Rainham Hall

Last updated

Rainham Hall
Rainham Hall.jpg
Rainham Hall, front view
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Greater London
General information
Architectural style Georgian
Town or city Rainham
Country England
Coordinates 51°31′4.44″N00°11′26.52″E / 51.5179000°N 0.1907000°E / 51.5179000; 0.1907000
Owner National Trust
Website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/rainham-hall
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated7 Jan 1955
Reference no.1358506
Rainham Hall, back view 2019-05-10 Rainham Hall.jpg
Rainham Hall, back view

Rainham Hall is a Grade II* listed Georgian house, owned by the National Trust, in Rainham, in the London Borough of Havering. Built in 1729 for Captain John Harle, the house was transferred to the National Trust in 1949. Let to a succession of private tenants, it remained closed to the public until late 2015. It recently appeared as a location in the 2019 BBC production of A Christmas Carol.

Contents

Buildings

Rainham Hall is a three-storey brown and red brick house next to the church of St Helen and St Giles in the centre of Rainham in the London Borough of Havering. [1] It is an example of a Dutch domestic Queen Anne style house. [1] [2] Many of the original features of the house remain, including trompe-l'œil frescoes on the walls and Delft tiles in the fireplaces. Outside the front of the house are Grade II* listed wrought-iron railings that feature the intertwining initials of Harle and his wife Mary. [3] [4] [5] They are described as being amongst the finest in London from that time; [1] [4] a guide published by the London Borough of Havering suggests that they might have been created by Jean Tijou, a famed blacksmith who produced the ironwork for Hampton Court Palace. [3]

Along with the main building the grounds contain a stable/coach house and lodge, all of which were given Grade II* listed status in January 1955. [6] [7] [8] Some of the walls in the garden and "stone garden vases of contemporary date" were also listed at the same time. [5] The two-acre garden features a recently replanted 30-tree orchard, one of the largest in London. Harle used the coach house and hall as the main centre for his trading activities. The close proximity of the commercial and domestic buildings is described by the National Trust as "significant because it seems to be a rare survival of a practice which was once widespread". [1]

Rainham Hall has been recommended for an upgrade to Grade I listed status. A 2011 Heritage Scoping Study noted that the main building should be reviewed, stating that "it is one of the finest and best-preserved examples in England of a medium-sized early Georgian merchant’s house" with the National Trust receiving credit for their work on maintaining the property. It goes on to state that the "outstanding level of the significance of this landmark" should merit a review in the listed status. [9]

History

The Harle family

John Harle, born in 1688, [10] was a sea-captain and merchant from South Shields. [11] In 1718 he married Mary Tibbington, a widow from Stepney, while living in the vicinity of Wapping. [12] Ten years later, after transferring the responsibility for the sailing ventures to a cousin, he purchased the Rainham property, including the wharf. [12] He invested money dredging the River Ingrebourne, thereby giving trading vessels a route up to Rainham from the Thames. He had Rainham Hall constructed in 1729 using high-quality materials as a showcase for the building products he sold. [1] Harle is credited with being significant in the development of Rainham Village throughout the 18th century. [13] Mary died in 1739, and John, without heir, soon married a Rainham widow named Sarah Gregory. [14] He died in 1742, leaving the house to Sarah and his two-year-old son John. [14] Sarah died in 1749, leaving her son John to the care of her sister Jane, who had been living at Rainham Hall. [14] At Jane's death two years later, John moved to London to stay with an uncle, and the contents of the house went to auction. [14] [lower-alpha 1]

The estate was managed by a trustee William Dearsley during John Harle junior's childhood. [15] In 1763, John married Dearsley's daughter Sarah, and turned to Methodism, inviting noted preacher John Valton of Purfleet to speak at Rainham Hall in 1767. [15] After John junior's death in 1770, Sarah married Jarvis Chambers and moved to Hackney. [16] The property ultimately passed to a distant relative of Jarvis Chambers, but none of the Chambers ever resided in Rainham. [16] Two brothers who had lived at Rainham as tenants, Edward and Octavius Daldy, purchased the property in 1887, and in the meantime sub-let the hall while running the wharf business. [16]

Sale and renovation

The entrance hall The entrance hall at Rainham Hall.jpg
The entrance hall

In 1874 the Reverend Nicholas Brady moved into Rainham Hall as the Daldys' tenant. [17] Brady was a naturalist as well as being the rector of nearby Wenington Church, which he restored in the 1880s. [17] Brady purchased Rainham Hall in 1900, and on his death eleven years later, left it to his wife. [18] Upon her death, it passed to their nieces and nephews. [18]

It was purchased in 1917 by Colonel Herbert Hall Mulliner as a setting for part of his outstanding collections of English furniture and English pottery. [19] [lower-alpha 2] He was involved in architectural salvage and added several 18C features to Rainham Hall including, possibly, the fireplaces. [20] He also added the Harle coat of arms over the entrance hall fireplace, copying it from the Harle grave. [20] Despite all these efforts, Mulliner never actually resided at Rainham, and died in London in 1924. [20] The house was then purchased by his solicitor, William Murray Sturges. [20] Sturges extended the living space upwards, creating attic rooms in order to accommodate his family of 6 children. [20] Upon his death in 1945, the house was offered to the National Trust in lieu of death duties, but the settlement was not finalised until 1949. [21]

The nursery and private tenants

The staircase The staircase at Rainham Hall.jpg
The staircase

During the Second World War, Rainham Hall was requisitioned for use as a nursery by Essex County Council. [22] It continued to serve that purpose until 1954, allowing mothers to work outside the home. [22] Despite being used as a nursery, the house was advertised as a country house open for tourist visits "upon application to the matron" in the early 1950s. [23] Once the Essex County Council lease had expired, the house was leased by the National Trust to Walter Ison, an architectural historian and his wife Leonora Payne, an artist specialising in architectural illustration. [24] They used it as their private residence until 1962, but did provide public tours on a limited weekly basis. [21]

The next tenant at Rainham was photographer Anthony Denney. Despite his professional interest in modern design, he amassed a collection of 18C furniture. [25] He also invested in renovation, such as the paintwork and panelling. [26] Following Denney's departure in 1969, the hall was leased to a succession of musicians and artists, such as Paul Silverthorne and David Atack. [27]

The National Trust

The National Trust took the decision in 2010 to end its tenancy arrangements and redevelop the house as an amenity for Rainham village, [25] as part of the Trust's strategy to increase investment in the "non-aristocratic built environment." [28] The stable block was converted to create a café, bookshop, and exhibition area. The house was upgraded for modern safety standards, as well as restoration of various elements of the historic décor to reflect the complex history. [29] In 2013, a team of archaeologists conducted a dig in the gardens, turning up ceramic, glass and brass artefacts, as well as discovering an unusual planting border constructed of animal bones. [30]

The house opened for visitors in October 2015, showcasing the decorative elements applied by tenants throughout the years and items found under the floorboards as a means of illustrating its history. [31] In 2019, Rainham Hall was used as a filming location for the BBC adaptation of A Christmas Carol, with both the interior and exterior used to create the home of Ebeneezer Scrooge. [32] That same year, an exhibition on the career of Anthony Denney was held in the house, showcasing his work in both interior design as well as photography. [33] The house now contains a series of four exhibitions reflecting on its owners and history, including Nicholas Brady, the day nursery, Anthony Denney and John Harle. [34]

See also

Notes

  1. A copy of John Harle's will was discovered at a car boot sale in 2014 and was donated to Rainham Hall. [14]
  2. The collection was sold at Christie's, 10 July 1924 and following days Catalogue of the Important Collection of Old English Furniture, Objects of Art and Tapestry, formed by the late Col. H.H. Mulliner..., removed from Clifton Court, Rugby and Albany, Piccadilly; the collection was catalogued by Margaret Jourdain, writing as "Francis Lenygon", The Late Stuart and Early Georgian Periods. The Decorative Arts in England 1660-1780 (1924); numerous pieces of furniture from the Mulliner collection were illustrated in Percy Macquoid and Ralph Edwards, eds. The Dictionary of English furniture (1927).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hornchurch</span> Town in east London, England

Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London in the London Borough of Havering. It is located 15.2 miles (24.5 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed a large ancient parish in the county of Essex that became the manor and liberty of Havering. The economic history of Hornchurch is underpinned by a shift away from agriculture to other industries with the growing significance of nearby Romford as a market town and centre of administration. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Hornchurch significantly expanded and increased in population, becoming an urban district in 1926 and has formed part of Greater London since 1965. It is the location of Queen's Theatre, Havering Sixth Form College and Havering College of Further and Higher Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upminster</span> Town in East London

Upminster is a suburban town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Havering. Located 16.5 miles (26.6 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Havering</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Havering in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities include Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. The borough is mainly suburban, with large areas of protected open space. Romford is a major retail and night time entertainment centre, and to the south the borough extends into the London Riverside redevelopment area of the Thames Gateway. The name Havering is a reference to the Royal Liberty of Havering which occupied the area for several centuries. The local authority is Havering London Borough Council. It is the easternmost London borough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elm Park</span> Human settlement in England

Elm Park is a suburban planned community in East London and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located 14.3 miles (23.0 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is identified as a district centre in the London Plan with several streets of shops and a priority for regeneration. Prior to the construction of the extensive Elm Park Garden City development in the 1930s it was a scattered settlement of farms in the south of the parish of Hornchurch. Elm Park has been connected to central London by the electrified District line service since 1935 and the planned development of the area formed part of the interwar private housing boom that was interrupted by World War II. After the war Elm Park expanded with social housing and it has formed part of Greater London since 1965.

Hornchurch Country Park is a 104.5-hectare park on the former site of Hornchurch Airfield, south of Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, east London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wennington, London</span> Human settlement in England

Wennington is a small village in the London Borough of Havering, in east London. It is situated 14.8 miles (23.8 km) east of Charing Cross. Wennington was an ancient parish in the county of Essex that was abolished for civil purposes in 1934. It is peripheral to London, forming a ribbon development extending from the eastern edge of the urban sprawl and surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt. Wennington was added to Hornchurch Urban District in 1934 and has formed part of Greater London since 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romford Market</span> Large open market in Greater London

Romford Market is a large outdoor retail market located in Romford in the London Borough of Havering, England. The market right was established by royal order in 1247. Rival markets are prohibited within 6.66 miles (10.72 km). Governance of the market was strengthened by the 1465 charter of the Liberty of Havering, which was administered from a court house at the western end of the market. Formerly a livestock and agricultural market, cattle was last sold in 1958. The market has been in local authority ownership since it was purchased by the Romford Local Board in 1892 and is now owned by Havering Council. The marketplace was located on the main east–west road through the town until traffic was diverted away from the market in 1969. The market is promoted as a filming location. It is open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. There was a Sunday market from July 2020 to March 2024. As of July 2020 it has 60 licensed traders, down from a peak of over 300.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hornchurch (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1945–2010

Hornchurch was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. At the 2010 general election parts formed the new seats of Hornchurch and Upminster; and Dagenham and Rainham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romford (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1885 onwards

Romford is a constituency in Greater London represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2001 by Andrew Rosindell, a Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hornchurch and Upminster (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2010 onwards

Hornchurch and Upminster is a constituency in Greater London most recently represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament by Julia Lopez, a member of the Conservative Party, currently Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who succeeded Angela Watkinson in 2017. Watkinson had been elected in 2010 as the constituency's first MP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve</span> Marshland nature reserve in east London

Rainham Marshes is an RSPB nature reserve in the east of London, adjacent to the Thames Estuary in Purfleet, Thurrock and the London Borough of Havering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedfords Park</span>

Bedfords Park is public open space of 215 acres or approximately 87½ hectares near Havering-atte-Bower in the London Borough of Havering in England. It is one of three large parklands around Havering-atte-Bower; the others are Havering Country Park and Pyrgo Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dagenham and Rainham (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 2010 onwards

Dagenham and Rainham is a parliamentary constituency in Greater London that was created in 2010. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom since 2024 by Margaret Mullane and was previously represented from 2010 by Jon Cruddas, both members of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainham, London</span> Suburb of East London, England

Rainham is a suburb of East London, England, in the London Borough of Havering. Historically an ancient parish in the county of Essex, Rainham is 13.6 miles (21.9 km) east of Charing Cross and is surrounded by a residential area, which has grown from the historic village, to the north and a commercial area, fronting the River Thames, to the south. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Rainham significantly expanded and increased in population, becoming part of Hornchurch Urban District in 1934, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965. The economic history of Rainham is underpinned by a shift from agriculture to industry and manufacture and is now in a period of regeneration, coming within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area.

Orchard Village, formerly known as the Mardyke Estate, is a housing development in the South Hornchurch area of London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Havering Museum</span>

Havering Museum is a local museum located in the town of Romford, in the London Borough of Havering. It is primarily focused on the studies and artifacts from the five towns that encompass the borough of Havering. Located in what remains of the old Ind Coope Romford Brewery, it is one of the last reminders of Romford's brewing history. Completely volunteer run, the museum is self-funded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marks (manor house)</span> Former manor house in London, England

Marks was a manor house located near Marks Gate at the northern tip of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in London, England, the house standing on what is now Warren Hall Farm, about two miles west of Romford. The name Marks is believed to have been derived from the de Merk family who built the original manor in the 14th century. The manor house was demolished in 1808.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rainham Hall". National Trust. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  2. Ross, David. "Rainham Hall". Britain Express. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  3. 1 2 "'Havering Walks' Industrial Heritage Rainham" (PDF). London Borough of Havering. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  4. 1 2 "National Trust: Rainham Hall". London & Partners. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  5. 1 2 Historic England. "Forecourt railings, gates and piers walls and vases at Rainham Hall (1079922)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  6. Historic England. "Rainham Hall (1358506)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  7. Historic England. "Stable Block at Rainham Hall (1183554)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  8. Historic England. "The Lodge at Rainham Hall (1079923)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  9. Bird, Edmund (June 2011). "Review of the London Borough of Havering's Rainham Conservation Area" (PDF). London.gov.uk. p. 14. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  10. Collett 2015, p. 4.
  11. "Rainham". University of London & History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  12. 1 2 Collett 2015, p. 5.
  13. Collett 2015, p. 6.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Collett 2015, p. 7.
  15. 1 2 Collett 2015, p. 8.
  16. 1 2 3 Collett 2015, p. 9.
  17. 1 2 Collett 2015, p. 10.
  18. 1 2 Collett 2015, p. 11.
  19. Collett 2015, p. 12.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 Collett 2015, p. 13.
  21. 1 2 Collett 2015, p. 17.
  22. 1 2 Collett 2015, p. 14.
  23. Cary 1950, p. 210.
  24. Woodward 1996.
  25. 1 2 Collett 2015, p. 18.
  26. Collett 2015, p. 19.
  27. Collett 2015, p. 19-20.
  28. Readman 2016, p. 182-183.
  29. Collett 2015, p. 24.
  30. RR 2013.
  31. Kennedy 2015.
  32. RR 2019.
  33. Wustemann 2019.
  34. "Exhibitions at Rainham Hall". National Trust.

Sources