on the severaltributaries that formed the nearbyislands. This they carried out for25 years from 1845 – 1870, whenit was deemed no longernecessary.

The Roach Valley affordspicturesque walking territory whichappeals to ramblers and naturelovers who can spot above thecolourful sea lavender and thriftmany species of birds: avocets,curlews, dunlin, egrets and theoyster catcher in particular – thelatter a reminder of whatPaglesham was famous for in its19th Century heyday when localoysters were the great delicacy athome and in our capital city.

2009 commemorates the 200thAnniversary of the birth of CharlesDarwin who made a five-yearvoyage in the Beagle, circumnavi-gating the globe, as a result ofwhich he was to produce hiscontroversial philosophy of naturalselection (and ultimately appear onour £10 notes). Locals and visitorsalike are intrigued by the secret ofthe possible last resting place ofthis famous ship which ended herdays nestling in the Pagleshammud.

Ann Boulter

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RayleighRayleigh derives its name from theSaxon words ‘raege’ (a wild shegoat or roe deer) and ‘leah’(a clearing).

Although its origins are set inprehistoric times, the town ofRayleigh’s prominence is due to itselevation as part of the ridge ofhills spreading from South Benfleetto Hockley.

When William the Conquerorinvaded England in 1066 one ofhis first acts was to order the

building of a network of castles.Robert Fitzwymarc who held the‘Honour of Rayleigh’ before theinvasion was one of few allowed toretain his land and he built hiscastle in Clavering in the north ofEssex. It was his son Sweyne whobuilt Rayleigh’s motte & baileycastle (in the words of theDomesday Book ‘and in thismanor Sweyne built his castle’). Itis the only Essex castle mentionedin the Domesday Book.

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Holy Trinity ChurchRayleigh

It is one of the few castlesmentioned in the book and as suchconsidered one of the earliestNorman castles in England. It mayhave been built on the site of anearlier Roman fortification sincefragments of Roman bricks havebeen found on the site. At Sweynesdeath the Castle passed to his sonRobert de Essex and then to hisgrandson Henry d'Essex. Around1140 the motte was covered instone rubble.

Henry was accused of cowardicein battle in 1163 and subject to atrial by combat which he lost.The castle and its estates wereconfiscated to become theproperty of the king, Richard I.Extensive alterations were made toit in 1172 and in 1183-4, theproperty was given by King Johnto Hubert de Burgh in around 1200who probably used it as a sourceof building materials for the castlewhich he started building in 12305 km away at Hadleigh.

On the death of Hubert's son inthe latter half of the 13th century,ownership of the castle reverted tothe monarch. Documents datingbetween 1279 and 1303 refer tothe motte as being used forpasture, which probably means

that the castle was no longer usedas a fortification. In 1394 KingRichard II gave permission for thetownspeople of Rayleigh to usethe foundations of the castle as asource of stone. Since thefoundations are explicitlymentioned in the document givingpermission, it is unlikely that anyother masonry structures remainedby then.

The site of the castle was used forgrazing sheep after it fell intodisuse. Photos taken in the 1920'sshow the mount free from anylarge trees or shrubs as thegrazing prevented their growth,however since the grazingstopped, large trees have grownon the site. The castle is knownnow as Rayleigh Mount and ismanaged by the National Trust.

The Second World War Convoyrescue ship Empire Rest wasoriginally laid down as a Castleclass corvette to have beennamed HMS Rayleigh Castle afterthe ruins.

Although an area of religiousdevotion since Saxon timesRayleigh’s distinctive ParishChurch at the top of the highStreet dates mainly from the

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Perpendicular Period (14th to 16thcenturies). In 1555 two Protestantmartyrs were burnt at the stake forrefusing to deny their faith and amemorial was erected to theirmemory in 1908 at the top ofCrown Hill. In the 19th and early20th centuries a branch of thePeculiar People religious sect wasprominent in the town.

Rayleigh was an important town onthe Rochford Hundred AdjoiningRoads Division of the EssexTurnpike Trust set up in 1746. The‘King’s Highway’ from Wickfordpassed the site of what is now theCarpenter’s Arms public Housealong the London Road and at thetop of London Hill the highwaybranched into two, one route toHockley & Rochford and the otherto Hadleigh & Leigh. Several mile-stones remain by the side of theroad from Rayleigh to Rochford asa reminder of those days. Manyinns and smithies supplied theneeds of both travellers and horses.

Rayleigh was the original home ofthe Whispering Court which waslocated in Kingley Wood whichwas cut in two by the arrival of thenew A127 in 1925 close byRayleigh Weir. The Lord of theManor returning home late onenight heard several of his tenantsplotting against him in whispers.He made them swear allegiance tohim at a special court which washeld annually at dead of night.The court later moved toRochford. At 240 feet above sealevel the town and its immediate

Rayleigh Windmill

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vicinity were a prime location forwindmills. The first documentedmention of a windmill in Rayleighdates from 1300 when KingEdward I instructed the Prior ofPrittlewell to erect a mill inRayleigh. It was probably awooden mill near or by the mountand castle. One of the earliest wasa watermill in the grounds of theWhite House, once a substantialfarm covering hundreds of acresby the Eastwood Road and part ofthe Royal Hunting Forest. It wasalso believed to be one of theareas used by Henry VIII and AnneBoleyn for their courting.

The first detailed map of Essex(1777) shows a windmill in theHockley Road (Ruffles, demolishedin the 19th century) and oneopposite the Methodist Church inwhat was called Mill Lane (nowEastwood Road). In 1793 asecond mill was erected close byand the name of the road waschanged to Two Mill Lane. Boththese mills were demolished in the1880s. There was conjecture formany years as to the date thatRayleigh’s remaining mill was built.Benton states that it was built in1798 by the licensee of the LionPublic House but later researchattributes the date of 1809. The

land was purchased in 1808 by aMr Thomas Higgs together with anadjoining brickfield and the millwas completed in 1809.

The advent of the railway in 1889turned the town from a quiettranquil village in the 19th century(population circa 1500) to thebustling vibrant town it is today(population circa 35000).

The first arterial road in the countryspecifically built for motor vehicleswas opened in 1925 (now theA127) and passed on the edge ofRayleigh and some of the largefarms and manor houses becamehousing estates that are familiar tous today. Also in the 1920s localsand visitors were entertained insuch places as the Clissold Hall bythe Rayleigh Minstrels or saw earlyblack and white silent films at theCosy Talkie Theatre. Rayleigh alsohad its own brewery and severalbrickfields. Many will recall theSpeedway Stadium near RayleighWeir home of the RayleighRockets from 1948 to 1973. Inaddition greyhound racing, stockcar racing, wrestling and othersports took place here.

Mike Davies (Rayleigh Through theLooking Glass)

To the north west of Rayleigh isRawreth Village. Historians suggesttwo origins of the name, firstly thatit came from Ravengar who wasthe Saxon owner of the manor ofBeches or secondly, the Saxontranslation of a Heron stream.

Property of note included TrendersHall, a moated manor in TrendersAvenue first mentioned in the year1210. Also Rawreth Hall, the seatof the manor was granted toCardinal Wolsey in 1525 by HenryVIII and reverted to the Crownupon his death. In the early 1900sHoratio Bottomley, planned tocash in on the potential populationexplosion after the arrival of therailway to Rayleigh in 1889 byopening up a small brickfield toerect plotlands type houses. Thefirst building was in actual fact apublic house called the BricklayersArms, known at the time by localsas the Klondyke. Unfortunately thescheme failed and he was jailedfor fraud.

The area is mainly agricultural innature with dispersed centres of

population and pockets ofindustry. Historically, most of thefarmhouses in Rawreth weremoated manors, many of whichsurvive today. In the north,Battlesbridge straddles the riverCrouch and is therefore sharedbetween the parishes ofRettendon and Rawreth. It wasnamed after the mediaeval familyBataille, not a battle.

The original Parish Council wasdisbanded in the 1930s when thearea was united with Rayleigh toform the original Urban District. Itwas reformed in 1994, followingthe reorganisation of LocalGovernment.

Rochford District Council

Rawreth

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St Nicholas ChurchRawreth

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In days gone by Rochford wasthe centre of activity for milesaround, the chief town of theRochford Hundred, a sub-divisionof Essex. That importance, longbefore the establishment ofSouthend, or the growth ofRayleigh, has left its mark todayand it is well worth exploring thatheritage.

Approaching Rochford from thewest, one passes The Lawn,nowadays a fine function suite,but originally a substantial housegoing back to 18th century andbeyond, possibly used as agatehouse to Rochford Hall, amile further ahead. This road, withtwo Grade II listed milestones stillin place, was built in 1777 by the

then owner of the Hall todissuade travellers from thenatural approach to Rochfordrunning past his front door. Today,as headquarters of RochfordHundred Golf Club, we see justone corner of what was a verylarge manorial house. Opinionsdiffer as to its age, but it probablyhad origins in 12th/13th century.Certainly we know that it was inthe ownership of the Boleynfamily in the early 16th centurywhen the Earl of Ormonde, AnnBoleyn’s grandfather hadregained possession bypetitioning Henry VII. It passed toAnn’s father and then, there beingno male heir, to Ann’s sister, Mary,who had married Sir WilliamStafford. Little evidence exists to

Rochford

The Lawn

Rochford Hall

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support local legends about Ann’sresiding at the Hall for any lengthyperiod, but Mary and her husbanddid take up residence here andfarmed in the area. A little laterownership fell to the Earls ofWarwick, with Richard Rich beingthe most notable resident so far asRochford is concerned. He wasLord Chancellor of England anddied at Rochford Hall in 1567.

St. Andrew’s Church a typicalexample of 13th/14th centurystone construction, with animpressive 16th century bricktower, featuring diaperingdecoration, and with the Coat ofArms of Earl of Ormonde, whowas responsible for itsconstruction. To the north is thevestry, a late 16th century brickaddition. Outside, the Grade IIlisted grave of James Banyard –founder of The Peculiar People –can be found.

Passing under the railway bridge,and turning right the eye is drawnto the row of Almshouses, still ingood use, belying their 16th/17thcentury construction by Earl ofWarwick in fulfilment of the Will ofRichard Rich, his grandfather. Alittle further on the distinctive highroof of Whittingham’s Garage tellsus that, before the advent of cars,coaches were made and repairedthere. The railway was extendedfrom Shenfield a century ago,intended for agricultural business,running through South East Essexmarket towns. The Freight Housewas the holding “shed” forlivestock from Rochford market.The Rochford Reservoir wasconstructed as a water source forthe steam trains.

In West Street you will see18th/19th century properties,mostly quite modest, since thisarea was intended for shoppingand trade generally. One mightselect a number of individualshops for mention – an examplewould be the bookshop, with thesweetshop next door, on the righthalf way up. A century or so agoMr. Francis conducted a printingbusiness here, together withrunning the post office. Lookcarefully at the brickwork to see

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where letters would have beenposted at that time. Continuingup to Market Square, we comeupon a large open area whichmany older residents recall as thesite of a weekly livestock marketwhich had its beginnings 750years ago with the granting of aRoyal Charter.

Looking round the Square we seeConnaught House as perhaps themost impressive building,constructed around 1770, it issaid by a man of Irish descentwith “lottery” winnings. The eastside was originally open, but,

certainly during the 1800’s therewas a renowned grocery and tearooms, for example. On the southside there is the W.I. Hall whichgoes back to 1866 when it wasbuilt as the Corn Exchange. Bythe turn of the century Mr. Francishad moved his printing businessinto the premises, following adownturn in its original use, andthen WW1 saw it used as alaundry. The Women’s Institutetook possession in 1931. Thebuilding next door is currentlyBarclays Bank was built in 1860’s.

The Kings Head has alwaysdominated this side of the Squarehaving been the first stop forstage coaches on their route toLondon from Prittlewell, therewere stabling facilities at the rear.The same pub was, for manyyears, the point from which theannual Whispering Post ceremonycommenced. This all began some400 years ago when the thenLord of the Manor, 2nd Earl ofWarwick, wanted to scotch plotsagainst him by some of histenants – minor manorial lordsaround the area. He’d heard themwhispering one night. He called

St Andrews ChurchRochford

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them to pledge their allegiancelate one September night. Thisunique ceremony, in latter years,took the form of a supper atKings Head, a procession atmidnight across the Square,through the alley beside thebakers, straight across NorthStreet and up to Kings Hill. At thishouse is a post around which the“tenants” gathered to honour theirLord in whispers. The whole thingended with further feasting atKings Head. All this continuedannually until 1892 when “Health& Safety” deemed that drunkenyouths with flaming torches, manyhaving travelled into Rochford forthe event, was all too dangerous.The Whispering Post, however,remains in place in the garden ofKings Hill in East Street.

If we continue our route out fromthe Square, turning right, we shallbe passing Horner’s Corner, socalled from the butcher’s shopwith its own slaughter housebehind. It had housed a firm ofauctioneers before that in the dayswhen the cattle market was in fullswing. The building fell into disusebut has been carefully restored. InSouth Street, to our left are anumber of buildings with 17thcentury origins, and then the “OldHouse”, almost half-way down onthe left, is Rochford’s pride andjoy. Again the story is one of fairlyrecent restoration. RochfordDistrict Council took on the workwhen demolition seemed likelyand it now serves as an importantpart of their office complex here.The building certainly goes back to13th century and grew over theyears as it was used as a familyresidence.

Sydenham House, also in SouthStreet, is a substantial 18thcentury dwelling which served asa Girls’ boarding school duringthe 1800’s. Then there is theMasonic Hall, built as the CourtHouse in 1860’s, a reminder thatRochford was, indeed, theadministrative centre for a widearea.

The Old HouseRochford

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Although currently namedSouthend Airport, the facility ispartly on land in the RochfordDistrict. There is a long history ofaviation from this location startingin late 1914 when it was firstdeveloped as an operational basefor the Royal Flying Corps (RFC)in the Great War, becoming thelargest flying ground in Essex,with the greatest number of units.In May 1915 the Royal Naval AirService took over, until 4 June1916 when it became RFCRochford. It was designated asnight fighter station and manysorties were flown againstZeppelin airship raiders, includingLZ38 on 31 May 1915. In 1920the station closed and reverted tofarmland for a while.

The airport was officially openedas a municipal airport on 18September 1935 by the Under-Secretary of State for Air, SirPhilip Sassoon, who arrived in hisde Havilland Leopard Moth.

During August 1939, the Airministry requisitioned all suchcommercial airfields, andRochford was closed as a civilaerodrome on 1st September. Theairfield was to become known asRAF Rochford and placed in No11 Group of Fighter Command asa satellite field to RAFHornchurch.

R.A.F. Rochford (Southend) wasde-requisitioned and a licencewas issued to SouthendCorporation on 31st December1946 and the airport returned tocommercial and pleasure flights.

Mr. Maurice Drage

St Marys ChurchLittle Wakering

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The Village of Great Stambridgelies on the north bank of the RiverRoach. On its northern andwestern boundary, LittleStambridge. It has numerouscreeks and inlets interspersedwith saltings and old oyster pits.With its water meadows,landscapes and riverside walks,Stambridge is one of the mostpicturesque areas of RochfordHundred – tranquil, and in parts –lonely and desolate, its scenes ofnatural beauty untouched by time.

In Edward the Confessor’s reign,this parish belonged to Oswardand at the Domesday Survey toOdo, Bishop of Bayeux andSwain. Swain held it under theBishop and Wicard held it underSwain. The Manor of GreatStambridge was afterwardsdivided into three; GreatStambridge, Hampton Barns andBarton Hall. In King John’s timethe ancient family of Musters heldland here under RichardFitzwilliam. The De Tarry familybecame possessed of thisproperty through marrying theaforesaid Richard’s grand-daughter and gave the name to

Stapleford Tawney and ChignellTawney. Thomas Sutton Esq.settled this property onCharterhouse in the reign ofJames I. He had previouslypurchased them from ThomasLawson alias Edmonds, in 1604.The Governors of Charterhousepaid the sum of £500 to Charles Ifor deforesting this and severalother Manors in 1638.

In 1579, (Queen Elizabeth’s reign)this Manor and advowson weresold for £800. In 1670 theGovenors of Charterhouse at aCourt held before the ChiefJustice of the King’s forests,claimed within this Manor the

Stambridge

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right of pillory and gallows andexamination of weights andmeasures.

At some distance down the laneby the river past the churchstands “Waldons”. It is a modernhouse set on a peninsular, southof Bartonhall creek and north ofthe River Roach. Built betweentwo sea walls, it former namewas, appropriately “Wallsend”.It is known that in earlier years afarmhouse stood on the site. Thepresent house was built in 1953to replace an old woodenstructure, and although the EastCoast floods of that year causedconsiderable damage to propertyin the vicinity of the water,Waldons stood above flood leveland was unaffected.

Evidence that Great Stambridgeexisted as a settlement somefive-hundred years before Christ,in the Iron Age, and again inSaxon times, has been confirmed,following excavations in recentyears at “Hampton Barns” when itwas found that at one time a

creek had formed there and twodistinct village settlements of hutshad developed. Hut doors werediscovered as also was potterydated from 500 B.C. when theoccupants were forced to moveto the Continent due todeteriorating weather conditionsand variations in the water table.Photographs of Hampton Barnsby Charles Bruce GreatStambridge, 1990, home of theRankin Family “Barton Hall” or“Bartons”, once a mediaevalmansion, now long sincedemolished, stood at the extremeeastern end of Great Stambridgeparish overlooking the water onan arm of Bartonhall Creek. Littleis known of its early occupants,save one, Sir Richard Le Breton,who gave the house its earliername of “Bretons” or “Breton”and has been remembered aseither “Bartons” or “Barton Hall”ever since.

William the Conqueror gave thisManor to Sir Auvrai Le Bretonwho came to England fromNormandy with the King and

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fought valiantly at his side at theBattle of Hastings in 1066,together with the manor ofSanford in Somerset (the villagebeing sometimes called “SanfordBret” after this family). Simon LeBreton lived there with his twosons, Richard and Edmund, bothboys becoming joint heirs to thetwo estates. At their fathersdecease they inherited bothSanford and Great Stambridge.They were courtiers and well likedand spent much of their time atthe court of Henry II. At this time,Sir Richard Le Breton was theclose friend and confidant ofPrince William, the King’s brother.

With Stambridge, being nearer tothe Court, Richard chose to livethere in preference to the familyseat in Somerset. Besides, TheRoyal Forest of Essex, stretching asit did to the extreme boundaries ofRochford Hundred, includedStambridge and frequently as withall the Plantagenet monarchs, theKing with Prince William and theircourtiers would hunt this way,passing the night in theconveniently situated, out-of-the-way, Barton Hall.

Philip BentonMrs Jerram-BurrowsVillage view

Stambridge

Sutton is a civil parish in theDistrict of Rochford. It is locatedbetween the River Roach and theadjoining Borough of Southendon Sea, and includes the Hamletof Shopland. It has a populationof 127, the smallest in the District;although at the time of theDomesday Book it had aflourishing village with its ownmarket and fair.

The area is known locally asSutton with Shopland. The civilparish of Shopland wasamalgamated with Sutton in1933. When Shopland church

was demolished following bombdamage, artifacts were removedand went to Sutton Church andothers. Shopland churchyard isrededicated every year.

All Saints Church is of Normanorigin and boasts a medievalcoffin lid and brass of 1371 fromthe demolished ancient church atShopland. The brass depicts SirThomas Stapel, Sergeant at Armsto Edward III, in armour such ashe would have worn at the Battleof Crecy.

Wikipedia

Sutton

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All Saints ChurchSutton

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Acknowledgements

This Heritage Guide could not have been put together without the helpand contributions from the following people:

Mike Davies (Rayleigh Through the Looking Glass)Ashingdon Parish CouncilBarling Magna Parish CouncilCanewdon Parish CouncilJoyce SmithFoulness Island Parish CouncilGreat Wakering Parish CouncilMr P W HunterMr P N JefferiesMrs G M RawlingsonThe Rev B J ShannonHawkwell Parish CouncilHockley Parish CouncilLesley VingoeHullbridge Parish CouncilPaglesham Parish CouncilAnn BoulterRochford Parish CouncilMr Maurice DrageStambridge Parish CouncilPhilip BentonMrs Jerram-BurrowsMr & Mrs B SummerfieldWikipediaDavid Shields Photography

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the historical accuracy of theinformation contained within this publication Rochford District Council andothers who contributed information can not be held responsible for anyerrors or omissions within this guide.

Hockley Woods

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