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The Battesford Court is a 16th-century timber-framed building which was the courthouse of Battesford Manor. This manor was granted in the mid-16th century. The building later had a brick chimney added to its right-hand side. In the early 18th century it had the Georgian brick front added, with a false upper storey and a row of dummy windows to enhance its proportions, still to be seen today. This was a ploy often used when an older building was re-fronted to give it the 'new Georgian style' and was common practice in a number of prominent Witham buildings. Looking at the side of the building we see that the brick front and the chimney stack are not fully keyed together, showing that they were built at different times.
For about thirty years from 1944 it was used as offices by Balch & Balch Estate Agents. It was converted to an hotel in 1980 when a large extension was built at the rear. In 2002 became a public house.
The postcard view below shows the building just after the Second World War.
