LOCAL INTEREST

The History of Stansted Hall

In 1438, Elizabeth, wife of John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford inherited the Hall and Estate. After the Battle of Towton in 1461 the Earl and his Son were arrested, their land was confiscated and later they were both beheaded. The estate became the property of the Duke of Norfolk but was later restored to the de Vere family by Henry VII in 1485. It remained in their possession until 1582. The 17th Earl was Great Chamberlain of England when Stansted Hall was sold out of the family.

Sir Thomas Middleton was the next owner, a wealthy man who helped to finance Sir Walter Raleigh's exploration and who had been Lord Mayor of London until 1613. The Estate remained in the Middleton family until 1715, when another Thomas Middleton, MP, died, leaving five daughters but no son. William Heath, MP, whose descendants succeeded him as Lord of the Manor until 1808, then bought the title.

Miss Bethia Ellis became the next owner, and on her marriage Stansted hall became the property of the Fuller-Maitland family, but she disliked the residence and allowed it to fall into ruin. It was William Fuller-Maitland, an art collector, who had the Hall rebuilt when looking for a suitable residence in which to house his priceless collection. The house was designed by Robert Armstrong, who combined Tudor style with nineteenth-century building techniques, in which he included two Adam fireplaces from the old Hall and ceilings created by an Italian artist. Work began in 1871 and by 1876 the mansion was ready, but Fuller-Maitland died before he could enjoy his new home. The family continued to live at Stansted until 1921.

Arthur Findlay bought the Estate in 1923 when he retired from business life. At forty years old, he soon found himself active in local affairs as a magistrate, farmer and author. During the war he and his wife, who held a commission in the British Red Cross, loaned the Hall for use as a temporary hospital.

In 1964, Arthur Findlay gave Stansted Hall to the Spiritualist movement for use as a college for the advancement of Psychic Science.

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History of Stansted Airport

Stansted Airport started life the same way as many other UK airports as a military base in the Second World War. Stansted airport was established as an American bomber base during the war, it played a role in liberating Europe. The planes from Stansted were the amonst the first ones over the beaches to support the D-Day landings.
After being part of such a major turning point in modern history Stansted airport spent many years stagnating. Only over the last 6-7 years has Stansted developed into what it is today, one of the busiest airports in Europe.
The turning point for Stansted Airport was in 1991 when Sir Norman Foster's new terminal opened. Prior to that there was only a small and rather drab terminal.

During this period only a few hundred thousand passengers used Stansted Airport each year. With the arrival of the low cost airlines the number of passengers passing through Stansted has increased dramatically.
One of the major benefits that Stansted airport is now able to offer is its customer friendly design. Most airports grow organically where as Stansted Airport has been purpose built.
Within the terminal at Stansted Airport the roofs are very high so there's a real feeling of space and airiness about it. Passengers don't have to go up and down stairs ever; there's a linear progression from the front doors through to your plane.

The future is looking very bright for London Stansted Airport. The Low cost airlines are continuing to grow even though other airlines are struggling in the current economic and political climate. The government is soon to release a white paper on the development of extra runway capacity in the UK and Stansted Airport is looking hot favourite to gain at least 1 new runway.

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Stansted Mountfitchet Castle

Stansted Mountfitchet castle is the only Norman motte and bailey castle in the world.

It was originally an Iron Age fort then later a Saxon and Viking village, and eventually conquered in 1066 by William the Conquerer who handed it down to his cousin, the Duke of Boulogne.
He then built the castle there which remained as a Norman stronghold until 1215. In that year the castle was attacked and destroyed in an act of revenge against Richard de Monfitchet II who had forced the King to seal the Magna Carta along with 25 other Barons.
From 1215 the castle lay forgotten until entrepreneur Alan Goldsmith bought the remains in the 1970s. The castle was then restored as accurately as possible to the time of the Norman Conquest. The project started in 1983, and the castle opened to the public in 1985.
The attraction includes such reconstructions as a blacksmith's smithy, an alchemist and candle-maker, a brewhouse, a falconry, a weaving and dying house, a chicken house, a dovecote and a pottery. The Norman village has several small displays (such as the weapon display in the Baron's house), models of Norman villagers and a variety of animals.
All the animals are free-range and many are rescued or donated. The animals include chickens, deer, geese, ducks, goats, sheep, rabbits, doves, peacocks, guinea fowl and peahens.

The castle is now a popular attraction in Stansted, next to the Toy Museum. The castle attracts around 80,000 visitors a year, most of these consisting of school children on trips to the castle.
Visitors can learn about the Norman way of life including their crafts; woodcarving, thatching, lacemaking and wattle fence-making.
The castle is situated in the village of Stansted near to the train station, a short distance from Junction 8 of the M11. There is a pay and display car park next to the castle, a picnic site and a tearoom offering food, refreshments and souvenirs.

Click here to visit Stansted Mountfitchet Castle's website