Orsett

Coordinates: 51°31′N 0°22′E / 51.51°N 0.37°E / 51.51; 0.37

Orsett is a village and ecclesiastical parish located within Thurrock unitary district in Essex, England, situated around 5 km north-east of Grays.

History

It has historically been a primarily agricultural community situated at the southern edge of the old ice age flood plain traversed by the river Mardyke.

Orsett contains a ring and bailey earthwork known locally as Bishop Bonner's palace. On the gravel terrace, there is a neolithic causewayed enclosure discovered as a result of crop marks which showed on aerial photographs taken by Dr St Joseph of Cambridge University. It has three concentric ditches with a number of breaks or causeways. The enclosure was used as a burial ground by the Saxons and contained at least three barrows visible on the aerial photo.

Orsett Heath in the south of the parish was formerly part of an extensive area of heathland that included Terrel's Heath.

Geography

The centre of Orsett is aligned on an east-west axis along the High Road on which is the parish church of St Giles and All Saints along with the animal pound and lock-up opposite Rowley Road. Its former workhouse on Rowley Road was developed into a large modern hospital in the 1960s but has, since the 1980s, been reduced in size once again. Most of the former shops in the High Road, including the Post Office opposite the Church and the blacksmith's in Rowley Road have closed to be replaced by just one convenience store which contains a sub post office.

Orsett Hall

Orsett Hall was a 17th-century grade 2 listed building in Orsett, Essex (de-listed on 10 March 2008). It was set in 12 acres (4.9 ha) of parkland and was the centre of the Orsett Hall agricultural estate. The house was destroyed by fire on 11 May 2007 and rebuilt in the same style and on the same footprint as the original building in 2009.

History

The house dated in part to the 17th century, but was enlarged and reconstructed in brick by Richard Baker about 1750 and was set in 12 acres (4.9 ha) of parkland. With the purchases of additional farm land in Orsett and nearby parishes, Baker established an agricultural estate centred on the house. In 1827, the house and estate passed from the Baker family to a nephew, William Wingfield, who changed his name to Wingfield-Baker. It was inherited by his son, Richard Baker Wingfield-Baker and in turn by his son, Digby Wingfield-Baker. At the end of the 19th century the estate was inherited by Thomas Whitmore as a debt of honour. (A family legend says that it was won in a game of cards.) The house was refurbished in the early 20th century by Colonel Sir Francis Whitmore who described it as "an uninhabitable shell, without light, water or sanitation". It was the Whitmore family home for more than fifty years. It was inherited by Sir Francis' son, Sir John Whitmore, who used the grounds to take off and land his plane. He sold it in 1968, to his friends, Tony and Val Morgan. At the time of the fire Steve and Lynn Haynes owned and ran the Orsett Hall Hotel as a conference centre, hotel and wedding venue.