High House Purfleet
Encyclopedia
High House is the collective name for a group of historic buildings in Purfleet
, Thurrock
, Essex
, which was used as a farm for hundreds of years, with a Grade II listed house and barn, but with the addition of one of the best dovecote
s (dove houses) in Southern England, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
. This property includes the house, coachman's cottage, chaise house, stable, granary, barn, workshop, cart sheds, dovecote, and inner and outer walled gardens. Known by many names in its past, the farm has been called Le Vineyards, because grape vines were grown on one of its south facing slopes. Its current name comes from the fact that it is a house 'High' on the hill, which commanded great views over the River Thames
.
house was reused in the later construction
The house was a high status farm, as an inventory of 1615 describes a gallery with armoury and a dining room with paintings, and the garden having a sun dial, garden benches and a statue. Architectural detail seen in the stable indicates the kind of quality, wealth and status that the occupants of the house commanded.
The dovecote, a hexagonal building used to house doves, was a sign of wealth and prosperity which would have been used to supplement the house kitchens with dove eggs and dove meat. In incredibly complete condition, this building still retains the internal wooden ladder used to reach all 517 nest boxes.
During the 16th and 17th centuries the house had cherry orchards with possible other crops being harvested, with pumpkins being the last crops to be harvested at the house in the 1950s in front of the dovecote.
Development in West Thurrock, originally from the chalk industry and later from a huge variety of industries, gradually decreased the size of the land which High House owned and farmed, but it was the Purfleet
bypass which finally signed the end for High House as a viable farm in the traditional sense. After the bypasses construction, the farm tried to find a new role as a private school, and lastly as flats until it closed and lay empty for many years.
opened the Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Building, a scene-making facility for their opera and ballet productions on the High House site in December 2010. The facility was designed by Nicholas Hare Architects LLP . The Royal Opera House Education Department is using the historic property as an outreach project into the community.
will open on the site and will be teaching students practical skills to enable them to work in theatre, stage, and music productions. In March 2011 it was announced that Kier Eastern had been appointed to build the facility which has been designed by Gibberd . The new space will also be available for hire for industry use. http://nsa-ccskills.co.uk/training-centre
burials were found on the site of the Royal Opera House Production Park. These remains were carefully excavated and preserved, with a large amount of evidence being found throughout the site indicating Romano-British, Bronze Age
and Iron Age
ditches with corresponding finds. Archaeologists also found evidence of pre-historic pits and post holes, indicating that a prehistoric settlement of an unknown size was on the site.
Purfleet
Purfleet is a place in the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England. It is situated south of the A13 road on the River Thames and within the easterly bounds of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater London boundary. It was within the traditional Church of England parish of West Thurrock...
, Thurrock
Thurrock
Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, which was used as a farm for hundreds of years, with a Grade II listed house and barn, but with the addition of one of the best dovecote
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
s (dove houses) in Southern England, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
. This property includes the house, coachman's cottage, chaise house, stable, granary, barn, workshop, cart sheds, dovecote, and inner and outer walled gardens. Known by many names in its past, the farm has been called Le Vineyards, because grape vines were grown on one of its south facing slopes. Its current name comes from the fact that it is a house 'High' on the hill, which commanded great views over the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
History
High House was originally built between 1552 and 1559 by Cecily Long to divide the Manor of West Thurrock, in Essex, equally between her two daughters. First built in timber and later replaced in brick in 1684, evidence remains of the Elizabethan timbers that are part of this early house in the fabric of the 17th-century surviving building. In fact, parts of the original panelling from the Queen AnneQueen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
house was reused in the later construction
The house was a high status farm, as an inventory of 1615 describes a gallery with armoury and a dining room with paintings, and the garden having a sun dial, garden benches and a statue. Architectural detail seen in the stable indicates the kind of quality, wealth and status that the occupants of the house commanded.
The dovecote, a hexagonal building used to house doves, was a sign of wealth and prosperity which would have been used to supplement the house kitchens with dove eggs and dove meat. In incredibly complete condition, this building still retains the internal wooden ladder used to reach all 517 nest boxes.
During the 16th and 17th centuries the house had cherry orchards with possible other crops being harvested, with pumpkins being the last crops to be harvested at the house in the 1950s in front of the dovecote.
Development in West Thurrock, originally from the chalk industry and later from a huge variety of industries, gradually decreased the size of the land which High House owned and farmed, but it was the Purfleet
Purfleet
Purfleet is a place in the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England. It is situated south of the A13 road on the River Thames and within the easterly bounds of the M25 motorway but just outside the Greater London boundary. It was within the traditional Church of England parish of West Thurrock...
bypass which finally signed the end for High House as a viable farm in the traditional sense. After the bypasses construction, the farm tried to find a new role as a private school, and lastly as flats until it closed and lay empty for many years.
The Royal Opera House Production Facility
The Royal Opera HouseRoyal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
opened the Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Building, a scene-making facility for their opera and ballet productions on the High House site in December 2010. The facility was designed by Nicholas Hare Architects LLP . The Royal Opera House Education Department is using the historic property as an outreach project into the community.
The National Skills Academy Creative & Cultural
From May 2012 the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural SkillsCreative & Cultural Skills
Creative & Cultural Skills Creative & Cultural Skills is one of several Sector Skills Councils established by the UK Government to foster the development of a skilled workforce. It covers crafts, cultural heritage, design, music, performing, literary and visual arts...
will open on the site and will be teaching students practical skills to enable them to work in theatre, stage, and music productions. In March 2011 it was announced that Kier Eastern had been appointed to build the facility which has been designed by Gibberd . The new space will also be available for hire for industry use. http://nsa-ccskills.co.uk/training-centre
Archaeology
Early Romano-BritishRomano-British
Romano-British culture describes the culture that arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest of AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, a people of Celtic language and...
burials were found on the site of the Royal Opera House Production Park. These remains were carefully excavated and preserved, with a large amount of evidence being found throughout the site indicating Romano-British, Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
ditches with corresponding finds. Archaeologists also found evidence of pre-historic pits and post holes, indicating that a prehistoric settlement of an unknown size was on the site.