Cinque Port Wreck House James And Stone Shipyard

The Cinque Port Wreck House, located at the James and Stone Shipyard in Brightlingsea, is a warehouse dating from the late 18th century. It is constructed of Flemish bond red brick, with some parts rendered, and features a hipped slate roof. The building has a rectangular plan aligned north-south and stands two storeys high. The main facade has four bays, highlighted by pilasters with elliptical arches. There are 20th-century windows, and a high-level 20th-century doorway has been inserted in the southernmost bay on the east facade. The two-bay end walls also display a similar pattern of pilasters with elliptical arches.

Historically, this building was referred to as the "Cinque Ports Warehouse" in the 1829 parish Ratebook, reflecting Brightlingsea's status until 1811 as the only limb of the Cinque Ports north of the Thames Estuary. The Lord Warden of these ports had the right to a third of the value of all wrecks in his jurisdiction. In 1850, an inscription was placed over the upper doorway by its owner, James Argent, who was the Receiver of the Wrecks for the town, which also contributed to its later name, "Old Wreck House." In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was used by the Bridges family for block making. In 1934, it became part of John James Shipyard. This building is believed to be the last example of a wreck house within the former jurisdiction of the Cinque Ports and is a rare surviving example of this type of structure.