Valence House
DATE: September 27th 8PM - 2 AM
Address: Valence House, Becontree Avenue, Dagenham, RM83HT, Essex, England
Join the team as we visit Valence House!
REMINDER: 18+ ONLY, NO PREGNANT WOMEN DUE TO INSURANCE.
The venue is usually unsuitable for disabled guests due to the nature of the buildings, although some venues may be accessible if unsure make sure to get in touch.
Tracing the History of Valence House
In medieval times all of the land in Barking, Dagenham and Ilford was part of the Manor of Barking, owned and administered by Barking Abbey.
Within this land holding were many smaller manors including the Manor of Valence, which was rented out to generate income for the Abbey. The earliest reference to the site dates from 1269, when its lease was transferred from one owner to another.
What's in a name? In 1291, Agnes de Valence moved to the property after the death of her third husband. She was of noble birth with royal connections. Her grandmother was Isabella of Angouleme, wife of King John of England. After a life of arranged marriages, Agnes settled here and although the de Valences were only associated with Dagenham 51 years, their name lived on.
The Changing Face of Valence House
Over the centuries the appearance of Valence House and its grounds has changed many times.
The original medieval timber-framed house that dates from the 1400s faced north towards Green Lane. Remnants of its jettied upper floor can still be seen. The house shows evidence of building phases from every century from the 1400s onwards. Around the house, a rectangular moat acted as part status symbol and part corral, keeping in animals and serving as a fish pond.
At some point the orientation of the house was reversed and the present entrance created.
Each new tenant expanded and modernised the house and landscape according to their wealth and social status. The manor house with its farm buildings gradually evolved into a residential house surrounded by gardens.
In the 18th century, the Merttins family remodeled the property with an emphasis on genteel living. The eastern wing was rebuilt with fashionably large windows. The moat was widened and evergreens planted to ensure privacy. Despite these touches of grandeur, the rest of the group were still those of a working farm with yards, stables, pigeon house and vegetable gardens.
When the May family arrived in the 1870s, the property was completely residential with the farm work transferred to Burleighs Farm on Green Lane. To disguise its medieval construction, the house had been plastered and then scored to make it look like stone. The gardens included flower beds, a walkway of hazel trees and a walled garden with greenhouses and stovehouses for growing grapes, apricots and peaches.
The Hauntings
Staff and visitors have reported hearing footsteps, muffled voices, being touched by unseen hands and objects being moved. Do you have what it takes to do a lone vigil in the dark?
Valence House
DATE: September 27th 8PM - 2 AM
Address: Valence House, Becontree Avenue, Dagenham, RM83HT, Essex, England
Join the team as we visit Valence House!
REMINDER: 18+ ONLY, NO PREGNANT WOMEN DUE TO INSURANCE.
The venue is usually unsuitable for disabled guests due to the nature of the buildings, although some venues may be accessible if unsure make sure to get in touch.
Tracing the History of Valence House
In medieval times all of the land in Barking, Dagenham and Ilford was part of the Manor of Barking, owned and administered by Barking Abbey.
Within this land holding were many smaller manors including the Manor of Valence, which was rented out to generate income for the Abbey. The earliest reference to the site dates from 1269, when its lease was transferred from one owner to another.
What's in a name? In 1291, Agnes de Valence moved to the property after the death of her third husband. She was of noble birth with royal connections. Her grandmother was Isabella of Angouleme, wife of King John of England. After a life of arranged marriages, Agnes settled here and although the de Valences were only associated with Dagenham 51 years, their name lived on.
The Changing Face of Valence House
Over the centuries the appearance of Valence House and its grounds has changed many times.
The original medieval timber-framed house that dates from the 1400s faced north towards Green Lane. Remnants of its jettied upper floor can still be seen. The house shows evidence of building phases from every century from the 1400s onwards. Around the house, a rectangular moat acted as part status symbol and part corral, keeping in animals and serving as a fish pond.
At some point the orientation of the house was reversed and the present entrance created.
Each new tenant expanded and modernised the house and landscape according to their wealth and social status. The manor house with its farm buildings gradually evolved into a residential house surrounded by gardens.
In the 18th century, the Merttins family remodeled the property with an emphasis on genteel living. The eastern wing was rebuilt with fashionably large windows. The moat was widened and evergreens planted to ensure privacy. Despite these touches of grandeur, the rest of the group were still those of a working farm with yards, stables, pigeon house and vegetable gardens.
When the May family arrived in the 1870s, the property was completely residential with the farm work transferred to Burleighs Farm on Green Lane. To disguise its medieval construction, the house had been plastered and then scored to make it look like stone. The gardens included flower beds, a walkway of hazel trees and a walled garden with greenhouses and stovehouses for growing grapes, apricots and peaches.
The Hauntings
Staff and visitors have reported hearing footsteps, muffled voices, being touched by unseen hands and objects being moved. Do you have what it takes to do a lone vigil in the dark?