Belhus, Essex
Encyclopedia
Belhus is a golf course
, country park
and former stately home
in Aveley
, Essex
, England
, and an integral part of the new Thames Chase
woodland planned for the area.
, due to suffering bomb damage as well as vandalism from the military personnel who were stationed there. The mansion gave its name to the manor of Belhus.
in the 1740s and 1750s. Some of the features including earthen mounds can be seen in the original parkland which is currently used for part of the golf course. Another Capability Brown feature - the 'long pond' - can still be seen, although the construction of the M25
motorway has robbed it of its original rural setting. The remains of the mansion can still be seen on the 10th hole of the golf course. A wooded country park has been developed using other parts of the grounds of the house.
Some parts of the original interior are in the Thurrock Museum, including a magnificent fireplace. The museum also has a painting depicting the house at the beginning of the 18th century. Other parts of the interior were rescued when the house was demolished and are displayed at Valence House Museum
, Dagenham
.
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, country park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
and former stately home
Stately home
A stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
in Aveley
Aveley
Aveley is a place in the Thurrock unitary authority in Essex, England and one of the traditional parishes in Thurrock. It is a suburban development located 16.3 miles east of Charing Cross in London and within the eastern bounds of the M25 motorway.-Location:Aveley is roughly bounded to the north...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and an integral part of the new Thames Chase
Thames Chase
Thames Chase is a community forest of 9842 hectares located in 47 sites in London and Essex, England. Its stated aim is...to renew and regenerate the landscape at the edge of East London and South Essex by creating Thames Chase, the Community Forest: a varied wooded landscape for local people to...
woodland planned for the area.
Origin
The name is derived from Belhus mansion (Belle House) which was the home of the Barrett-Lennard family. The house was visited by Queen Elizabeth I in 1578. The family auctioned the contents of Belhus in 1923 and the house was demolished after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, due to suffering bomb damage as well as vandalism from the military personnel who were stationed there. The mansion gave its name to the manor of Belhus.
Belhus today
The grounds around the mansion were landscaped by Capability BrownCapability Brown
Lancelot Brown , more commonly known as Capability Brown, was an English landscape architect. He is remembered as "the last of the great English eighteenth-century artists to be accorded his due", and "England's greatest gardener". He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure...
in the 1740s and 1750s. Some of the features including earthen mounds can be seen in the original parkland which is currently used for part of the golf course. Another Capability Brown feature - the 'long pond' - can still be seen, although the construction of the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
motorway has robbed it of its original rural setting. The remains of the mansion can still be seen on the 10th hole of the golf course. A wooded country park has been developed using other parts of the grounds of the house.
Some parts of the original interior are in the Thurrock Museum, including a magnificent fireplace. The museum also has a painting depicting the house at the beginning of the 18th century. Other parts of the interior were rescued when the house was demolished and are displayed at Valence House Museum
Valence House Museum
Valence House Museum is the only surviving example of the five manor houses of Dagenham. The timber framed museum building, partially surrounded by a moat, is situated in Valence Park off Becontree Avenue, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, London, England.The museum contains permanent...
, Dagenham
Dagenham
Dagenham is a large suburb in East London, forming the eastern part of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and located east of Charing Cross. It was historically an agrarian village in the county of Essex and remained mostly undeveloped until 1921 when the London County Council began...
.