Four houses along the Hockley Road as it approaches the Town Centre are worthy of mention. No 18, The Ferns House, is 18th century with later additions being timber framed gault brick faced and weatherboarded. The house was once a private school.
Nos 24 and 26 are 18th century brick with hipped double range red tiled roof. No 50, known as Ruffles, is 17th century with later additions and alterations, timber framed. The garden of this house is the site of a windmill which is shown on the Chapman & Andre map of 1777.
No 56 is an 18th century cottage with a thatched roof and timber framing and weatherboarding. This is believed to be the former Mill Cottage.
On the other side of the road was Brooklands, an area office of the Essex Education Department. In 1997 a planning application was received by Rochford Council to demolish this building and develop the site with retirement flats. After much pressure from the press, Councillors and our Society, a scheme was accepted by the developer using original materials to re-create the fascia of the old building. This was satisfactorily completed and the building is now occupied.
