Gatehouse 40m W of Beckingham Hall (EHER 39212)

A red brick gatehouse built in 1543-1546. It is on a rectangular plan facing approximately south-west, with a circular turret at each corner, and connected to a wall (see EHER 39213) enclosing a courtyard west of Beckingham Hall (EHER 11386). It is two storeys.

December 1959. Grade II* listed. A red brick gatehouse built in 1543-1546. It is on a rectangular plan facing approximately south-west, with a circular turret at each corner, and connected to a wall (see EHER 39213) enclosing a courtyard west of Beckingham Hall (EHER 11386). It is two storeys. On the north-west wall are remnants of original plaster with a painted design in black and white. The inner turrets are hollow with domed floors, with external plain doorways to the courtyard with four-centred arches. There is no floor or roof. In the thickness of the south-east wall a stair rises to the first floor, lit by a chamfered rectangular loop, entered by a plain doorway with four-centred head in the east turret, with a similar doorway at the top in the south turret. A similar stair, but unlit, rises to the roof. In the north-west wall, at first-floor level, is an incomplete fireplace with remains of a four-centred arch, and two flues branching to the west and north turrets. Built for Stephen Beckingham (P. Morant, The History and Antiquities of Essex, 1768, I, 390) and shown on an estate map of 1637 by Samuel Cosin (Essex Record Office, T/M 4/3), at which time the house extended further to the north-west, symmetrically about the same axis as the gatehouse. <1> See photos <2>. April 1960. Field survey. Gatehouse and turrets are as described above, and are in good condition. See general photographs AO/57/91/5-7, of walls and gatehouse. <3> The Gatehouse west of the house is of around 1546 and forms the central feature of the boundary wall of a large courtyard, 130 ft. by 120 ft., with the house adjoining the south-east angle. Grade 2 8/182 At the north-west angle of the boundary wall of the great courtyard is a circular hollow turret. At the south-west angle is a plain circular turret forming with a similar turret further south a pair flanking an outer gateway; the gateway arch has been removed. Near the middle of the north and south sides of the main courtyard are the bases of two more turrets. Grade 2 8/183. <4> <5> Beckingham Hall, gatehouse and enclosure wall, including turrets. Scheduled as an Ancient Monument. <6> Gatehouse of around 1546 and boundary wall of a large courtyard 130 x120 ft. The gatehouse, of brick with turrets, is in the centre of a brick wall with angle turrets. <7> Gatehouse built in around 1543-1546 of red brick in irregular bond with remnants of external pilaster. It is of rectangular plan and faces approximately south-west, with a circular turret at each corner and connected to a brick wall enclosing a courtyard to the west of Beckingham Hall. Two storeys with a blocked outer archway. On the north-west wall are remnants of the original plaster with a painted design in black and white. Inner turrets are hollow with domed floors and external plain doorways to the courtyard. Stair to the first floor and roof are within the thickness of the south-east wall. The gatehouse was built for Stephen Beckingham and is shown on an estate map of 1647 (<8> <9>) at which time the house extended further to the north-west. <1-> Gatehouse west of the house forms a central feature of the boundary wall of the courtyard. At the north-west corner of the wall is a circular hollow turret with a top of pepperbox form. <11> <4> Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import.