Passing Mann’s (see details elsewhere) are a parade of shops that has changed considerably over the years. The first shop of interest is now Specsavers which stands on the site of a former interesting building, the old timbered Post Office. This suffered a broken window in 1911 when the daughter of the Rev Nehemiah Curnock, who was a suffragette, hurled a brick at it demanding votes for women. (See Heritage Plaque).



In 1843 William Blomfield from Ipswich took over Nos 22-24 High Street and traded as a tailor and a linen and woollen draper, as well as running and insurance agency. More recently the firm of Grants traded in fabrics and furniture; and was followed by Claphams. Later it traded under the name of Wallace Kings then reverted to Claphams before closing early in 1997. The shop has now been divided into two, one trading under the name of Cost Cutters and the other as a Greeting Card shop.

A building stood on a site of what until 2009 was Woolworths. This was the old Council Offices known as Gondola House, the premises being known as the Rates Office. (See Heritage Plaque on wall of Rayleigh Food & Wine).