Southchurch Hall

Southchurch Hall is a Grade I listed 13th-century timber-framed and plastered moated manor house located in Southchurch. The building features a cross wing at the west end that jetties on the upper storey. Notably, a Tudor wing extends to the south at the west end, while a modern wing is situated at the east end, both of which are tile hung. The hall likely stands on the site of a Saxon hall and is still surrounded by a moat and earthworks that are probably of Norman origin. Historical records indicate that the land was granted to the monks of Canterbury in 823 by Leofstan, a Saxon thegn. The tenants of the hall adopted the family name "de Southchurch," a tradition that continued until the death of Sir Peter de Southchurch in 1309. In the late 19th century, the hall was owned by Thomas Dowsett, the first Mayor of Southend. It was presented to the town in 1925 and underwent extensive restoration in 1930, during which some original doorways and windows were uncovered. The windows are casements with lattice leaded lights, and the roof is tiled with four hipped dormer windows on the north front. The west wing features a notable Tudor external chimney stack with diagonal shafts and a moulded cap. Inside, the hall boasts a fine late 13th-century or early 14th-century tie beam roof with curved braces and an octagonal crown post with a moulded capital, along with several original features, including a doorway with a carved ogee arched doorhead.