St Anns, Great Leighs

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; St Annes; Leigh

In the civil parish of Great and Little Leighs.
In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).

King writes of 'Leigh' mentioned by Harvey and of 'St Ann's, near Great Leighs' mentioned by Moore nothing known of possible castles. I consider these to be reference 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 castle field placename 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, in my view, entirely possibly 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.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TL727171

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

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