Built around 1520. Layer Marney Tower, 6 miles south of Colchester off the B1022 Maldon Road, is the tallest Tudor Gatehouse in England. The building is principally the creation of Henry, the first Lord Marney, a close friend of Henry VIII. Lord Marney died in 1523, and his son, John, continued the building work but died just two years later, leaving no male heirs to continue the family line or the construction. Henry VIII was so impressed by the building he came to stay in 1522. As the Palace was never finished it must have been a building site. The house came to the Charrington family in the mid 20th century and has been occupied by the Charrington family ever since. The 80ft tower is well worth the climb for the spectacular view of the Essex countryside it offers.
