Hill Hall

Today at the monthly meeting of Waltham Forest U3A there was a talk about Hill Hall, an Elizabethan mansion situated at Theydon Mount in Essex. I hadn't realised what a gem this building is, currently managed by English Heritage. It has had a very chequered history - built by a little known courtier of Edward VI and Elizabeth I (rising to be her first Secretary of State), and added to over the following two hundred years. It was sold by the family in the early twentieth century, and unfortunately some of the original features were removed at that time. This building exhibits some of the earliest examples of classical architecture in this country. Inside there are some wonderful wall paintings too. Like many large country houses in World War II it was requisitioned by the War Office, and knocked about quite a bit. In the 1950s and 60s it became a women's open prison (a kind of branch of Holloway) and one of the inmates was Christine Keeler. A fire then gutted the building and for twenty years it was left derelict and many of the features were destroyed as a result of weather and neglect. Now, much restoration has taken place and the unique wall paintings preserved. Although the building has been divided into several family homes, now the house can be viewed on supervised pre-arranged tours, every Wednesday in the summer months. Contact English Heritage for further information.