This panel uses the Domesday Book entries from 1086 to show what life was like in the District in the 11thand 12thcenturies. The region around Rochford (known as Rochford Hundred) is listed in the Domesday Book as being the largest ‘Hundred’ in Essex. It was much larger than the current Rochford District, stretching from the River Crouch in the north to the River Thames in the south and including the current areas of Southend and Leigh. ‘Hundred’ is a Saxon administrative term for a measure of land.
The Domesday Book recorded detailed facts about the district, which we have used to show the type of activities in the area, e.g. beehive, vineyard, watermill, animals and ploughs. General themes of the day are also covered, such as salt marshes, fishing, oysters, sheep, farming and woodland. Rayleigh Castle (1070) is the only Essex castle named in the Domesday Book.
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