Beckingham Hall (EHER 11386)

A moated house built between 1543 and 1546 and altered in the early 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. It is built from red brick in English and Flemish bonds, partly plastered and roofed with slate. The manor was granted to Stephen Beckingham in 1543 and the present house was built by 1546, as is confirmed by a date on richly carved panelling from the house (sold to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1914). The manor remained in the Beckingham family until 1636, when it was sold to Sir Thomas Adams and in 1711 was bequeathed to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England, which in April 1985, still owned the property. The house is situated within a walled courtyard (see EHER 39213) with a substantial gatehouse (EHER 39212). The form of the gatehouse suggests that the house may originally have been larger, or was planned to be larger. Before 1766 the house had suffered major damage or dereliction which destroyed the north-west wing and the north-west part of the main range, leaving the 'L-shaped' fragment which survives in altered form, re-orientated to face south-east. There is also a moat, see EHER 11385. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Monument description derived from merging with EHER 11387, EHER 11388 and EHER 39211: December 1959. Grade II* listed. A house built in 1543-1546 and altered in the early 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. It is built from red brick in English and Flemish bonds, partly plastered and roofed with slate. The original range is built from brick in English bond and is now of two high storeys. There is a single-storey block at the north-west end. From the south-east of the original range, a wing extends to the south-west; it is probable 16th/17th century in origin but was altered in the 19th century to form an entrance. In the west angle is an 18th century extension on a 16th century brick plinth. The development of this house is clarified by three estate maps in Essex Record Office (<1> <2> <3>). The second, of 1637 by Thomas Cosin, shows the house and site in perspective in some detail, as of east plan facing south-west, on the same axis as the gatehouse, and occupying the full width of the existing walled courtyard; it is of two storeys with three axial chimney stacks, but the porch is of two lower storeys, and the main range has six gables of irregular sizes. The first is a poor photographic copy of a lost original of 1616, by John Walker, and shows the main range in elevation; it is of three storeys with three axial stacks, and three symmetrical feature gables. The projection does not make clear whether the central porch or two side wings were present at that date. It appears therefore that the main range was built in three fairly low storeys, the brick walls reducing in thickness above the second storey, with a moulded string course at that level. Between 1616 and 1637 the main range was altered to provide two storeys of greater height, but leaving the two-storey porch unaltered, and inserting extra gables. The storeys are of exceptional height still, and the blocked apertures in the north-east elevation show the position of the original middle storey. The third map, of 1766, is a simple block plan, showing the house greatly reduced in size. Two barns are shown in 1637, south-west of the gatehouse; one of them is shown in 1766. The manor was granted to Stephen Beckingham in 1543; richly carved panelling from the house (sold to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1914) is dated 1546, and shows that the main range was completed by that date. The manor remained in the Beckingham family until 1636, when it was sold to Sir Thomas Adams; at this stage the Cosins map was prepared. It passed through three more owners, and in 1711 was bequeathed to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England, established in 1649, which at the time of survey, April 1985, still owns it; the 1766 map was prepared for this charity (P. Morant, The History and Antiquities of Essex, 1768, I, 390). Therefore Beckingham Hall ceased to be used as a great house in the 17th or early 18th century, and before 1766 had suffered major damage or dereliction which destroyed the north-west wing and the north-west part of the main range, leaving the 'L-shaped' fragment which survives in altered form, re-orientated to face south-east. <4> See photos <5>. Hall built 1513-1516, altered in the early 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries. It is of red brick in English and Flemish bonds, partly plastered and roofed with slate. The original range is aligned approximately NW-SE. From the south-east end of the original range a wing extends to the south-west, probably 16th-17th century and altered in the early 19th century. In the west angle is an 18th century extension. The development of the house is shown on three estate maps in the ERO: one of 1616 by John Walker which shows a main range of three storeys with three axial stacks and three symmetrical gables the second of 1637 by Thomas Cosin and a third of 1766 showing the house greatly reduced in plan. The manor was granted to Stephen Beckingham in 1543. Richly carved panelling from the house (now in the Victoria and Albert Museum) dated 1546 shows the main range to be completed by this date. The manor remained in the family until 1636 when it was sold. The house ceased to be a great house in the 17th or early 18th century and before 1766 had suffered major damage or dereliction which destroyed the north-west wing and part of the main range. <6> <7> Beckingham Hall, house, gatehouse, walls and moat, 200 yards north-east of Tolleshunt Major church. The house is of two storeys, partly of brick and partly of plastered timber-framing; the roofs are tiled. It was built in around 1546, the date on a panel (now at the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington). Early in the 17th century a wing was added on the west side and there are modern additions on the south and north. The fact that the house is unimportant in comparison to the gatehouse and walls implies either the former existence of a much larger building or at any rate the intention to erect such a building. The Hall is grade 2 8/181. <7> <8> April 1960. Field survey. 'Beckingham Hall' (name confirmed). House as described above, and in good condition. The house itself is of little interest (No general photograph taken). <9> 16th century house, gatehouse and boundary wall. <10> Beckingham Hall [T.I.] <11> Beckingham Hall, gatehouse and enclosure wall, including turrets. Scheduled as an Ancient Monument. <12> <13> Beckington Hall listed as moated site. <14> See also EHER 11385. See aerial photograph <15> <16>. See also <17> <18> <19>. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import.