Paycocke's House

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Paycocke's House

Coggeshall
Essex

National Trust

Coggeshall-Paycockes House.JPG
Grid reference: TL848225
Information
Website: Paycocke's House

Paycocke's House is a stunning Tudor merchant's house in Coggeshall in Essex, belonging today to the National Trust.

The house contains stunning woodcarving and elaborate panelling showing the wealth of the merchants who built and decorated the house.

Hundreds of years of history are contained in the timbers of the house, from its early Tudor foundation, the rise of its riches, to later decline. In the Edwardian period it was lovingly restored over 20 years.

History

Paycocke's was built in or around 1500, in the reign of King Henry VII, by John Paycocke (who died 1505), and it is thought it was built as a wedding present for his son Thomas and daughter in law Margaret, as the initials T.P. and M.P. appear in the wood carvings that decorate the house.

The house features elaborate wood panelling and carvings, a testament to the wealth generated by the Wool trade in East Anglia, it also features gates which some think were taken from Coggeshall Abbey at the time of its dissolution under Henry VIII. The Paycocke family moved into Coggeshall in the 15th century and exemplified a trend for successful butchers to acquire large flocks of their own sheep which would produce wool as well as meat. The wool could be used to make cloth and often the 'grazing butchers' would eventually evolve into clothiers.

Thomas was the last Paycocke to live in Coggeshall, dying in 1580. It was the sold to the Buxton family who were clothiers and from 1746 changed hands several times eventually being bought by Lord Noel-Buxton, a descendant of the original Buxtons, and given to the National Trust in 1924. Restoration work was carried out in the 1960s and the house is now open to the public.

Garden

The cottage garden with the hose has been carefully restored and maintained by National Trust volunteers. It has been restored as an arts & crafts gem with surprising industrial roots.