Rochford District Heritage Guide
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2011:Layout 1 25/10/10 12:56 Page 1 Heritage Guide Rochford District Council Welcome to Rochford Whispering Post Rochford Contents Introduction ...................................4 Ashingdon ....................................7 Barling Magna and Little Wakering ...............9 Canewdon ...................................11 Foulness Island ...............................13 Great Wakering ...............................16 Hawkwell ....................................18 Hockley .....................................21 Hullbridge ....................................23 Paglesham ...................................25 Rayleigh .....................................27 Rawreth .....................................31 Rochford ....................................33 Stambridge ..................................38 Sutton .......................................41 3 Introduction The District was first called Surrounded on three sides by Rochford Hundred in Norman water (sea and river), nautical times and stretched from the pursuits abounded. The water River Crouch in the north to the was excellent for the production River Thames in the south. of oysters (a staple diet of the (The term Hundred is an ancient poor) and smuggling contraband, administrative division of a county which was easily hidden from the originally thought to contain a customs men in the creeks and hundred families). Covering 65 inlets. Boat building was a square miles it once included thriving industry as well. both Southend and Leigh and Advantage was also taken of the had 19 districts. Various changes rich London clay soil and many took place in the 20th Century local brickworks transported the and it now has 14 parishes, each bricks to London by Thames Barge. with its own distinct history and Inland, agriculture was prominent. character. Compare the area of corn for the mills was grown in the map by Chapman & Andre in many fields and horses were 1777 to one of today. extensively used to help cultivate the crops. Sailing on the River Crouch 4 In early days much of the area The District is now split in to 13 was covered by forest and parish councils and one town woodland and included parks for council as outlined below: the benefit of Royal pastimes. Ashingdon – best known for the Much of the woodland was felled battle in 1016. for houses, fuel and boat building and in the clearings animals Barling Magna – still retains its grazed and small communities rural charm including the 11th existed. Little changed for century church at Little Wakering centuries until the railway arrived once visited by King George III in in 1889. From this date 1769. landowners started to sell their Canewdon – on the south bank estates and property building of the River Crouch. Ancient spread to all areas and settlement mentioned in the population levels increased. Domesday Book. 5 Foulness Island – best known parish church, 18th century Dutch for its wildlife and association cottage, windmill, Martyr’s with the Ministry of Defence. Memorial and the Mount (site of the castle). Origin of the Great Wakering – mentioned in Whispering Court. the Domesday Book and known for its brickworks. Now mainly Rochford – the chief town of the residential. Hundred. The centre of trade for Hawkwell – has a variety of centuries best known for its public open spaces as well as a associations with Henry VIII and 14th Century church with a 15th Anne Boleyn. Home of the century timber belfry. Peculiar People. Hockley – well known to many Rawreth – mainly agricultural who enjoy a stroll in Hockley with many moated farmhouses. Woods but don’t forget Plumberow Mount, undiscovered Stambridge – also mentioned in by many. the Domesday Book, the Tidal Mill was built over 500 years ago. Hullbridge – another riverside John Harriott, who founded the village once part of the pilgrim Thames Police Force in the 18th route to Canterbury before the century, was also a resident. bridge was destroyed long ago. Sutton – once a fishing village Paglesham – part of the Roach with its own market fair in the Valley Conservation Area. Was 11th century. well known for smuggling as well as a reputation for oyster Mike Davies production. (Rayleigh Through the Looking Glass) Rayleigh – historic market town with a wealth of history and character. Buildings and sites of interest include a 14th century 6 Ashingdon The Battle of Ashingdon was fought on the low ground between Ashingdon Hill and Canewdon Hill on October 18th 1016. It resulted in a decisive victory for The Danes led by Canute, who overcame the English army led by King Edmund II (‘Ironside‘). This battle concluded the Danish reconquest of England, and most of the English nobility was cut down in the very bloody battle, which involved an element of treachery. pretended to fall back, but then In the morning of the battle reformed to beat the English. One Ironside attacked Canute of the English generals, Eadric of head-on, rushing down the hill to Murcia, had remained on the hill engage in battle. The Danes with his men, he did not assist Ironside, but later joined Canute in completing his rout of the English force. This important victory for Canute resulted in an agreement to divide the country between himself and Ironside. The death of Ironside shortly afterward gave Canute the Crown of England. St Andrews St Andrews Church Ashingdon Church, overlooking the battle 7 site, was built by Canute as a Neil Pemberton-Billing owned the tribute to the many who died in airfield. He later formed a this awful but significant company called Supermarine encounter. which employed R J Mitchell the designer of the Spitfire. It is believed that South Fambridge, an area in the north In a field to the north of of Ashingdon, was the site of the Canewdon Road in Ashingdon is first air-field in Britain. A a small memorial to the crew of memorial was un-veiled on the an American B26 aircraft which village green to the south of the crashed on 24 September 1944. village, on 20th February 2009 – the 100th anniversary of the date The aircraft was flying from when the airfield was first France to its home base at Matching Green, and came down mentioned in the press. The in bad weather killing all five crew. airfield used Crane Court, a former crane factory, as a hangar. South FambridgeAirfields of Britain Memorial All Saints Church 8 Barling Magna People have lived in the area In 998, Leofwine, a Saxon Thegn, since the Stone Age. From the left Barling in his will, to Bishop middle of the Stone Age, people Wulfstan and it became part of were attracted here by the fertile the lands owned by St Paul’s in soils of the brick earth. The London who already owned land Romans were also in evidence in in neighbouring Shopland. the area but it is the Saxons who gave the names of Barling and When the Domesday Book was Little Wakering to the villages. compiled in 1085, the manor of Little Wakering was part of the Barling is now generally accepted lands of Swein and Barling was to mean ‘Baerla’s people’ and part of the Lands of the Canons Little Wakering from the ‘People of St Paul’s. Richard, son of of Wacor or Waecer’. St Marys Church Barling 9 Gilbert held Barrow Hall and been in private hands for a Bishop Odo, brother to William considerable time. the Conqueror held Mucking Hall. Barling had at one time a windmill. There are two ancient churches in In 1181, a mill is recorded to have the villages. During the 1100’s, existed there. On maps dating construction of both churches is from 1724 and 1749, a mill symbol believed to have started, the nave is shown, close to the church in and chancel at St Mary’s are Church Road, the smock mill built Norman and there is proof that around 1760 stood on the site until they were built before 1190 when it was demolished in 1946. the advowson and land of St Mary’s, Little Wakering was During the time of Elizabeth I, deeded by William de Tayden to St Barling was a busy sea trading Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. port and in the returns of 1564, The Tower at St Mary’s is said to Barling reported 23 ships with have been built by John Wakering, 48 marines and fisherman. In Bishop of Norwich of Barrow Hall, the 1580’s Little Wakering built 6 with financial assistance from vessels under a bounty scheme. Anne, Countess of Stafford as a Both ports traded with London thanks offering for his safe return and the Low Countries, the main from Agincourt in 1416. cargoes being grain, oysters, timber and wool. The south wall of the nave in All Saints’, Barling Magna is believed The area has always been and to be the oldest dating from the still is agricultural. In the past 12th century with additions there were numerous farms and through to the 15th Century. homesteads, these have now The Victorians undertook a major been amalgamated into three or renovation in the mid 1800’s. four large farms. The area is bordered by marshland and Both churches once had their own creeks. Winter wading birds Vicarages. The present Little frequent the area and there is a Wakering Vicarage, adjacent to the rich assortment of wildlife. church was built in 1866 and was sold in 2006. The Glebe in Barling Magna Parish Council Barling, dating from the 1700’s has 10 Canewdon Canewdon is a large parish, which extends for several miles along the southern side of the River Crouch. The name is derived from the Saxon ‘hill of Cana’s people’ and is not named after King Canute. Evidence of early settlements have been found in the area layout was completed before the including bronze age artefacts, church was founded. Roman red hills and a paddle To the east of the church is the old dated around 1000 BC village lock-up and stocks. These discovered in the river bank.