The Manor House, in which John de Barenton lived, stood on this site from 1330 to 1679. Sir John who was a keeper of the King's forest was laid to rest soon after King Henry V came home from Agincourt (1415). There is a brass plate commemorating this in the Parish Church.

The present building facade was re-built in 1844 by Daniel Nash. The building was the headquarters of the local council (Rayleigh Urban District Council) until the re-organisation of local government in 1974. The newly formed Council decided to move the adminstrative offices to Rochford and to sell off Barringtons for use as private offices. The Council Chanber however was retained along with the Civic Suite which was built in 1964 as an extensionto the main building. Apart from a Rochford Council Enquiry Desk, it also houses the Citizens' Advice Bureau and Mayday, a voluntary organisation dedicated to helping the aged.