History
Mark Hall Manor stood behind the Church of St. Mary which was a Norman church with Roman brickwork. The Manor was mentioned in the Doomsday Book and visited three times by Elizabeth I. There were several owners dating from 1000s-1900s, the earliest recorded owners were the family of Eustance II Count of Boulogne in 1086. After this time the De Merk family were tenants of the land from 1086 to 1317. They built the first manor house which was named after them as ‘Latton Merk’ and later became ‘Mark Hall’. The name went through several spellings, Merc, Merk, Merck, Marck and Mark.
Later the hall was used to support the war effort as a base for the Women’s Land Army. In 1947 the Manor was destroyed by fire.
John Collins
The Collins family lived in Harlow for over 200 years and were wheelwrights, manufacturers, and repairers of bicycles. John Collins (1927-2001) opened the Mark Hall Cycle Museum in 1983, showcasing his collection of rare and historic bicycles. Over forty years later and the collection can still be seen at the Harlow Museum & Walled Gardens, which is located on the original site of the Collins Cycle museum.
What to see at Harlow Museum?
Harlow Museum & Walled Gardens features the Parish Gallery, with details on Mark Hall and the history of people who used to live within the area. Plus, the Cycle Gallery showcases some of John Collin’s most fascinating bicycles, such as the Penny Farthing, Meredith’s Boneshaker, Quintette and more.
Learn more about Harlow Museum here