The large shop at No 91 High Street was until January 1988 occupied by the North Thames Gas Board, the ground floor being used as a showroom and cashier's office. Later that year it was acquired by Sansoms Ltd, the men's outfitter, who also occupied the shop at No 61 High Street until its demolition in late 1992.

The history of No 91 is somewhat obscure. It is well established that in the early part of the 1900's a haberdashery and soft furnishing business flourished under the direction of the Devison family. The south end of the building was at one time used by the Westminster Bank. The building is Grade I1 listed and was thought to be about 400 years old. Detailed investigations carried out by Essex County Council and Rochford Council staff established that part of it dates back to 1400 which makes it the oldest secular building in the High Street.

It has undergone many alterations and additions over the centuries. The pleasing shop front with Georgian style bow windows is 20th century in 18th century style. The building is timber framed and plastered. It has red tiled roofs and three red brick chimney stacks. The stack on the south flank wall had to be rebuilt as the original became unstable. The south flank wall was also unstable due to wood decay in the upright timbers which are now supported by brick and concrete piers. Some of these timbers exposed during restoration work were found to be sooted. This is thought to be due to the use of an open fire the smoke from which escaped through an open roof.

The right side of the building is a gabled cross wing of the medieval period. The oldest and most interesting feature is an original window opening showing mortice holes which held diamond shaped mullions used to divide windows before glass was used. The restored building was opened in July 1990 by Sansoms Ltd as a specialist men's outfitters. Sansoms sold the shop in 2002. It is now a ladies' dress shop.

Before we leave this part of the High Street a word about the Barclays Bank site. A hardware shop owned by the Thorn family stood here. It was enlarged and modernised only a few years before being demolished in the late 1960's. Further along the video shop was originally a butchers owned by the Webster family and is a reminder of earlier days when the business was centred a few doors up the High Street complete with abattoir to which beasts for slaughter were brought from a nearby farm at the end of Bull Lane.

The site now occupied by Boots the Chemist was originally the premises of a straw hat maker name Richard Frost of Bury St Edmonds circa 1842. Later a confectionery shop traded under the same name until it was acquired by Boots.

Do not miss the Martyrs' Memorial outside Rayleigh Lanes Market. This was erected in 1908 commemorating the death at the stake of two Protestants during Queen Mary's attempt to convert the country to Roman Catholicism in 1555. The adjacent horse trough and drinking fountain are 19th century. The fountain has a moulded semi-circular basin and is one of the few surviving examples remaining in Essex. The Memorial, trough and fountain are Grade II listed.

The Spread Eagle Public House on the other side of the passageway from Sansoms is a pleasant looking building but is not of any antiquity. "Snobby" Sparrow had a little shop within the property before the Public House became established.