IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Meadow Way, CHIGWELL, IG7 6LR

My great grandmother worked here as a barmaid for many years and I think it is one of the most beautiful and grand pubs in Essex/Northeast London. Looking south-southeast.

Grange Court dates from 1774. It is Graded II* Listed. As can be seen it was awaiting restoration in 2017. A full description of it can be seen at http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-118565-grange-court-chigwell-essex#.WMB2bW_yjIU

Please see Image for a description. This is the view along the A113 High Road, showing the jetties and the weatherboarding on the building. It is thought that the near building was once a separate house, now incorporated into the whole. The 1881 Census records the following inhabitants of the Kings Head :- George Basham, head, married, aged 67, born Epping, Hotel Keeper Susanah Basham, wife, aged 65, born Buckingham, Norfolk Frederick T Basham, son, unmarried, aged 35, born Chigwell, Farmer Louisa M Basham, daughter, unmarried, aged 31, born Chigwell Henry G Basham, son, unmarried, aged 26, born Chigwell, Bank Clerk Alfred Basham, son, unmarried, aged 25, born Chigwell, Innkeeper's son & barman Emma W Basham, daughter, unmarried, aged 24, born Chigwell, Assistant (Junior School) Frederick Basham, grand son, aged 11, born Bow, Middlesex, Scholar George E Jacobs, grand son, aged 5, born Bow, Middlesex, Scholar Edith Jacobs, grand daughter, aged 4, born Bow, Middlesex, Scholar Thomas Austin, servant, unmarried, aged 18, born Epping, Potman Louisa Welsh, servant, unmarried, aged 21, born Enfield, Middlesex, General Servant Elizabeth Pittman, servant, unmarried, aged 30, born Woodford, Essex, Chamber Maid Rosina Bowers, servant, unmarried, aged 28, born Great Baldingfield, Suffolk, Cook It is interesting to see that no visitors were recorded as staying overnight at the hotel, and that there was insufficient or poorly paid or too demeaning work in the hotel that meant that all bar one of the children of the hotel keeper had jobs outside the hotel. Evidently too there was another daughter of the hotel keeper who had married a Jacobs, and was either away on the night of the census or possibly who could have died. The other grandson in the family with the Basham surname could have been the child of another son who was away or dead, or possibly an illegitimate descendant of one of the enumerated children of the hotel keeper.

This wonderful timber-framed building was built in the 17th century and had a large addition in 1901. The road in the picture is the A113.

The entrepreneur Alan Sugar bought the former King's Head public house, here on the A113 High Road, in 2010 and it has now been re-opened as the Sheesh Turkish restaurant. The building is Grade II Listed and dates from either 1547 or the 17th century, depending on which website one reads. The earliest part comprises the four parallel ranges with gables facing the road with the denser half-timbering. The large extension to the left and the smaller one to the right are newer, while the first floor is jettied above the ground floor and the second floor jettied above the first. This is the view from Roding Lane. The Sheesh website complete with menu is here http://sheeshrestaurant.co.uk/

This wonderful old timbered coaching house stands in Chigwell village beside the London to Abridge road. It features in Charles Dickens novel Barnaby Rudge as The Maypole.

The main part of this set of buildings is the Olde Kings Head, a former coaching inn on Chigwell's High Road opposite the church. It is grade II* listed and probably dates from the 17th century, although some sources give a very specific date of 1547. Closer to the camera are the grade II listed King's Head Cottages built in the 18th century. The inn is said to have been the model for the Maypole in Charles Dickens' novel Barnaby Rudge. Sadly, the King's Head no longer operates as a pub or an inn but is instead a Turkish restaurant called Sheesh. It caters for the wealthy clientele of Chigwell and is apparently frequented by Alan Sugar, Tyson Fury and Harry Kane. If that doesn't put you off the sky-high prices certainly should.

According to Pevsner, Charles Dickens called Chigwell "such an out of the way rural place". Pevsner goes on to say: "The visitor today is surprised to find it still a real village, the first as one leaves London in a north-east direction." This was written though in the 1950s but Chigwell still has the feel of a village as one heads up the hill away from the underground station towards St Mary's Church. Directly across High Road is Ye Olde King's Head as it states on its sign board. It is 17th Century but with a large addition of 1901. The inn is Grade One Listed and was a favourite of ex-prime minister Winston Churchill. A history of the inn says how Dickens wrote in a letter: “Chigwell, my dear fellow, is the greatest place in the world. Name your day for going. Such a delicious old inn opposite the churchyard, such a lovely ride, such beautiful forest scenery, such an out-of-the-way, rural place, such a sexton! I say again, name your day." See http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/localhistory/11176468.Ye_olde_pub_s_history_revealed/ Since 2009 it has been known as 'Sheesh Restaurant' - see http://sheeshrestaurant.co.uk/about-sheesh/

The two 18th century cottages at the near end are grade II listed. The inn, double branded here as 'Sheesh' and the corny 'Ye Olde Kings Head' is listed grade II*. It is 17th century, since extended.