18th century infectious disease hospital, Pest House, Tilkey (EHER 18445)

Pest House built in the mid 18th century.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 18445 and 19515. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Pest House (NAT). <1> Pest House, cottage, 1/2 mile north-west of the church, has been refaced with 18th century brick. <2> The Pest House in Coggeshall was built in 1759 by the Churchwardens and Overseers of the Porr on land set back from Tilkey Road, it was used until 1799 when it was sold to pay for the building of the Queens Street Almshouses. <3> Pest House built in the mid 18th century. The Coggeshall Church vestry record for 1759 records that: 'Due notice was given yesterday, being Sunday 27th of May 1759 that a vestry would be holden on Monday 28th of May at 9 o' clock in the forenoon to consult of ways and means to procure a Pest house a proper receptacle to hinder the spread of Contagious Distempers. Therefore, at this meeting on the 28th May it was agreed upon and ordered that a Pest house be immediately erected or purchased within the Parish of Great Coggeshall by churchwardens and the Overseers of the Poor". Subsequently land was chosen at the right hand side of Tilkey Road near the far end away from the road and the Pest house was constructed at a cost of £167.14.1 and a half. It was used until 1799 when it was sold by auction in the Chapel Inn for £90. It is thought that the money used to build the Queen Street Almshouses. <4>