Houses of Interest: Essex

The ECWtravelogue returns to Essex, a county about as far away from Château KeepYourPowderDry without getting your feet wet, or having your passport checked.

But first, for other Essex Civil War related locations please see:-

Colchester

Combined Military Services Museum

Essex was Eastern Association territory, so it barely saw any disquiet during the Wars, apart from the the events that unfolded in 1648 in Colchester.

Audley End House was the home of Royalist, James Howard the 3rd Earl of Suffolk. He would spend the Wars at Oxford at the King's Parliament. The house would be untroubled by the Wars.

Audley End is a fine example of Jacobean architecture. Alas no photography inside, lots of Wars related portraiture, alas not originals more copies 'from the school of...'.

Oodles of buildings in Saffron Walden will have witnessed the events of the Wars

Saffron Walden became a 'base' for the Army Newly Modelled, and has a number of connections to events from this time. The NMA were on the brink of mutiny, and soldiers in Saffron Waldon were addressed by a Commission sent by Parliament, including Cromwell and Ireton, at St Mary's Church on the 8th May 1647. 

It is believed that the church's medieval stained glass was destroyed by soldiers from the NMA.

The Old Sun Inn was Fairfax's headquarters, and it is believed that both the Lord General, and his second in command Oliver Cromwell stayed here. Of course the sign over the door only makes reference to Cromwell (!).

The Old Sun Inn is now part of Saffron Walden Museum, and is open for pre-booked visits and occasional events. It is currently going extensive restoration.

Castle Street has a number of sixteenth and seventeenth century jetted houses to inspire a period feel.

Wednesday, June 3rd , 1648, General Lord Norwich sent orders to his men at Stratford to march towards Chelmsford, they would meet at Romford market place. Parliamentarian Carew Hervey Mildmay, lived at Mark's Hall, a moated mansion west of Collier Row, two miles to the west of Romford. He’s said to have fled from the advancing Royalists by swimming his moat.

On Thursday morning, the Royalists formed up in the Market Place, before marching to Brentwood

Parliamentarian soldiers immediately entered Romford  and harried their progress.  There are no reports of casualties, but it took all day for the Royalists to cover the six miles through Gidea Park and Harold Wood.

At Brentwood, Sir Charles Lucas arrived with reinforcements, and more volunteers appeared at Chelmsford the following day. Lord Norwich’s force soon grew to 4,000 men before they marched on Colchester.

The Battle of Boxted Heath stemmed from one of the attempted ‘breakouts’ by Royalist horse; fighting was mostly cavalry action. The battle location is uncertain but appears to have been to the east of the Roman Road (now the A134), north of Mile End Church (Colchester) and south of Boxted.

15th July 1648, the Royalist horse, numbering 1000 men, left Colchester by the Rye Gate and crossed the river at Middle Mill. They evaded Fothergill's encampment, just after midnight they heard Fothergill's men start to fight with their stragglers. By morning reports that local Trained Bands were hemming the Royalist force in. Protracted skirmishing would ensue for most of the day, before the battle proper took place on the 18th. Whilst the Royalist horse gave a good account of themselves, they were considerably outnumbered by Parliamentarian horse, and fled the battlefield, leaving their baggage behind. The survivors, now just two troops, returned to Colchester.

St Mary's Church, Mistley was the last resting place of Matthew Hopkins, self-appointed Witchfinder General. Hopkins, and his associates, are believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 300 women, between 1644 and 1646. These women were spuriously accused of being witches, their confessions being given under torture. The church ruins are now lost under 'landscaping' for a new housing development. It was located between the hedgerow on Heath Road, and the Balancing Pond, which is still present. Hopkins originally lived in nearby Manningtree, and may have bought an inn, The Thorn, with the proceeds of his witchfinding. The Thorn is long since gone, but an inn still stands upon the spot, The Mistley Thorn.

Postcodes for SatNavs
Audley End House, Audley End Road CB11 4JF
St Mary's Church, Church Path CB10 1JP
The Old Sun Inn, 29 Church Street CB10 1JW
Castle Street CB10 1BD

Romford Market, Market Place RM1 3ER

Site of St Mary's Church, adjacent to Dove House Farm, Heath Road, Mistley CO11 2QH

The Mistley Thorn, High Street, Mistley CO11 1HE

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