Rainham Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rainham Hall |
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Rainham Hall, front view
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Town or city | Rainham |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°31′4.44″N 00°11′26.52″E / 51.5179000°N 0.1907000°E |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Designated | 7 Jan 1955 |
| Reference no. | 1358506 |
Rainham Hall is a beautiful old house in Rainham, London. It was built in 1729 and is a great example of Georgian style. Today, the National Trust owns it, which means it's protected for everyone to enjoy. For many years, families lived there, and it was closed to the public. But since late 2015, you can visit and explore its history. You might have even seen it on TV! It was used as a filming location for the 2019 BBC show A Christmas Carol.
Contents
Exploring Rainham Hall
Rainham Hall is a three-story house made of brown and red bricks. It stands right next to the old church of St Helen and St Giles in the heart of Rainham. The house shows off a style called Dutch domestic Queen Anne. Many parts of the house are still original, just as they were hundreds of years ago.
Inside the House
When you step inside, you can see amazing details. Some walls have special paintings called trompe-l'œil. This French term means "deceive the eye," because the paintings look so real, like 3D objects! You can also spot beautiful Delft tiles in the fireplaces. These are blue and white tiles from the Netherlands.
Outside the House
Outside the front of Rainham Hall, there are fancy iron gates and railings. These railings are very special and are also protected. They have the initials of the first owner, John Harle, and his wife, Mary, twisted together. Experts think they are some of the best ironwork from that time in London. Some even believe they might have been made by Jean Tijou, a famous blacksmith who also worked on Hampton Court Palace.
Gardens and Other Buildings
The property also includes a stable, which was used for horses and carriages, and a small lodge building. These were built at the same time as the main house. The garden walls and some stone vases are also very old and protected. The garden itself is two acres big. It has a large orchard with 30 fruit trees that were recently replanted. This is one of the biggest orchards in London! The first owner, Captain Harle, used the stable and the main house for his business. It was unusual for a merchant to live so close to his trading center, and this setup is quite rare to see today.
A Look at Its History
Rainham Hall has a long and interesting past, with many different owners and uses.
The Harle Family's Story
The story of Rainham Hall begins with Captain John Harle. He was born in 1688 and was a sea-captain and merchant from South Shields. In 1718, he married Mary Tibbington. Ten years later, he bought the land in Rainham, including a wharf where ships could dock. He even paid to make the River Ingrebourne deeper. This allowed trading ships to sail right up to Rainham from the Thames.
John Harle built Rainham Hall in 1729. He used high-quality materials to show off the building products he sold. He was very important in helping Rainham Village grow in the 1700s. Mary died in 1739. John then married Sarah Gregory, a widow from Rainham. He passed away in 1742, leaving the house to Sarah and his young son, John. After Sarah died in 1749, young John went to live with his uncle in London. The house's contents were sold.
Later, John Harle junior married Sarah Dearsley in 1763. He became a Methodist and even invited a famous preacher to speak at Rainham Hall. After John junior died in 1770, the house eventually went to a distant relative. However, none of them ever lived there. In 1887, two brothers, Edward and Octavius Daldy, who had been renting the house, bought the property.
New Owners and Changes
In 1874, Reverend Nicholas Brady moved into Rainham Hall as a tenant. He was a naturalist and also a church rector. Brady bought the house in 1900. After he died, it went to his wife, and then to their nieces and nephews.
In 1917, a collector named Colonel Herbert Hall Mulliner bought Rainham Hall. He wanted to display his amazing collection of English furniture and pottery there. He even added some 18th-century features to the house, like fireplaces. He also put the Harle family's coat of arms above the entrance hall fireplace, copying it from their grave. However, Mulliner never actually lived in the house.
After Mulliner died in 1924, his lawyer, William Murray Sturges, bought the house. Sturges made more rooms in the attic for his six children. When he died in 1945, the house was offered to the National Trust. The Trust officially took over in 1949.
From Nursery to Public Tours
During the Second World War, Rainham Hall was used as a nursery by Essex County Council. This helped mothers work while their children were cared for. It stayed a nursery until 1954. Even then, people could visit the house by asking the matron (the person in charge of the nursery).
After the nursery closed, the National Trust rented the house to Walter Ison, an architectural historian, and his wife Leonora Payne, an artist. They lived there until 1962 but also gave public tours. The next person to rent the hall was Anthony Denney, a photographer. He loved modern design but collected old 18th-century furniture. He also spent money on making the house look good, like restoring the paintwork. After Denney left in 1969, musicians and artists rented the house.
Rainham Hall Today
In 2010, the National Trust decided to make Rainham Hall a place for everyone in Rainham village to enjoy. They wanted to invest in important buildings that weren't just for rich families. The old stable building was turned into a café, a bookshop, and an exhibition area. The house itself was updated to be safe for visitors, and many historical parts were restored. In 2013, archaeologists dug in the gardens and found old pottery, glass, and even a strange planting border made of animal bones!
The house opened to visitors in October 2015. It shows off the different styles and items from its past owners and tenants. In 2019, Rainham Hall was used for filming the BBC's A Christmas Carol. Both the inside and outside of the house were used to create the home of Ebeneezer Scrooge. That same year, an exhibition about Anthony Denney's work was held there. Today, Rainham Hall has different exhibitions that tell the stories of its owners and its long history.
See also
- Grade I and II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Havering
