Greensted Hall

Greensted Hall is a large house in Essex of two stories with attics. It is of timber-framing partly covered with a later facing of red brick. As it exists today most of the house dates from about 1700 when it was largely rebuilt, by Alexander Cleeve. The date 1695 is carved on the east front and a sundial on the south front bears the date 1698 and the initials A and MC (Alexander and Mary Cleeve). 

Large alterations were carried out in 1875 by Philip John Budworth, the east front was largely rebuilt, including the central pedimented feature in moulded brickwork. The east and south fronts were faced with red brick, and one of the south wings was extended.

Greensted Hall and estate has a long history and has been owned by many different families and individuals. From the time of Edward the Confessor to the close of the 17th century (about 650 years), the Greensted manor and estate has passed through the hands of thirteen distinct families, giving an average ownership of fifty years to each of them.

During the reign of Edward the Confessor, Greensted was held for a manor and two hides by Gotild, however at the time of the survey Hamo Dapifer, an Anglo-Norman royal official under both King William I of England (r. 1066–1087) and his son King William II of England (r. 1087–1100), owned the property until his death in 1107. Hamo Dapifer's niece Isabel FitzHamon, daughter of Robert Fitzhamon (Norman nobleman Lord of Glamorgan), inherited her uncle's estates, and married Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester, illegitimate son of Henry I. He became in her right Earl of Gloucester, and died in 1147.

Whether King Stephen took this estate from him is not clearly ascertained, but Stephens third son William, the Earl of Mortagne and Surrey gave Greens ted and Chipping Ongar to Richard de Luci, Lord of Diss in Norfolk, who was Lieutenant of the kingdom during Henry 2nd absence in Normandy, in 1166 and Chief Justiciar of England. Richard de Luci died in 1179, Maud de Lucy, Richard's Daughter, who was given by King Jolm in marriage to Richard de Rivers, in 1213, inherited the property.

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