Belhus was a fine example of a gentleman's country seat. This painting is from 1710 before the grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown and the mansion influenced by the gothic style. It was for many years the home of the Barrett Lennard family. The 6th baronet (Father Sir Hugh Dacre Barrett-Lennard) had a ghostly encounter in Belhus in the nineteen thirties.
The house was demolished in 1957 and the ruins can be seen on a golf course that was built on part of the park. Parts of the original interior can be seen at Thurrock museum and others at Valence House, Dagenham. Some recently rediscovered heraldic glass is described in Panorama 36 and the Barrett Lennard coat of arms is shown here.
The Thurrock Museum in the Thameside complex has a stone age cleaver that was found in Belhus Park.
Article about the recent geophysical survey at Belhus