LORDS OF THE MANOR OF TENDRING HALL
Sir William Rowley's son Sir Joshua inherited the estate in 1768 and commissioned John Soane to build a new mansion located 200m north-west of the old house, also continuing his father's work on the creation of a suitable park to surround it. Sir Joshua died in 1790 and the following year his son, Sir William, employed Humphry Repton (1752-1818) to produce a Red Book. The Tithe map of 1840 shows that by this time the park had been extended to the size of the present registered boundary, a wall had been built around the kitchen garden which lay 150m south-east of the old house, and a temple had been erected at the west end of the long canal in the south-west corner of the park.
A colour engraving of Tendring Hall (1810)
Most of Repton's proposals for planting also appear on this map, together with confirmation that his suggestion to beautify a cow shed in the pleasure grounds was carried out. By 1857 Sir Charles Rowley was in residence and an article in the Gardeners' Chronicle dated 1879 records flower gardens, pleasure grounds, shady walks, a fine park and prolific kitchen garden. By 1927, the park had been reduced in the south-west corner beyond the Lower Lodge Plantation to the line of the river and in 1955 the house was demolished. During the early 1970s Joshua Rowley commissioned the architect Raymond Erith to design a new house, which was never built. The estate remains in private ownership. See also: The Surprising Discretion of Soane and Repton by Gillian Darley
The Memorial to
Thomas Rivett in Chippenham (Cambs.)
Owners of Tendring Hall
pre-c.1000 Family of Earl Aelfgar
c.1042-1066 Rodbert
post 1066 Swayne of Essex
to 1165 Robert de Essex and successors
pre-1285 William de Tendring and successors
1421 John Howard I, in right of Alice de Tendring
1572 Thomas Rivett, following disgrace of Howards
1586 Lord Windsor, on marriage, in the right of Anne Rivett
1615 Sir John Williams Lord Mayor of London 1735-36
1750 Rowley Baronets
Admiral Sir William Rowley (1st Bt.)
Vice Admiral Sir Joshua Rowley (1st Bt.): Rebuilt the hall (1785–1790).
Sir William Rowley (2nd Bt.): (1790–1832).
Vice Admiral Sir Joshua Ricketts Rowley (3rd Bt.): (1832–1857).
Sir Charles Robert Rowley (4th Bt.): (1857–1888).
Sir Joshua Thellusson Rowley (5th Bt.): (1888–1931).
Sir Charles Samuel Rowley (6th Bt.): (1931–1955).
Sir Joshua Francis Rowley M.A., JP, DCL (7th Bt.) (1920 –1997)