On the outskirts of the thriving town of Braintree, Bocking sits at the junction of the A134 and the A131, within easy reach of the A120, Stansted Airport, the historic town of Colchester, the port of Harwich, and the County Town of Chelmsford. For the commuter, London is less than an hour away by train from Braintree. Local amenities include Freeport Designer Outlet Village with new leisure complex including multi-screen cinema, gym and swimming pool. Excellent local schooling is provided with both primary and secondary schools and a sixth form college in Braintree. Anglia Polytechnic University is located in nearby Chelmsford.

Monken Hadley was built in the early 1880s, a prime example of a Victorian family villa. Commissioned by William Nevill Tufnell, it was the home of the Tufnell family for some fifteen years. Highly individual in character, the original house boasts some unique features, in particular the hand wood carvings on the front porch, reputed to be the work of Tufnell himself. In 1900 Monken Hadley was bought by Francis Crittall, founder of the windows manufacturing empire, who owned it until 1906. In the careful tenure of a number of affluent owners, the house survived both World Wars and the remainder of the twentieth century intact.

The house is situated in Bocking, which was once an important wool trading centre, later becoming famous for silk velvet weaving. Close by is the historic Bocking windmill, an old postmill built in 1721, a popular attraction for history lovers.