Visit Rayleigh, Essex Places

Welcome to Visit Rayleigh, Essex Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Rayleigh, Essex

  

Rayleigh, Essex Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Rayleigh, Essex

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Rayleigh, Essex history

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Prehistoric and Roman times

There has been a scattering of stray finds around the town from Prehistoric and Roman times . Roman roof and hypocaust tiles found within the fabric of Rayleigh Church . This suggests that there was a Roman habitation site within the area .

Saxon era

An early Saxon cemetery site was discovered in the early 2000s at the site of the former Park School in Rawreth Lane . There were 144 cremation burials and evidence of just one high-status female inhumation burial .

Later medieval period (1154–1485)

A courthouse was erected in Rayleigh in 1338. This was apparently resented by the townspeople, who turned out in force to destroy it . 20 ringleaders later arrested and tried .

Tudors and Stuarts

Records indicate that the church was rich in plate, vestments and stained glass, but these were disposed of: The church was also rich in vestments, stained glass and plate plates .

Modern

During the 1990s many new housing estates appeared on formerly greenfield areas of Rayleigh . East of England region currently pushing for even more homes to be built in the area . This has caused some controversy locally, with residents feeling that the areas surrounding the town should be preserved with more care .

Rayleigh, Essex toponymy

The name Rayleigh is Old English in origin deriving from rǣge (‘female roe-deer or she-goat’) and lēah (‘clearing’) Therefore, the name means overall ‘wood or clearing of the wild’

You can visit Rayleigh, Essex places with Walkfo Rayleigh, Essex to hear history at Rayleigh, Essex’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Rayleigh, Essex has 25 places to visit in our interactive Rayleigh, Essex map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Rayleigh, Essex, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Rayleigh, Essex places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Rayleigh, Essex & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 25 audio facts unique to Rayleigh, Essex places in an interactive Rayleigh, Essex map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Rayleigh, Essex Places Map
25 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Rayleigh, Essex historic spots	Rayleigh, Essex tourist destinations	Rayleigh, Essex plaques	Rayleigh, Essex geographic features
Walkfo Rayleigh, Essex tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Rayleigh, Essex

  

Best Rayleigh, Essex places to visit

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Rayleigh, Essex has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Rayleigh, Essex’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Rayleigh, Essex’s information audio spots:

Rayleigh Castle Rayleigh Castle was a masonry and timber castle built near the town of Rayleigh in Essex in the 11th century shortly after the Norman conquest . All that exists today are the earthwork remains of its large motte-and-bailey .

Dutch Cottage The Dutch Cottage is an octagonal-shaped cottage located in Rayleigh, Essex, England . It is both the smallest and the oldest council house in the United Kingdom .

Daws Heath Daws Heath contains a large area of woodland in eastern Thundersley, part of Castle Point near Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. It is traversed by the Daw Heath Road and St Michael’s Road. The area has established neighbourhood watch schemes, Church Groups and Greenbelt Protection Groups.

Hockley Woods Hockley Woods is the largest residual area of the wild wood, which covered much of Essex after the Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. The woods are said to be haunted by two ghosts: Silas and Anne Boleyn’s ghost. The wooded areas are an intricate mosaic of various trees, every species developing under appropriate conditions.

Visit Rayleigh, Essex plaques