Tolleshunt Darcy Hall (EHER 11419)

A mainly 16th century moated house built in around 1500, with 17th century rebuilding and an 18th/19th century extension. The building retains many original features including 16th century panelling and intricately carved timberwork. Some of the carvings feature the initials 'A.D.', for Anthony Darcy, son of John Darcy who acquired the manor by marriage at some time before 1471. His son Anthony served as Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire in 1511, and as a J.P., and died in 1540. The main range of the house appears to have been constructed by him, and the panelling with his initials to be original. It is a moated site.

January 1953. Grade II* listed. An early 16th and late 17th century timber framed and plastered house, roofed with handmade red clay tiles. It comprises five bays facing approximately south, and an 18th/19th century single-storey extension to the right. A late 17th century wing of three bays extends forward from the left end of the main block, now forming the entrance/reception block, forming an 'L-shaped' plan. The south elevation of the main block has an original door of moulded overlapping planks, heavily nail-studded, with moulded jambs, and moulded lintel carved with flowers in quatrefoils, and three plain lights above. The interior of the main range retains the original screens passage. The wall to the right has two original service doorways, the spandrels carved with pomegranates and foliage; the post between the doorways is carved with spiral leaf ornament; above the doorheads is a moulded, carved and crenelated cornice. A blocked first-floor doorway at the right end, with plain head, implies the former existence of an east wing. Most of the roof components retain original yellow paint (some of original yellow paint (some of it whitewashed over), a rare feature which deserves special care. The absence of smoke-blackening indicates that this block was floored throughout from the outset, heated by an external chimney, although it is not certain that the present stack is original. The middle ground-floor room is lined with re-sited panelling, including early 16th century linenfold panelling, with a range of carved panels at the top and near the middle; the upper carved panels have conventional foliage and various heads and figures, including a mermaid, eagle and child, and grotesques, and the initials A.D. (for Anthony Darcy). The lower carved panels have conventional foliage and cartouches with the Darcy arms differenced by a crescent, and the initials A.D.; the panelling is finished with a crenelated cornice. There are 2 wallposts in the form of Ionic pilasters, having carved foliage. The ceiling has re-used moulded and traceried beams with moulded ribs forming traceried designs. It appears that all or most of these features are original to the house, removed from the main block. John Darcy acquired the manor by marriage at some date before 1471. His son Anthony served as Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire in 1511, and as a J.P., and died in 1540. The main range of the house appears to have been constructed by him, and the panelling with his initials to be original. Moated site. <1> See photos <2>. April 1960. Field survey. 'Tolleshunt D'Arcy Hall' (name confirmed) is as described above. The house, moat, dovecote, and bridge are in good condition. See general photo AO/57/91/2 Bridge (EHER from south-east; /3 Dovecote (EHER 39172) from SE; /4 West front of Hall. <3> Moat; the bridge crossing the moat is mainly 16th century (see EHER 39171). The hall is 16th-17th century. Late 16th century dovecote (EHER 39172). <4> Single incomplete rectangular moat with a low external bank - probably moat clearance debris. There is a brick revetment on the internal face on all but the eastern side. Possibly early drawbridge. The moat surrounds a hall of 1450 with two crosswings. Dovecote within the moat. The moat is approximately 15m wide and 4m deep, fed by a spring. Manorial status. <5> <6> House of two storeys built at around 1500 at which time it probably included a crosswing at the eastern end and a wing projecting southwards from the western end. The east wing was destroyed and the south wing rebuilt in the 17th century. The main block consists of five bays of which the second and third from the east formed the Great Hall. Bridge over the moat has four semi-circular arches (see EHER 39171). At the south end are two square piers of brick with moulded cappings. The 'island' has a brick revetment wall buttressed at intervals. <7> John D'arcy acquired the manor by marriage at some date before 1471. Within the house one room contains good panelling of the first half of the 16th century, partly linenfold and partly with early Renaissance foliage, vases, etc. Hall of the early 16th to late 17th with an 18th/19th century single storey extension. Timber framed and plastered roofed with handmade red clay tiles. A late 17th century wing of three bays extends forward from the main block. Dovecote of red brick in English bond, late 16th century. It is rectangular in plan and aligned approximately NW-SE with an entrance to the south and bonded to an adjacent wall at the north-west corner. The bridge over the moat was built in around 1585 of red brick in English bond and limestone ashlar in alternate bands. It crosses the moat with four brick arches. The outbuildings to the hall include a probable range of kennels of 16th century date with later alterations; and two 18th century barns to the south-east of the hall (see EHER 39173). <8> The main block of the house still possesses the tie-beams, king posts and four-way struts of the original hall roof, two wooden doorways from the screens passage to the offices and the large hall chimney. A room in the south wing of the house contains good panelling of the first half of the 16th century, partly linenfold and partly with early Renaissance foliage, vases, etc. <9> See also <10>. See aerial photographs <11> <12> and cropmark plot of the moat <13>. Tolleshunt D'Arcy Hall [T.I.] Moat [G.I.]. <14> Listed as Moated site. <15> Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import.