Rainham Hall (National Trust)

Rainham Hall is a Georgian house built in 1729 for Captain John Harle, a sea-captain and merchant. He invested money dredging the River Ingrebourne, thereby giving trading vessels a route up to Rainham from the Thames. He had Rainham Hall constructed in 1729 using high-quality materials as a showcase for the building products he sold. The house was transferred to the National Trust in 1949; let to a number of private tenants, it remained closed to the public until late 2015.