This is the area where Barstable or Basildon Hall stood, you can still see the dry moat that used to surround the hall. The house has been demolished and the moat was drained in October 1961.
Barstable Hall is mentioned in the Doomesday Book which is a statistical survey of England in 1086 A.D. So the Hall was built over a 1,000 years ago.
This can be seen to the south of the housing at East Thorpe and Clickett Hill.
