Southchurch Hall

About the museum

Southchurch Hall is a medieval moated manor house in the Southchurch district of Southend-on-Sea. The land was given to the monks of Canterbury in 823, and the site may once have held an earlier Saxon hall. The de Southchurch family held the tenancy until the death of Peter de Southchurch in 1309. The present hall was built between about 1321 and 1364, and the moat is a protected monument.

The Great Hall still has the form of a 14th-century hall, with a central fireplace and roof timbers blackened by smoke, although much of the roof was replaced during restoration in the 1930s. The cross-wing contains the North and South Solars, the private rooms of the household, and the South Solar was added as an extension in the late 16th or early 17th century. Farming families lived in the hall until the 1920s.

In 1930 the Dowsett family restored the hall and presented it to the town of Southend. A 1930s extension was built to show finds from archaeological digs on the site. Today the hall is run by Southend Museums as a heritage venue for visitors, with changing events that explore the history of the building. The gardens around the hall can be visited too.

Highlights

• 14th-century Great Hall with central fireplace
• North and South Solar rooms
• Moat, a protected monument
• Archaeological finds from the site
• Gardens around the hall

Permanent exhibition

• Medieval moated manor house – The restored Great Hall, solar rooms and kitchen of the 14th-century manor house, with finds from archaeological digs on the site.

Founded

1930

Operated by

Southend-on-Sea City Council (Southend Museums)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free according to the Southend tourism and rail guide. Some special events may need to be pre-booked.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Access throughout the hall is restricted. The rear entrance gives access to the ground-floor Main Hall, Kitchen and Solar Rooms, but it has no bell: visitors must send a companion to the front entrance or call 01702 467671. The front entrance has one step and no ramp. The toilets are near the front entrance and there is no disabled toilet. The bus stop on Woodgrange Drive near the main gates does not give wheelchair access to the hall; the museum recommends entering the gardens from the Southchurch Hall Close entrance and crossing the footbridge to the rear entrance.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly: not available

Buggies, pushchairs, scooters and bikes are not allowed inside the building. Events exploring the hall's history run during the year.

Getting there & parking

By car, follow the signs for the seafront and the Kursaal from the A127 or A13; the hall is brown-signed from the A1160 roundabout on Woodgrange Drive. From Southend East station, turn right onto Ambleside Drive, cross the road, turn left into Victoria Avenue, then left into Southchurch Hall Close and follow the park railings to the gates.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Small souvenir shop with a limited range of gifts and toys. Refreshments are served in the exhibition room from a self-service drinks machine, with Fairtrade coffee, hot chocolate, teas and biscuits.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.