The Conversion of the historic 'Rising Sun' Inn.
The first Inns to open in Billericay were probably some time in the 14th Century.
Because of the very poor roads, people were not able to travel great distances each day and so there was a natural demand for somewhere for travellers to sleepover for the night.
Inns tended to appear in market towns or at crossroads, particularly in areas where there were no Monasteries to provide hospitality.
Billericay originally developed as a ‘crossroad centre' where the Brentwood to Southend road crossed the much older, medieval Chelmsford to Tilbury Road one. This ancient route from Essex to Kent, crossing the river at Tilbury, was much used by Pilgrims heading to Canterbury.
Although there was a Grange at Great Burghstead, it is unlikely the Monks were able to deal with the volume of traffic that must've passed through Billericay, hence the growth of the Inns and Alehouses around the crossroads, which became of course the High Street.
The Rising Sun opened in 1810 and because of its excellent position on the aforementioned crossroads, clearly responsible for the growth of Billericay, it soon developed as a coaching Inn of some standing.
In addition to the main building, there was a coach house and two stable blocks, one timber and one brick - these now replaced with a brand-new red brick building, designed to look like a converted Georgian townhouse and housing 5 luxury apartments.
The original pub itself was built by the local brewhouse, Billericay Brewery, changing hands several times over the years and finally closing its doors in 2014.
Developer ‘AMD Property' bought the site in 2015, carefully restoring and extending the former public house and adding the second red brick building, creating a stunning landmark development in the heart of this highly sought after town.
Behind the gates, the landscaped grounds incorporate a secure private Carpark with a bay for each flat and a trio of visitor spaces.
