Wickford

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Wickford

Coordinates: 51.6114° N 0.5207° E

Wickford (United Kingdom)
Wickford
Population 32,500
OS grid reference TQ746932
District Basildon
Shire county Essex
Region East
Constituent country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town WICKFORD
Postcode district SS11 and SS12
Dial code 01268
Police Essex
Fire Essex
Ambulance East of England
UK Parliament Billericay
European Parliament East of England
List of places: UK • England • Essex
For other uses, see Wickford (disambiguation).

Wickford is a town in the South of the English county of Essex, with a population of more than 32,500. It has become a commuter town, serving the City of London.

Wickford is approximately 30 miles (50km) East of London and can be reached via the road network, or by train (taking about 35 minutes). Wickford falls within the District of Basildon along with Basildon and Billericay.

Contents

[edit] Geography

For the most part Wickford is flat and 10 metres above sea level. The highest point, on the outskirts of the town, is 74 metres above sea level. The River Crouch flows through the town, from the west to the east. The River Wick flows into the River Crouch from the South.

[edit] History

The town has existed since before 975. There is evidence that the area itself was inhabited in prehistoric, Roman and Saxon times. Wickford was referred to in the Domesday Book as both Wicfort and Wincfort[1].

Before the 20th century Wickford was an agricultural village.

[edit] American relations

It is believed that the Wickford in Washington County, Rhode Island, USA is named after this English town after a woman called Elizabeth Reade who married John Winthrop, a Governor of Connecticut.

Both John Kerry and George W. Bush have a common ancestor from the town, Elizabeth Reade's father Edmund Reade (ca.1563-1623/4).

[edit] Naked Britain

Wickford became the birthplace of Naturism in Britain. In 1922 the English Gymnosophist Society was formed and had its home in the town.

[edit] The Second World War

During The Second World War the edge of town was hit by one of the German Doodlebugs.

Around the town, in amongst the hedgerows and fields, there are numerous Pillboxes constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations.

[edit] The flood of '58

In 1958 Wickford town centre was hit by a flood, which made national news headlines. The most striking image of the flood was a double decker bus, left stranded at Halls Corner overnight, partly submerged by the floodwater. A second bad flood in 1960 meant changes to the course of the River Crouch were made. This included turning the river into an ugly concrete channel through the centre of the town, although this may be removed in the coming years, depending on the scale of the Wickford Masterplan (see below).

[edit] Things in Wickford

  • Wickford for a brief while had cinemas (until just after World War II) but no theatres. Its two nightclubs, Plazma and Frasiers closed in late 2005, the former due to a fire and the latter by unknown circumstances. Plazma has since undergone a major refurbishment and reopened on December 8, 2006. Wickford has a number of pubs (The White Swan (also known as Swans), Quart Pot, Darby Digger, Downham Arms and the Duke) and it is served well by transport to London, Basildon, Billericay, Rayleigh and Southend-on-Sea for these other entertainments.
  • Wickford railway station, an important commuter link to London and Southend, and is the beginning of the branch-line on the rural Wickford to Southminster route.
  • The Memorial Park in the north of Wickford, created almost 100 years ago.
  • The Wick Country Park to the east of Wickford, which opened in 2003.
  • Wickford still has a market, held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, although it has been in decline for a number of years.
  • Wickford is supported by two small shopping centres in addition to the High Street: The Willows (opened 1971) and The Ladygate (opened 1988). The Willows has undergone several stages of refurbishment in recent years and is due to have an outdoor weekday market soon, featuring a continental market. Some argue however that the Ladygate has been rundown and neglected in recent years, and is crying out for refurbishment.
  • Wickford High Street's tarmac pavement was replaced with brick paving in March 2006, with work finally finishing in November 2006.
  • Runwell Hospital is a mental health hospital with a secure services on the outskirts of the town. The current site will be downsized from 2008 to leave just a few patient units standing, while the main site itself will be replaced with a new 630 home 'village' with services.
  • Adrian's, which claimed at one point to be the largest independent record store in the county. It has however, over the years reduced in size to roughly half its original size. It formerly had three sites in Wickford High Street, but now only owns its main building - which itself has been halved in size (the other half is now a Nail and Beauty training centre/salon).
  • There are eight primary schools in Wickford; Abacus Primary School; Oakfield Primary School; North Crescent Primary School; Grange Primary School; Wickford Infant/Junior School; Wickford C of E School; Castledon School, Runwell Community Primary School and the Hilltop Infant/Junior School.
  • There are two secondary schools in Wickford; Beauchamps High School and Bromfords School.
  • Wickford hosts one of Essex's longest running Alternative Rock nights at Swans (sometimes known as The Swan Hotel or White Swan) situated at the Eastern end of the High Street. Since 1989, most Wednesday nights have been a meet-up for many rock music fans in the area.

[edit] Shops

Wickford is home to many shops. To this date February 2007 the following shops can be found in Wickford High Street:

  • Woolworths
  • WHSmith
  • Nationwide Bank
  • Lloyds TSB
  • Barclays
  • Adrians - Video/DVD Rental store
  • M & Co - also known as Mackays
  • Suttons
  • Icelands
  • Oxfam
  • Stead & Simpson
  • Cardfair
  • Clarks
  • Wimpy
  • Betterview Conservatories & Windows
  • Wickford Angling Centre
  • Sultana Restaurant
  • Plasma
  • Halls Pet Store
  • Pisces Fish Shop
  • Dominos Pizza
  • Oriental Chef Chinese restaurant
  • New Look
  • Finishing touches
  • St Lukes Charity Shop
  • Boots Pharmacy
  • Post Office
  • Superdrugs
  • Savers
  • Somerfield
  • Abbey National
  • Browns Taxis
  • Allied Taxis
  • Aldi
  • Cats Whiskers
  • Coral - betting
  • Power Cuts Hairdressers
  • Headlines Hairdressers
  • Texaco Petrol station
  • Quick Fix
  • Next 2 Choice

Wickford High Street also has 2 local Opticians, a local Butchers, 5 Beauty Salons, 2 Estate Agents, 3 Florists, 1 other Chinese Restaurant, 2 Second Hand Stores, 2 Travel Agents, 1 Sewing Store and 1 café.

[edit] Masterplan

An early development has been completed in early 2006, but work to start the main part of the Masterplan has just about begun, starting with a major redevelopment of Lower Southend Road, just around the corner from the High Street. All businesses on one side of this neglected road will be demolished to make way for 200 flats, along with cafes, restaurants, and a public green space and public square. In spite of endless delays, mostly caused by the difficulty in the developer to agree a compensation/relocation package for the sorting office building, work began to tear the first few buildings down in February 2007.

The River Crouch which runs through the town, will also be redeveloped as part of the project, with proposals to remove the graffiti-stained 1960s concrete banks and raise the water level to promote the riverside cafes, and to create a footpath along the river itself.

Proposals are also in the pipeline at present to demolish several auto centres in Runwell Road/The Broadway in favour of flats with shops, and a multi-storey car park - these plans have been twice rejected but are being appealed by the developer. The swimming pool is proposed to be demolished and rebuilt as a large leisure centre, while the library and health centre will be demolished and amalgamated into one large new building. Huge redevelopments of the station area are planned, such as improving facilities and improving access on both sides of the station. The current market site is proposed for redevelopment in the near future, with the market moving to the High Street (proposals to pedestrianise the High Street) and becoming a 'niche' market. The southern end of the town centre, and the western approach to Wickford, are proposed to be a vibrant area for nightlife, according to the Masterplan, with scores of cafes and restaurants dotted along the London Road.

Public consultation with the Masterplan has been completed, but despite Basildon Council's evidence in their findings of mass support for their Masterplan proposals, many locals have expressed concern and opposition to the huge redevelopment plans. Some of these criticisms include increased road congestion caused by the number of new homes built.

Discussions and issues with the Masterplan are still in progress, but the main section of work is about to commence as planned.

[edit] Barn Hall housing development plans

In October 2006, plans were unveiled to develop 1,500 homes with shops and other amenities on green-belt land to the north of Wickford, in an area commonly known as Barn Hall, a popular area for walkers and nature. Previous schemes over a number of years to develop the land have all been rejected. However an administration error between Basildon District Council and Government meant the land was not declared green-belt, and therefore liable to development. Unsurprisingly, there has been mass opposition to the plans, with many worried about the loss of biodiversity, and the fears of traffic in a regularly congested town - this coupled with other separate large-scale developments in and around the town. The developers hope to submit an application in February 2007.

[edit] Neighbouring Towns and villages

[edit] Notable people from the area

[edit] External links

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