Creeksea Place
Creeksea Place is a large
red brick house standing in a park of about 30 acres. The original
building was built in about 1569 by Sir Arthur Harris ( or Harrys) who
was a member of the Mildmay family.
The
south range was destroyed in 1740 and only the east and north wings now
survive.
The
north wing retains some original features including an original rain
water head which is dated 1569 , windows,chimneystack's and an original
staircase.
The
water head is used to date Creeksea Place as records show that it was
not in place in 1508 but was listed as a building in 1594.
The
East wing was rebuilt in 1901 on the foundations of the old structure by
William Rome who was the occupant having purchased it from the Mildmay
family.
Lord
Mildmay, Keeper of the Crown Jewels for King Charles 1st married into
the Harris family and eventually became the owner of Creeksea Place.
He
is reputed to have been one of the twelve State elders who subsequently
signed King Charles 1st death warrant. Following the execution and after
the accession to the throne of King Charles 2nd , Lord Mildmay was said
to have been arrested at Creeksea and he and the other eleven elders
were accused of regicide ( the murder of a king or queen ), later
pardoned but it is said, to make sure they did not forget the enormity
of their crime, all twelve were obliged to spend the anniversary date of
the King’s execution in the Tower of London.
The
Great Sword of Creeksea Place had rested for nearly three hundred years
on a platform at the head of the oak spiral staircase which led up to
the attics of the old house. It a court sword of the early 17th century,
its hilt and pommel being covered with chased silver in various designs,
the Tudor rose being the most prominent.
It
is said that one man alone, with the sword in his hand, could have held
the stairs against all comers, and protected the women and children of
the house from assailants. The Great Sword is now mounted in a display
case in nearby Creeksea church.
In
1940 Lindisfarne College moved from its home at Westcliff to Creeksea
Place until the Military requisitioned the place as a wartime base and
training unit at which point the school transferred to Newburgh Priory
at Coxwold in Yorkshire until 1950 it again moved to a permanent home in
Wynnstay ,North Wales
Following the end of the war
the main building has been largely uninhabited until recent times
when it has been used as a conference centre and film location.
In
2003 the building became a familiar feature on Britain's television
screens when it provided the location for the popular BBC 1 television
program ' The Murder Game' as well as appearances in period programs for
films and television.
Creeksea Place is now open to the public as a conference centre and
Wedding Venue . Clicking here
will take you to their web site which includes photographs.
Local Legends about Creeksea Place
Creeksea Place was reputed to have been the home of Anne Boleyn and that
her spirit was said to have been seen walking from the old cottage near
the Creeksea ferry.
Her
daughter, Queen Elizabeth, is thought to have met her soldiers here and
that they were supposed to have come to meet her through a subterranean
tunnel connected with Rochford Great
Tudor drains, full of oyster shells have been uncovered but not the
tunnel itself.
Although the story of Anne Boleyn is attractive, if the hall was built
in 1569 the fact that Anne was executed in 1536 would mean that she
could not have visited. However there may be some truth to the story as
in 1500 the Harris family who built Creeksea Place were landowners at
Rochford on the other side of the water.
Given that the Boleyn family were the other large landowners in Rochford
it is very likely that Anne would have known the Harris's as the one
local family in her social class. Records show that the Harris family
also owned the land at Creeksea on which Creeksea Place was built
and that there was an active ferry across the River Crouch from
Creeksea to Rochford.
Whilst there was no record of any building substantial enough for Anne
to have visited it is possible that a young Anne used the ferry to visit
her neighbours land.
The
story of the tunnel is also unlikely given the width of the River Crouch
at this point and the difficulty in shoring up, draining and ventilating
such a long tunnel with the engineering skills available in the 1500's.
There is a tunnel leading underground at Creeksea Place but this leads
to an old ice room which was used to store ice for long periods before
the advent of freezers.
This
period was one of intrigue and religious persecution with priest holes
and escape tunnels often found in large houses to enable the escape of
the occupants or embarrassing visitors should the forces of state or
church arrive. It is probable that such an small escape route was
embellished locally to produce the tunnel legend.
