Castlefacts³

St Anns, Great Leighs

Has been described as a Possible Uncertain

There are no visible remains

Name	St Anns, Great Leighs
Alternative Names	St Annes; Leigh
Historic Country	Essex
Modern Authority	Essex
1974 Authority	Essex
Civil Parish	Great and Little Leighs

Possible castles:- nothing known of: St Ann's, near Great Leighs' (Moore); Leigh (Harvey). (King 1983)

Gatehouse Comments

These are probably references to the same possible castle site. There is a pub called St Annes Castle at Great Leighs marked site of St Ann's Hermitage on 1881 OS map at the ref given. A pub by the name St Anns seems to have been on the site since the mid C17, but the 'castle' part of the name seems first recorded on the 1st edn OS map. A castle field place-name is also recorded from an 1839 Tithe map. There is also a Rochester Farm at TL726168, which is not a known Roman site, other than being on the Roman road to Braintree. So, perhaps, a misidentification of a now lost Roman fort. However, this is a high status landscape with a priory site (now occupied by a C16 castellated house called Leez Priory. The priory of Augustinian Canons was founded before 1200) and it is a possibility that a castle existed here, on a river crossing of a major road, founded before 1200. Gubbion's Hall (TL736177) may represent a later successor on a new site.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record

unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=68&previous_page_id=48&monument_id=20171

OS Map Grid Reference	TL727171
Latitude	51.8263702392578
Longitude	0.50585001707077
Eastings	572700
Northings	217100