Paycocke's House

Paycocke's House is a timber-framed Tudor merchant's house in Coggeshall, Essex, built around 1500 for the cloth merchant Thomas Paycocke as a showpiece of the wealth East Anglia's cloth trade was generating, with elaborate panelling and woodcarving throughout. After a riches to rags decline it was rescued in a 20-year Edwardian restoration led by Noel Buxton, and today it is seen by volunteer-led guided tour. Behind it, volunteers turned an overgrown industrial yard into a tiered Arts and Crafts cottage garden, with outside tables for the parlour tea-room, garden games for children and dogs on leads welcome (assistance dogs only indoors). The garden, tea-room and second-hand bookshop are free to enter; only the tour is charged. Reviewers rate the tour highly and single out the warm, knowledgeable volunteers. One tip from regular visitors: there is no parking at the house; the Stoneham Street village car park, a few minutes' walk away, is free for two hours. The first floor is reached by steps only.