Heading towards the railway bridge the hedgerows on THE JUBILEE WALK both sides of the road provide nesting sites for several small birds such as Robins, Dunnocks, Linnets and JUBILEE WALK In 2002 the Town Council created a lasting memorial Whitethroats. Here in high summer a number of Swifts, walk for the Golden Jubilee which is accessible to all, summer visitors from Central Africa, nest most years including the disabled and people using pushchairs. and rear numerous offspring. About 2 hours In the Diamond Jubilee year of 2012 the walk was D Lastly, the walk will take you past the Garden of updated to reflect the changes which had taken place Remembrance and along the Burnham Road. To the over the intervening ten years. The complete walk will east the landscape is dominated by Bushy Hill with take you about two hours but you might want to take Marconi's radar demonstration site on its summit. your time along the way and rest on one of the 5 On one memorable occasion no less than 13 species official Jubilee memorial benches or one of the many of butterflies were recorded here including a Purple others which are identified on the map. There is also a Hairstreak and a Comma. Common Blues, picnic bench in the play area at Compass Gardens. Skippers, Gatekeepers, and Meadow Browns are The following wildlife jottings are by courtesy of Essex often abundant. Wildlife Trust and roughly follow the route on the re- verse of this leaflet, commencing at the top end of This is perhaps the best place to see Green The Golden Jubilee walk was opened in Hullbridge Road. Woodpeckers in ; they may be found both inside and outside Marconi's boundary May 2002 and a commemorative plaque A The northern and older part of Hullbridge Road often fence. Other birds nest on the hill including Linnet, has small parties of Goldfinches in the mature trees in summer visiting Whitethroats and several species of may be found beside the seat at the top of summer time plus a few Greenfinches too. Grey the Tit family. On 15h June 1988 an Osprey was seen Marsh Farm Road. Herons, probably from Hall Wood, North Fambridge, flying over the hill in the early evening. pass over en route to Woodham Fen and occasionally In the Diamond Jubilee year of 2012 pause to perch on a rooftop. Watch out for small white As you complete the walk look for signs of the large herons which also fly over. These are Little Egrets: numbers of Rooks and Jackdaws that assemble every the walk was revised to celebrate recent additions to the British breeding list and now spring to form a substantial nesting colony on the hill. more or less resident close to our town. 60 years of Her Majesty’s reign

B Hullbridge and Inchbonnie Roads often have numbers A commemorative plaque can be found at of Collared Doves. Blackbirds and Robins are the most the start of the walk on the corner of likely species to be found in town gardens, although reports of Green Woodpeckers all around South Hullbridge Road and the Burnham Road. Woodham Ferrers are now frequent. Kestrels and Sparrow Hawks are often seen over the town. The number of butterflies varies from year to year, but Holly Blues and Gatekeepers plus the ubiquitous Large and Small Whites are perhaps the most common.

C The perky little Pied Wagtail is a resident in and around South Woodham Ferrers Town Council the Town Centre and frequently spotted in Queen Champions Manor Hall, Hullbridge Road, Elizabeth II Square. South Woodham Ferrers Town Council would like to South Woodham Ferrers, Essex. CM3 5LJ Compass Gardens has many unusual plants and thank John Frankland of the Local History Society and grasses and a rare over wintering Waxwing was Ray Trevett of the for his nature Tel: 01245 321817 recorded there. Saltcoats Ponds nearby and their notes, adjacent reed beds, a designated S.S.S.I., are also Without their contributions the production of this leaflet www.southwoodhamferrerstc.gov.uk worth investigating. would not have been possible. © South Woodham Ferrers Town Council 2002 & 2012 31 THE JUBILEE WALK 32 30 24. William De Ferrers Centre, which incorporates 13. St. Mary’s Mission Hall – The residences A the town’s library and secondary school. The

that form “St Mary’s Court” on centre was opened in 1982 and is named after a 1. William Tabrums Copyhold – once a range of Hullbridge Road occupy the site of 2 member of the Ferrers family who owned the old cottages including ‘Red Cottage Stores’. Now South Woodham’s second Church, 1 D Manor of Woodham in the 15th Century. much altered and a private house. KEY opened as St Mary’s Mission Hall in Head east along Trinity Row, past the Starz 2. Plaque - on garden wall (visible, vegetation 1904 and redeveloped in 2007. 3 Toilets Youth Club, we come to... permitting) unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of From here cross Ferrers Road as 29 Essex, Sir John Ruggles-Brise, in 1977 to Hullbridge Road continues towards the Seating 25. Brickfields Road – Brickworks were located 6 4 commemorate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. river. near Creekview Road and the name is adopted A PTO for Nature Notes from the name of an earlier road in the area. 3. Village Hall – Originally ‘The Smallholders Hall’ 14. Orchard Stores – 190 Hullbridge Road, 7 5 8 on this site opened in 1929 (as can be seen by now a private residence, was previously 28 26. South Woodham Leisure Centre – the leisure two surviving foundation stones in the walls), it ‘Orchard Stores’ and formerly ’Cash centre houses the town’s swimming pool, was replaced by the present hall in 1973. The Stores’ it dates from the early 20th 9 gymnasium facilities and a climbing wall. playing field was given to the village by a local century. Continue to the roundabout and opposite you’ll farmer and now contains a children’s play area. 15. Hullbridge Road - was South Woodham’s main see… 4. King Edwards Road – a survivor of the long road prior to the development of the new town. 10 27. Compass Gardens – developed around a straight ‘plotland’ roads laid out on the The wide variety of building styles, reflect more nautical theme, the gardens include walks, Champions Hall Estate in the 1890’s. than a century of development and outdoor gyms and a skate park. It was an unmade road until as late as 1978. redevelopment. Hullbridge Road led, at various Follow Ferrers Road north, passing Saltcoats 11 12 25 5. Village Grocers and Dairy Shop – the times, to a bridge, ferry and ford across the River C park on the right, this former farm has a number Crouch to Hullbridge. About halfway down this 23 flats on the corner of King Edwards Road occupy 24 26 of sports pitches, with changing facilities. The the former site of the town’s grocers and dairy part of Hullbridge Road you can see a… name is derived from former salt workings in the shop. The site was developed in 2006. 16. Footpath – the footpath from Hullbridge Road to 22 27 vicinity. 6. Accountants’ Offices – occupy the building Finchland View follows the alignment of Top Barn At the roundabout on the right is the… used as South Woodham’s first Post Office. Lane, one of the old plotland roads on the former Champions Hall Estate. At the end of Hullbridge 28. Garden of Remembrance – a place for 7. ‘The Railway’ - originally ‘The Railway Hotel’, Road take the footpath through to Bulbecks 21 contemplation, dedicated in 1995, owned and then ‘The Ferrers Arms’; was built soon after the Walk; bear left, and on the right there’s another maintained by the Town Council. Proceed west railway opened. It provided stabling for horses in footpath through to Inchbonnie Road. Cross the 13 on the Burnham Road, which forms the northern the early years. road and you’ll see… boundary of the town. 8. Railway Workers’ Cottages – three pairs of After a hundred yards or so you encounter, set 17. Commemorative Plaque – the Jubilee Walk cottages were built to a standard pattern used on back from the road, on the left… was originally opened at this point on 20 the Southminster branch line. They were th May 18 2002 to commemorate the Golden 29. Embankment – of the former branch line from constructed as part of the railway contract in South Woodham Ferrers to Maldon. The line was Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 14 20. Millennium Place – opened in the year 2000, it 1889. opened in1889, passenger traffic ceased in 1939, The walk was revised in 2012 to commemorate 19 features the Town Sign and the town’s and goods traffic ceased in 1953. 9. Railway Station – opened in 1889 by the Great Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. B Remembrance Memorial. To the north is… Eastern Railway Company. Once an impressive It’s worth noting that Marsh Farm Road leads 15 18 Take the path through the car park, and past the station with turntable, goods yard, cattle pens, down to Essex County Council’s Marsh Farm main entrance to Asda. 30. Bushy Hill (known locally as ‘Radar Hill’) – the signal box and footbridge. Country Park, and to the riverside. hilltop site was acquired by Marconi in 1954 to 21. Archway – the Archway bears a plaque Continue north towards the Town Centre. study new RADAR techniques and the 10. Evangelical Church - the present building unveiled in 1981 when Her Majesty formally operational uses of RADAR. It’s a popular spot opened in 1984, replacing the Assembly Mission 18. Inchbonnie Road - which takes its name from opened the Town Centre. This leads through for tobogganing when it snows. Hall that opened on this site in 1931. the former Inchbonnie Farm through which it 16 to… passes - the wide verge on this part of After about 800 yards you encounter, on the 11. Champions Manor Hall – The site of South 22. Queen Elizabeth II Square – the heart of the Inchbonnie Road (north to Clements Green Lane) right… Woodham’s first school (opened in 1929) and a town centre, with the bandstand, operated by provides easement for a major water main 31. Hamberts Farm – origins of the farmhouse can former church (opened in 1930). The site is now the Town Council. The first phase of the town through the town, laid in the 1920’s from be traced back to the early 1700’s. owned by South Woodham Ferrers Town centre opened in 1978, it features traditional Langford, near Maldon, to Southend on Sea. Further on the right is… Council and houses the Town Council’s offices, styles and external materials reflecting those as well as providing community facilities and a 19. Pond – the pond within the housing estate marks 17 found in historic Essex towns. 32. Cottage – The cottage on the right was designed public Bowling Green. the site of a small brickmaking works that Heralds Way - beside Barclays Bank leads to... in 1901 by noted Architect Frederick operated briefly here during the early years of the Chancellor. He was Chelmsford’s first Mayor (a 12. Women’s Institute Hall - The properties 23. Trinity Square – which was extensively 20th Century. position he held for seven terms) and designed 109-115 Hullbridge Road occupy the former site remodelled in 2010. Trinity Square and is the At the roundabout head east on the Ferrers many of our county town’s public buildings. of the town’s Women's Institute Hall built in 1927 location of the Church of the Holy Trinity and Road. A short walk beyond the cottage brings you back and the site was redeveloped in 2007. the… to the start of the walk.