This was the site of the old Cock and Warren alehouse, run by James Jordon in the 1770s.
The pub was renamed the Rodney Head in 1794 by Captain Barrington of Tofts who had fought under Admiral Rodney. In the early 19th century, it was run by John Pullen and later by his widow, Mary. During this time, it fell into a state of disrepair and decline and was described in 1849 as “one of the worst conducted public-houses in the district”.
After the Rodney sign moved down the hill in the late 1860s, the property became known as the Old Rodney. In 1885 Elijah Mecklenburg opened up a tearoom and pleasure gardens on the site which soon became a popular venue for Sunday School and other outings. In 1892 it was recorded that “the children attending the Sunday Schools of St Mary’s Church, Chelmsford, had their annual treat on August 8. They were conveyed in barges down the river to the Rodney, Little Baddow, a favourite place of resort, where a capital tea and a variety of amusements were provided for them”.
By 1901, the proprietor was Mr. William Boreham. A baker by trade, he used his skills in the tearooms and the following year entertained parishioners at a coronation party to celebrate Edward VII. From 1922, Mrs. Jessie Clark operated the premises as the Old Rodney Hotel. There were swings, swing-boats, donkey rides and a putting green just outside the tearooms as well as tennis courts built in the 1930s. It became a private house in 1948.