More information : (TL 568221) Warish Hall on site of (NAT) Priory (NR) (Benedictine) (NAT) Moat (NR). (1) Benedictine alien priory founded by King William I in 1066-86 as a "thank offering" for the Normans' safe crossing to England. The lands in Essex were held by the Abbey of St Valery at the Domesday Survey. No record of the community's size is given but there were 2-3 monks there in the 14th century. It was sold in about 1391 and the estates assigned to New College, Oxford and Winchester College (2).
A wide rectangular moat enclosed by a narrower one surrounds the priory site, which is now occupied by Warish Hall (of 18th century and later date; Grade 3 [4]). On the south side, the inner moat is crossed by a wooden bridge, some of the timbers of which are ancient (3). (2-4) There are no building remains of the priory or local information relevant to it. (TL5682 2210). Warish Hall is externally modernised and not outstanding. Surrounding it is a moat measuring overall about 70.0m square with arms from about 8.0 to 15.0m wide. Extending from the SW angle is an enclosure ditch, part waterfilled, that continues E and then N where it survives as a shallow depression in pasture. The course of the ditch may be relevant to the size of the priory, but there is no trace of a complete circuit on the ground; the tithe map of 1838 shows similar detail to the OS 25". At TL 5677 2214 is a possible fishpond. Published survey (25") correct. (5)
Scheduled monument no 20705 (6). |