Places to see and visit
in Mistley
As we go back to visit these places in our own travels we will expand what to look out for and enjoy. If you get there before us why not contact us and tell us your experiences.
Mistley is a small village to the east of Manningtree further along the River Stour Estuary.
Here can be found the quay, which was built in 1720 by Richard Rigby a landowner in Mistley at the time and Paymaster General who had great plans to turn Mistley into a saltwater spa. The quay has remained a busy port to this day, now owned by Mistley Forwarding Company. It grew in importance after the Maltings were built at the end of the 19th century, importing barley from various parts of the world, and shipping out the malt produced at the local Maltings up to London in the Thames Barges. The 1930’s saw the peak of the barges industry with up to 20 barges at the port at any one time. Ship building started in 1778, and it was at Mistley that many of the barges were built. One Thames barge remains moored at Mistley, named the Victor. This is available for charter.
Most of the houses in the High street and around the quay area were built during the height of the quay’s success in the Georgian and Victorian style.
The Walls
This is the name of the stretch of the River Stour Estuary from Manningtree along to Mistley Towers. Here it is a fantastic stretch of river to walk, to see the famous Mistley swans and, at certain times of the year, thousands of migrating birds feeding in the mud of the estuary. The RSPB (www.rspb.org) owns much of the river and organises days for bird spotting enthusiasts.
Opposite where the swans live is the infamous Hopping Bridge, which looks over the land now owned by Mistley Environmental centre. Here is where it is reputed the Matthew Hopkins dunked the women accused of witchcraft back in the 17th century.
Mistley Towers
As part of his plans to turn Mistley into a saltwater spa town, Richard Rigby commissioned the Mistley Thorn church in 1776, now known as Mistley Towers. It was built in the neo-classical style with a portico and collumns and designed by Robert and James Adams. He built a house, also in the neo-classical style, which has since been demolished. The middle section of the church fell down in the 1840’s caused by the damp of the river, and only the towers and a fountain, featuring a life-size swan, remain of his big dream for Mistley.
A new church, St Mary’s, on the Rigby land was built in 1871 as a replacement.
Furze Hills
Up until the mid 1700s this was parkland owed by the Earl of Oxford. A number of ancient oaks remain from this time Old Knobbley being amongst them.
The Rigby’s acquired the land and planted more oaks which now provide woodland worth exploring. The land was bought by the British Army in 1945 and numerous huts, remains of which can be found amongst the trees and built and a ‘secret’ bunker for military purposes. The bunker remains today though no longer open to the public.
Furze hills now provides open places and woods to walk and is part of the Essex Way a walk that covers 81 miles from Epping to the port of Harwich, and a play area.
Mistley Park Place Environmental and Rescue Centre:
New Road, Mistley, CO11 1ER
- Tea rooms
- Parking
- Shop
- Picnic area
- Open all year round Tues – Sun 10 – 5.30
Mistley Kitchen www.mistleykitchen.com
A business set up in a beautiful house on the corner of the High Street leading to the Green and opposite the Swan fountain.
Just off the High Street with it’s Georgian and Victorian houses there can be found the various other small businesses. This is by the Swan basin built by Richard Rigby in the 1770’s, opposite that is the Mistley Thorn, a restaurant, which was reputedly where Matthew Hopkins, the Witch finder General lived for a time back in 1645.
Platform Mistley
Mistley railway station has been converted into a space to hold art exhibitions and includes a tea room.
Next to the Swan Fountain you will find The Quay workshop and
Mistley Quay Café.
