Gatehouse 40 Metres West of Beckingham Hall

Gatehouse. Built between 1543 and 1563. Constructed of red brick in an irregular bond, with remnants of original external plaster. The gatehouse has a rectangular plan facing approximately southwest, with a circular turret at each corner. It connects to a wall (listed separately) that encloses a courtyard west of Beckingham Hall. The building is two stories high. The blocked outer archway features richly moulded jambs and a four-centred arch within a square head, with double labels; the spandrels retain remnants of plaster. Above the archway is a window with two four-centred lights in a square head, with moulded jambs, a mullion, arches, recessed spandrels both outside and inside, and the remains of a moulded label. The two outer turrets have restored cruciform loops on the upper floor. A chamfered plinth is present, along with a moulded string course at first-floor level, and a restored parapet. Above the south turret is a round chimney-shaft with a moulded necking and an ornamental cap with four attached semi-circular shafts, all restored. The responds of the inner archway each have an attached semi-circular shaft with a moulded capital and a restored base. The springers of a four-centred arch remain, with the remainder rebuilt; above it are the remains of a large window with moulded jambs. Remnants of original plaster with a painted black and white design are visible on the northwest wall. The inner turrets are hollow with domed floors, and external plain doorways lead to the courtyard via four-centred arches. The building is incomplete, lacking a floor or roof. Within the thickness of the southeast wall, a stair rises to the first floor, lit by a chamfered rectangular loop, accessible via a plain doorway with a four-centred head in the east turret. A similar doorway is located at the top of the south turret. A similar, unlit stair rises to the roof. In the northwest wall, at first-floor level, there is an incomplete fireplace with the remains of a four-centred arch and two flues branching to the west and north turrets. The west turret has a plain doorway with a four-centred head on the first floor. The gatehouse was built for Stephen Beckingham and is depicted on an estate map of 1637 by Samuel Cosin (Essex Record Office, T/M 4/3), indicating that at that time, the associated house extended further to the northwest, symmetrically around the same axis as the gatehouse.