Early 20th century sports pavilion, John Ray Pavilion, Bocking, Braintree (EHER 80241)

The pavilion was aligned east-west, on the south side of the playing fields. In section, the building resembled the nave of a church or an aisled barn, with low ceilings in the veranda and service spaces. It was demolished in 2019.

November 2019. Building survey. What was known as the John Ray Pavilion was given by William Julien Courtauld as part of the endowment of the Braintree Memorial Sports Ground and designed by Vincent Harris. Work on the pavilion began in 1924 and was largely completed the next year, though it probably not finished until 1926. The main contractor was Messrs Wicks of 64-66 Coggeshall Road, Braintree. The surviving accounts show that it cost of the order of £9-10000. The pavilion was aligned east-west, on the south side of the playing fields which extend down the side of the Blackwater valley. It was built of machine-made brick, laid to English bond externally. The hipped roof was made of machine-made plain clay tile. The building measured about 100 x 28ft. A white painted wooden clock tower or cupola above the middle of the roof, combined with a row of six dormer windows in each pitch, made it a prominent landmark. In section, the building resembled the nave of a church or an aisled barn, with low ceilings in the veranda and service spaces, and a much higher one in the refreshment and changing rooms. The veranda extended beyond the eaves of the pavilion into a terrace accessed by steps, these areas being paved with red tiles. The structure has since been demolished after falling into disrepair. <1>