Site of 16th century manor house and chapel at New Hall Farm (EHER 81900)

Site of a late 15th to 16th century house and chapel and the extant remains of a moat. An E-plan house with a two storey porch was built on the site, probably soon after 1544. Part of the house, chapel and porch were recorded in 1914 but were destroyed by bombing in 1943, so that the only remains of the house are footings which act as shoring for the moat.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Newhall (GT) Chapel (GT) (Remains of) (St). <1> House is part brick and part timber-frame, early 16th century with 17th century additions (in fact house was probably built in 1544, see below). <2> A manorial complex was probably established here by Sir Thomas Josselyn soon after 1544. The complex consisted of a large brick-lined moat, a house of E-plan with two storey porch and a court-hall. RCHM recorded part of the house, chapel and gatehouse in 1914, (according to DOE, the original record card is more informative than the Inventory) but the remaining part was destroyed by enemy action in 1943 (NMR photos record the wreckage). The manor was described as Newhall-Jocelyn in the inquisition post mortem of Sir Thomas Josselyn of 1562, and the house is named as such in John Norden's county map of 1594. It seems that Sir Thomas Josselyn established a new manorial site there, in preference to the older site near the parish church. Field names record two brick kiln sites near the house, where the present bricks were probably made. Further details on file at Essex Record Office. <3> - <8> Newhall (52/5816/0624) and the remains of the Chapel (52/5816/0423) were both destroyed by bombing in 1943. The site of Newhall is now part of the garden and the new farmhouse has been built over the site of the Chapel. <9> An E-plan house with a two storey porch was built on the site, probably soon after 1544. Part of the house, chapel and porch were recorded in 1914 but were destroyed by bombing in 1943. <10> Please note there are two buildings known as 'New Hall' in Essex and the licence to crenellate was granted to New Hall in Boreham (TL 71 SW 12) rather than this one. <11> February 1950. Field survey. Chapel at Newhall. "This small building appears as though it might have been originally a porch over the main entrance to the house from a quadrangle or front court-yard, but it is now called the 'Chapel' and may have formed the porch to a chapel, now demolished, which once belonged to the mansion. Morant says (History of Essex II p466) that the house originally had a chapel belonging to it, but he does not give his authority for the statement". <12> - <15> July 1973. Field survey. The original Newhall was of 16th century origin according to the present owner; only the footings of the east side of the house survive as shoring to the moat. There is no trace of the chapel. Published survey (25") revised. <16> Area = 0.15