Rayleigh /ˈreɪliː/ is a market town and civil parish in the Rochford District in Essex, England; it is located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea, 32 miles (51 km) east of central London.

[5] One significant archaeological find was in the early 2000s at the western edge of Rayleigh, at the site of the former Park School in Rawreth Lane.

[6] By the end of the Saxon period, there was definitely a village here, as it is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was held by Swein of Essex, the son of Robert FitzWimarc.

Despite the loss of its timber superstructure and later stone buildings, its height and bulk mean that it still dominates the town centre.

By this time, the site was in royal ownership and used for pasture: Records indicate that the church was rich in plate, vestments and stained glass, but these were disposed of: During Henry VIII's reign, deer were constantly taken from here to replenish the herds in Greenwich Park.

This has caused some controversy locally, with residents of Rayleigh feeling that the areas surrounding the town should be preserved with more care.

[17] The constituency of Rayleigh and Wickford is represented in the House of Commons by the Member of Parliament Mark Francois of the Conservative Party.

[21] The Civic Suite is a 19th century mansion house known as "Barringtons" which was converted for municipal use in 1953 and extended in 1964.

Greater Anglia operates services between Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street.

Services connect the town with Basildon, Chelmsford, Southend, Rochford, Hockley and Stansted Airport.

The playing field is located next to Bull Lane, Hockley Road and Websters Way.

It has another smaller entrance in Downhall Park Way, adjacent to Canterbury Close; it can also be accessed from Victoria Avenue.

Kingley Wood stands on a steep hill slope beside the A127 and is visible when approaching Rayleigh from London.

There is a car park at the Grange Community Centre in Little Wheatley Chase and access to the wood is across the playing fields.

Until 2011 it was located next to Rayleigh Civic Suite and Information Centre, opposite Holy Trinity Church.

[40] The Dutch Cottage, the smallest and oldest council house in the United Kingdom, can be visited on Wednesdays by prior appointment.

The basic external brickwork has been repaired and the interior has been transformed to provide four storeys of modern display facilities which has turned the windmill into a major tourist and educational attraction in the county.

The changes to the windmill allow the public to view the interior and to exploit this local historic amenity for cultural, educational and tourism use.

[47] The parish church of Saint Michael and All Angels is in Sir Walter Raleigh Drive near Sweyne School.

The building opened for worship on 25 March 1799, shortly before the first Pastor, Rev James Pilkington, was inducted in June 1799.