Summary

Remains of moat.

Full description

Remains of moat. Formerly Crondon Park was owned by the Bishops of London and had belonged to the See of London since before the Norman conquest. Originally there were stables, a bakehouse, chapel, hall, lodge, gatehouse on the Stock side of the park, 2 fish ponds. The site is visible as a platform above the valley floor. The fish ponds are dry, the dams being eroded by horses. <1> Until the end of the 19th century Crondon Park was part of Orsett Hamlet, a detached part of Orsett parish. It belonged to the See of London since before the Norman conquest, though part had been granted by Edward the Confessor to Eustace, Count of Boulogne in 1048. "One of the earliest documents is a licence from King John to William, Bishop of London, to enclose a park at Crondon and this is dated 30 November, 1204". In 1209 it is probable that John stayed at the recently erected Manor House at Crondon. There is a reference to a deer leap at Crondon in 1275. The Bishops' Registers show that the Bishops were often here in the early 14th century. Documents in the Petre collection refer to repairs to the roof of the stable in 1344-1345, repairs to the bakehouse in 1362, to payments for glazing windows of the chapel and for tiling roofs of the chapel and hall and in 1395 there were repairs to the beams on the wall "between the lodge and the Lord's Chapel". In 1402 repairs were made to "the gatehouse on the Stock side of the 'park'". In 1556 Crondon Park Manor House was described as a "fayre lodge, timbered and tiled and two fish ponds and the keeper dwelleth in the lodge". In 1546 Henry VIII acquired Crondon Park and granted it to Sir William Petre. From the mid 16th well into the 17th century, disparking of part of the park was carried out, it being leased to farms. In 1768 Morant described it, "Crondon Park was formerly a Park, but for some years has been turned into farms". A note in the Catholic Register records that the chapel was preserved until 1832. The house was then demolished and no traces of the park remained, though a footnote added that some remains of walls were left "and some fine trees are still growing near the modern farm house". Orsett Hamlet was transferred from Orsett to Stock in 1881. <2> Documentary refs, some could duplicate one another. <3>-<27> Double moat?, sub circular. Brick, floor tile, roofing tile, stone and pottery. Entrance by dam(?). In pasture, water supply from springs. 2 fish ponds. <28> 5 photos in SMR. <29>

Site Assessment = In pasture, slight erosion on slopes from cattle. Fish ponds dry, dams being eroded by horses. <1>

<1> Jarvis, LD, unknown, SMR (DESC TEXT). SEX18627.

<2> Jarvis, LD, unknown, SMR, Artefact sheet (DESC TEXT). SEX18627.

<3> unknown, unknown, Chronological Notes on Crondon Park (DESC TEXT). SEX18713.

<4> unknown, unknown, D-DP T66 (DESC TEXT). SEX18714.

<5> unknown, unknown, D-DPM714 (DESC TEXT). SEX18715.

<6> unknown, 1275, membrane II.54.92 (DESC TEXT). SEX18716.

<7> Canterbury and York Soc, unknown, Bishops' Registers, Vol 7, Appendix 5 (DESC TEXT). SEX18717.

<8> Trans Essex Archaeological Soc, unknown, Trans Essex Archaeol Soc, Vol 1, p218 (DESC TEXT). SEX373.

<9> Austen, FW, unknown, Rectors of Two Essex Parishes and their Times, p19 (DESC TEXT). SEX18718.

<10> unknown, unknown, Court Books of the Manor of Great Baddow (DESC TEXT). SEX18719.

<11> unknown, 1549, Manor Court Rolls (DESC TEXT). SEX18720.

<12> unknown, 1556, D-DPM803 (DESC TEXT). SEX18721.

<13> unknown, 1578, Quarter Sessions Rolls (DESC TEXT). SEX18722.

<14> Morant, P, 1768, History of Essex (DESC TEXT). SEX3817.

<15> unknown, unknown, Crondon Park Roman Catholic Registers (DESC TEXT). SEX18723.

<16> unknown, unknown, Orsett Parish Voters List (DESC TEXT). SEX18724.

<17> unknown, 1850, MAP by , Tithe Award (Map). SEX18725.

<18> unknown, 1859, Stock Parish Voters List (DESC TEXT). SEX18726.

<19> Kellys Directories, 1899, Kelly's Directory (DESC TEXT). SEX18727.

<20> unknown, unknown, MAP by (Map). SEX5470.

<21> unknown, unknown, D-DPM780-831 (DESC TEXT). SEX18728.

<22> unknown, unknown, D-DPM806-831 (DESC TEXT). SEX18729.

<23> unknown, unknown, D-DPM829 (DESC TEXT). SEX18730.

<24> unknown, unknown, D-DPE24-26 (DESC TEXT). SEX18731.

<25> unknown, unknown, D-DPE29 (DESC TEXT). SEX18732.

<26> unknown, unknown, D-DP189 (DESC TEXT). SEX18733.

<27> unknown, unknown, E24-26 (DESC TEXT). SEX18734.

<28> Hedges, John D, 1976, TQ69-044 (LIST). SEX18735.

<28> Hedges, John D?, unknown, TQ69-044 (Photograph). SEX18736.

<29> Hedges, John D?, unknown, TQ69-044, 5 frames (Photograph). SEX18736.

Monument Types

• BAKEHOUSE (C14, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• CHAPEL (C14, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DAM (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• DEER PARK (C13, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GATE LODGE (C14, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• GATEHOUSE (C15, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HALL HOUSE (C13, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• STABLE (C14, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• STONE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• WALL (C14, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

• BRICK (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• VESSEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Events

• Field visit to 5450 by Hedges, JD, CAO (Ref: ?)

Protected Status

• Historic Environment Character Zone: Chelmsford 10.4
• Historic Environment Character Area: Chelmsford 10

Sources and further reading

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.