Rayleigh
Rayleigh is a Town in the county of Essex.
There are great places to visit near Rayleigh including some great towns, castles, woodlands, airports, historic buildings, cities, villages, country parks, shopping centres, parks and nature reserves.
Rayleigh's best nearby towns can be found at Colchester, Epping, Maldon, Southend-on-Sea, Saffron Walden, Braintree, and Basildon.
The area around Rayleigh's best castles can be found at Colchester Castle.
The area around Rayleigh features a number of interesting woodlands including Epping Forest, and Bedfords Park.
The area around Rayleigh features a number of interesting airports including London Southend Airport, and London Stansted Airport.
Audley End House and Gardens, and Chelmsford Cathedral are great places to visit near Rayleigh if you like historic buildings.
Chelmsford is a great place to visit close to Rayleigh if you like cities.
Hatfield Peverel is one of Rayleigh's best, nearby villages to visit in Rayleigh.
The area close to Rayleigh boasts some of the best country parks including Thorndon Country Park.
Shopping Centres to visit near Rayleigh include Lakeside Shopping Centre.
The area around Rayleigh's best parks can be found at Bedfords Park.
There are a number of nature reserves near to Rayleigh including Bedfords Park.
Rayleigh History
There are some historic monuments around Rayleigh:
Places to see near Rayleigh
History of Rayleigh
By the end of the Saxon period, there was definitely a village here, as it is recorded in the Domesday Book, when it was held by Swein of Essex, the son of Robert FitzWimarc. The most significant historic monument in Rayleigh is the great medieval mound of Rayleigh Castle. This was an early Norman motte and bailey castle, of which only the motte and its surrounding embankments remain. Despite the loss of its timber superstructure and later stone buildings, its height and bulk mean that it still dominates the town centre. A courthouse was erected in Rayleigh in 1338. This was apparently resented by the townspeople, who turned out in force to destroy it, with 20 ringleaders later arrested and tried.
