Description

MISTLEY GREEN LANE
TM 13 SW

3/227 Old Hall
18.12.85

GV II

House and kennels, formerly the Stable Block to Mistley Old Hall. C18. The
Hall was built for the Rigby family early C18, remodelled for Rt. Hon. Richard
Rigby to the design of Robert Adam circa 1777, and demolished circa 1844. Gault
brick north face, red brick rear. Red pantiles and plain tiled roofs. L plan,
the front wing facing north. Left external chimney stack. 2 storeys. Parapet
with dentilled cornice. Parapet verges. Central band to inner bays. 3:2:2
bays, the centre breaking forward with rusticated quoins, dentilled pediment the
apex above parapet, and tall, rusticated semi-circular arch with keystone.
Carriageway paved with bricks and setts. Timber lantern above pediment, square
plan base, open octagonal head, compass faces each with semi-circular arches and
keystones, alternate faces with lower and upper lights, band between, concave
pointed roof surmounted by weathervane. A C20 flat roofed porch to left of
archway. The reverse, south face of the archway with no pediment, parapet band,
gauged brick archway, semi-circular window above. 2 windows to right with
chimney stack between. The south west (rear left) wing has a truncated gable
lowered in the centre. Chimney stack to north.. Parapet and centre bands. 7
window range to courtyard face, all windows with gauged arches and vertically
sliding sashes with glazing bars. 2 vertically boarded doors and 2 windows to
ground floor. Edward Rigby a linen draper of London bought an interest in the
Estate of the Earl of Oxford 1680, when the Earl died 1703 a dispute over the
his affairs was settled by Act of Parliament and Edward Rigby received the
Mistley Estate which included many local Halls and Farms. Edward Rigby was
succeeded by his elder son Richard who went into finance, made a fortune out of
the South Sea Company, and settled in Mistley. He built a mansion, a new wharf,
brick kiln, lime kiln etc., in 1730 he bought land and property in Tendring
Hundred for £4,911. In his will 1730 he directed that £300 be set aside for 6
almshouses, if possible near the new church. Not until 1778 were 12 houses
built in this area between the Thorn Inn and The Church. On his death the
second Richard Rigby was only 8 years old. He went on the Grand Tour aged 21
and then launched into Society. Horace Walpole, Garrick and the Prince of Wales
and many others stayed at Mistley Hall. 1745 he became MP for Castle Rising and
later for Sudbury and attached himself to Frederick Prince of Wales. 1752 his
Patron was the Duke of Bedford who later made him his secretary and spokesman in
the Irish Parliament, he became Vice-Treasurer for Ireland 1765, and later
Paymaster of the Forces 1768 under George III. In 1770 he opposed Grevills
Bribery Act. He died 1788 and was buried in the family vault at Mistley. By
1783 he held property in 13 parishes and Rochefoucauld could write in 1784 that
"Mistley is a very pretty place consisting of rather more than 50 houses, that
are so neat and well built, that it is obvious at a glance that they all belong
to one man", he also describes the harbour to which the whalers are fixed, a
warehouse, shipbuilding yard and lime kiln faced wih brick and made into the
shape of a fort, the trade of the place wholly created by Mr. Rigby. In 1774 he
asked Adam to prepare a design for a sea-bathing pavilion but these plans were
never executed though a start was made with the Swan Fountain. 1776 Adam was
instructed to re-model the Church. Adam also designed the Hopping Bridge.
Remains of the village built by Rigby are to be seen in the High Street between
Mistley Towers and Swan Fountain and The Green. Lt. Col. Francis Rigby
inherited Mistley Estate, in 1801 much was sold and in 1827 Col. Frances Rigby
died, leaving the estate to his daughter Frances, wife of Lord Rivers. In 1844
Mistley Hall Estate was sold in lots and the Hall demolished. Our Story,
Lawtord, Manningtree and Mistley Manningtree Branch W.E.A. 1954. Essex, Pevsner
1976.

Listing NGR: TM1133131366

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26533206

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)