Southchurch
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Southchurch is now part of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. However, it has in independent history going back to the ninth century AD.
In 824 AD, one Leofstan (after whom Lifstan Way in Southchurch is named) is recorded as presenting the manor of Southchurch (Sudcerca in Latin) to the monks of Canterbury. This shows that the church from which the manor takes its name was already in existence. Southchurch takes its name from a Saxon church which was south of a pre-Norman minster, probably situated at Wakering. Remains of the old church have been retained as the southern aisle of the present parish church, which has been substantially expanded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The housing stock mainly dates from the first half of the twentieth century, when Southchurch developed from its original village into the residential district of Southend which it has now become.
Southchurch Road is the main road that runs from east to west through Southchurch. It starts at it's junction with the northern end of Southend's pedestrianised High Street. It becomes part of the A13 when it passes Porter's Grange, Southend's Mayoral residence. As it enters Southchurch the number of shops gradually increase, creating a thriving retail area which continues right to the end of Southchurch Road. The A13 continues eastward to Thorpe Bay along the wide, leafy, dual-carriageway which is Southchurch Boulevard. The northern side of the Boulevard is mostly housing, the southern side is a mixture of housing situated between, from west to east, the White Horse Public House, the Southchurch Parish Church (Holy Trinity), Southend High School from Girls and Thorpe Bay High School.
The main north-south roads are Hamstel Road and Lifstan Way, which meet at the crossroads with Southchurch Road and Southchurch Boulevard. Lifstan Way runs directly down to the seafront passing through Southchurch Park which includes a cricket ground and athletics ground, children's playground, an ornamental lake, and a refreshment pavilion. Nearby are Thorpe Greenways Infant and Junior Schools. The church of Christ Church is in Colbert Avenue, just to the east of "Southchurch Park East". Its parish was carved out of that of Holy Trinity in 1922. It began as a mission church, originally in Elizabeth Road which runs from the seafront to Southchurch Park.
Southchurch is served by a railway station originally called Southend East but in 2004 the station signs were changed, following a campaign by local residents, traders and some local councillors, and they now read "Southend East for Southchurch Village".
To the south of the station is Southchurch Hall which is a thirteenth century manor house now open to the public as a museum, which stands in a small park, Southchurch Hall Gardens.
The residents of Southchurch are a mixture of young families with children, and retired people.
