More information : TL 382008. Waltham Grange, the home farm of Waltham Abbey (TL 30 SE 8) lies to the north-east of the Abbey precinct and east of its outer close, Veresmead (TL 30 SE 127). A bank and ditch delimits, on the east and north sides, an area of 18 acres identified as Waltham Grange.
King Harold endowed a secular college at Waltham Abbey with land amounting to 180 acres or 1.5 hides, but this endowment is not mentioned in Domesday. c 1108 Queen Matilda restored 2.5 hides, called Northland, to the college. After the foundation of the Abbey the whole manor was acquired from the crown. The first documentary references to the grange is in 1363 when a Hugh de la Graunge is mentioned as living in the town (TL 30 SE 124).
An inventory, taken at the dissolution of the monastery, lists farm buildings, probably outside the monastic precinct, including: bakehouse, brewhouse, granery, forge, oat barn, hay barn, plough house, 'deyhouse'. 100 sheep, 28 oxen/cows, 13 boars, 8 pigs, 12 horses, wheat and oats are listed.
In 1541 Waltham Grange was leased for 21 years to Anthony Denny, except for the forge and the royal stable. The lease included the demesne lands of the monastery, a tenement and two crofts next to the Stone Bridge and also the rectory of Waltham Holy Cross. After 1541 the land appears to have been sublet.
The forge and royal stable were granted to Sir Edward Denny (Anthony Denny's grandson) in 1608. Edward Denny built Abbey House (see TL 30 SE 9).
A lease of 1800 refers to 'Waltham farm otherwise Abbey farm' and lists fields taken to comprise Waltham Grange: Grange yard, Cockfield, Orchard and Bakers Close.
The area of the Grange yard was excavated by Waltham Abbey Historical Society between 1970 and 1972. (1) |