The vegetable garden in June at Paycocke's House and Garden, Essex — The vegetable garden in June at Paycocke's House | © National Trust Images/John Miller

Essex, Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire

Paycocke's Tudor Coggeshall walk

Discover what Thomas Paycocke would have smelled, seen and heard in 1512 on this circular walk through Tudor Coggeshall. This walk is ideal for families and along the way you'll visit medieval Grange Barn, The Chapel of St Nicholas and St Mary's Abbey.

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Total steps: 10

Start point

Paycocke's House, grid ref: TL848225

Step 1

Start in Thomas Paycocke's house. Step out into West Street and you'll get an understanding of the Paycocke family's place in society. The house frontage extends beyond other buildings in the street, emphasising their importance and status within the local community.

Paycocke's House

Thomas Paycocke used the rooms in his house to conduct important business, showing it off to fellow clothiers. Without glass in the windows or fireplaces, it would have been cold and draughty and Thomas would have worn many layers and moved around to keep warm. The smell from dyeing cloth in nearby cottages would have blown through the open doors and he'd have heard the clatter of pack-horses in the street, bringing more bales of wool to be worked. Carts would be loaded with finished cloth, brandishing the ermine tail, which was Paycocke's trademark. It took a good few hours to reach the drapers in Colchester who sold this cloth on the continent.

Step 2

Walk to the left of Paycocke's House to a private house that was previously The Fleece Inn. In Tudor times this house was known as Drapers, and its residents shared the Paycocke family name. On the other side of the road, open fields would have stretched as far as the eye can see.

Step 3

With Paycocke's behind you, turn right and walk towards the end of West Street. Turn right at the end of West Street, and walk down The Gravel. Turn right along Bridge Street and to approach the River Blackwater.

Step 4

Walk up the steady slope of Grange Hill towards Grange Barn.

Step 5

Cross Grange Hill road and walk along Abbey Lane for approximately 450yd (410m), to the small gatehouse chapel on the left, just as villagers would have done in Tudor times on their way to attend mass.

Step 6

Continue along the road until you reach the abbey complex, which was founded by King Stephen in 1140.

The Abbey complex

The monks chose this site for its peaceful surroundings and proximity to the river. On the left stood the abbey church of St Mary, a large, simple church built in 1167. The complex included the cloisters, chapter house, refectory, library, frater house (great parlour), monks' dormitory and guest house. Slightly separate from the rest were the infirmary and abbot's lodgings, where the Paycockes were invited to dine on feast days. The monks diverted the River Blackwater to create a stew pond to keep their fish. In Tudor times you'd have heard the rushing of water here as the wheel of the mill turned, providing power to grind the corn.

Step 7

Cross the River Blackwater and take the path on your left, passing through the corn fields. Further along, ignore the track on the right and continue along the path ahead, which bears left slightly, until you reach East Street, which was known as Gallows Street in Paycocke's day. Turn right and then left along St Peters Road, called Dead Lane in 1512.

Step 8

Follow the road around for approximately 440yd (400m), then turn left into Church Green.

Church of St Peter-ad-Vincula

St Peter-ad-Vincula (St Peter-in-chains) is dedicated to St Peter, who was released from prison by an angel. The only other place where you can worship him is at the Tower of London, which would have been many a day's ride away in Tudor times. There's been a church here for years, but the current one was built last century. Now it is one of the largest and finest in these parts. Thomas Paycocke had a hand in building the chapel dedicated to St Catherine, an early Christian scholar and martyr.

Step 9

After you leave the church, turn right and head to the Woolpack, formerly the home of a fellow merchant.

Step 10

From the Woolpack, continue along the road until you reach Market Hill, before following the road around and back to Paycocke's House.

End point

Paycocke's House, grid ref: TL848225

Trail map

Map for the Paycocke's Tudor Coggeshall walk | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey

Trail

Grange Barn and Paycocke's House circular walk

Enjoy a 3-mile circular walk into the Essex countryside from Grange Barn along the River Blackwater and by Paycocke's House.

25 West Street, Coggeshall, Colchester, Essex, CO6 1NS

01376561305

paycockes@nationaltrust.org.uk

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