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 has some unmissable towns nearby like Colchester, Epping, Maldon, Southend-on-Sea, Saffron Walden, Braintree, and Basildon.
Colchester Castle is a great place to visit close to Rayleigh if you like castles.
Epping Forest, and Bedfords Park are some of Rayleigh best woodlands to visit near Rayleigh.
There are a number of airports near Rayleigh including London Southend Airport, and London Stansted Airport.
Rayleigh has some unmissable historic buildings nearby like Audley End House and Gardens, and Chelmsford Cathedral.
There are a several good cities in the area around Rayleigh like Chelmsford.
Places near Rayleigh feature a number of interesting villages including Hatfield Peverel.
There are a number of country parks near to Rayleigh including Thorndon Country Park.
Shopping Centres to visit near Rayleigh include Lakeside Shopping Centre.
Parks to visit near Rayleigh include Bedfords Park.
Don't miss Bedfords Park's nature reserves if visiting the area around Rayleigh.
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.
