Eastbury Manor House

Eastbury Manor House stands in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is a Grade I listed Elizabethan building set on land once part of Barking Abbey’s demesne. The house was constructed in the 1570s by Clement Sisley, a wealthy merchant who bought the site after the abbey’s dissolution. Archaeologists date the timber roof to 1566 and note carved dates of 1572 in brickwork and 1573 on a lead spout. Glass windows and tall chimneys show the owner’s wealth, with glass likely imported from Italy. The house has a colourful past. Late 18th-century neglect led to the loss of the Great Tower Staircase by 1814 and wooden floors and fireplaces in the 1830s. By the late 19th century only the west wing remained usable. The National Trust bought it in 1918 and restored the building. It opened as the Museum of Barking in 1931 and gained Grade I status in 1954. Recent Heritage Lottery Fund work finished in 2010 with a permanent exhibition on the house’s history and owners. Visitors find a grand brick manor with surviving Elizabethan features. The restored west wing houses displays about the building’s past and occupants. Outside, the grounds reflect the house’s original setting. The National Trust manages the site, offering a quiet look at a merchant’s grand home from the 1500s.