Essex
Essex | |
---|---|
7th of 48 | |
Density | 499/km2 (1,290/sq mi) |
Ethnicity |
|
Non-metropolitan county | |
County council | Essex County Council |
Executive | Conservative |
Admin HQ | Chelmsford |
Area | 3,458 km2 (1,335 sq mi) |
• Ranked | 7th of 21 |
Population | 1,506,345 |
• Ranked | 2nd of 21 |
Density | 436/km2 (1,130/sq mi) |
ISO 3166-2 | GB-ESS |
ONS code | 22 |
GSS code | E10000012 |
ITL | UKH33 |
Website | www |
Unitary authorities | |
Councils | Southend-on-Sea City Council Thurrock Council |
Districts | |
Districts of Essex Unitary County council area | |
Districts |
Essex (/ˈɛsɪks/ ESS-iks) is a ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the south, Greater London to the south-west, and Hertfordshire to the west. The largest settlement is Southend-on-Sea, and the county town is Chelmsford.
The county has an area of 3,670 km2 (1,420 sq mi) and a population of 1,832,751. After Southend-on-Sea (182,305), the largest settlements are Basildon (115,955), Colchester (130,245) and Chelmsford (110,625).[2] The south of the county is very densely populated, and the remainder, besides Colchester and Chelmsford, is largely rural. For local government purposes Essex comprises a non-metropolitan county, with twelve districts, and two unitary authority areas: Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea. The districts of Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend have city status. The county historically included north-east Greater London, the River Lea forming its western border.
Essex is a low-lying county with a flat coastline. It contains pockets of ancient woodland, including Epping Forest in the south-west, and in the north-east shares Dedham Vale area of outstanding natural beauty with Suffolk. The coast is one of the longest of any English county, at 562 miles (905km). It is deeply indented by estuaries, the largest being those of the Stour, which forms the Suffolk border, the Colne, Blackwater, Crouch, and the Thames in the south. Parts of the coast are wetland and salt marsh, including a large expanse at Hamford Water, and it contains several large beaches.[3][4]
What is now Essex was occupied by the Trinovantes tribe during the Iron Age. They established a settlement at Colchester, which is the oldest recorded town in Britain. The town was conquered by the Romans but subsequently sacked by the Trinovantes during the Boudican revolt. In the Early Middle Ages the region was invaded by the Saxons, who formed the Kingdom of Essex; they were followed by the Vikings, who after winning the Battle of Maldon were able to extract the first Danegeld from King Æthelred. After the Norman Conquest much of the county became a royal forest, and in 1381 the populace of the county were heavily involved in the Peasants' Revolt. The subsequent centuries were more settled, and the county's economy became increasingly tied to that of London; in the nineteenth century the railways allowed coastal resorts such as Clacton-on-Sea to develop and the Port of London to shift downriver to Tilbury. Subsequent development has included the new towns of Basildon and Harlow, the development of the Harwich International Port, and petroleum industry.[3]
History
Essex evolved from the Kingdom of the East Saxons, a polity which is likely to have its roots in the territory of the Iron Age Trinovantes tribe.[5]
Iron Age
Essex corresponds, fairly closely, to the territory of the Trinovantes tribe. Their production of their own coinage marks them out as one of the more advanced tribes on the island, this advantage (in common with other tribes in the south-east) is probably due to the Belgic element within their elite. Their capital was the oppidum (a type of town) of Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town, which had its own mint. The tribe were in extended conflict with their western neighbours, the Catuvellauni, and steadily lost ground. By AD 10 they had come under the complete control of the Catuvellauni, who took Colchester as their own capital.[6]
Roman
The Roman invasion of AD 43 began with a landing on the south coast, probably in the Richborough area of Kent. After some initial successes against the Britons, they paused to await reinforcements, and the arrival of the Emperor Claudius. The combined army then proceeded to the capital of the Catevellauni-Trinovantes at Colchester, and took it.
Claudius held a review of his invasion force on Lexden Heath where the army formally proclaimed him Imperator. The invasion force that assembled before him included four legions, mounted auxiliaries and an elephant corps – a force of around 30,000 men.[7] At Colchester, the kings of 11 British tribes surrendered to Claudius.[8]
Colchester became a Roman Colonia, with the official name Colonia Claudia Victricensis ('the City of Claudius' Victory'). It was initially the most important city in Roman Britain and in it they established a temple to the God-Emperor Claudius. This was the largest building of its kind in Roman Britain.[9][10]
The establishment of the Colonia is thought to have involved extensive appropriation of land from local people, this and other grievances led to the Trinovantes joining their northern neighbours, the
The rebels then proceeded to sack London and St Albans, with Tacitus estimating that 70–80,000 people were killed in the destruction of the three cities. Boudicca was defeated in battle, somewhere in the west midlands, and the Romans are likely to have ravaged the lands of the rebel tribes,[12] so Essex will have suffered greatly.
Despite this, the Trinovantes' identity persisted. Roman provinces were divided into civitas for local government purposes – with a civitas for the Trinovantes strongly implied by
The late Roman period, and the period shortly after, was the setting for the
Anglo-Saxon period
The name Essex originates in the
The first known king of the East Saxons was
The
The early kings were pagan, together with much and perhaps by this time all of the population. Sledd's son
In AD 824,
The later Anglo-Saxon period shows three major battles fought with the Norse recorded in Essex; the Battle of Benfleet in 894, the Battle of Maldon in 991 and the Battle of Assandun (probably at either Ashingdon or Ashdon) in 1016. The county of Essex was formed from the core area, east of the River Lea,[19] of the former Kingdom of the East Saxons in the 9th or 10th centuries and divided into groupings called Hundreds. Before the
After the Norman Conquest
Having conquered England, William the Conqueror initially based himself at Barking Abbey, an already ancient nunnery, for several months while a secure base, which eventually became the Tower of London could be established in the city. While at Barking William received the submission of some of England's leading nobles. The invaders established a number of castles in the county, to help protect the new elites in a hostile country. There were castles at Colchester, Castle Hedingham, Rayleigh, Pleshey and elsewhere. Hadleigh Castle was developed much later, in the thirteenth century.
After the arrival of the Normans, the Forest of Essex was established as a royal forest, however, at that time, the term[20] was a legal term. There was a weak correlation between the area covered by the Forest of Essex (the large majority of the county) and the much smaller area covered by woodland. An analysis of Domesday returns for Essex has shown that the Forest of Essex was mostly farmland, and that the county as a whole was 20% wooded in 1086.[21]
After that point population growth caused the proportion of woodland to fall steadily until the arrival of the
Waltham Forest had covered parts of the Hundreds of Waltham, Becontree and Ongar. It also included the physical woodland areas subsequently legally afforested (designated as a legal forest) and known as Epping Forest and Hainault Forest).[23]
Peasants Revolt, 1381
The Black Death significantly reduced England's population, leading to a change in the balance of power between the working population on one hand, and their masters and employers on the other. Over a period of several decades, national government brought in legislation to reverse the situation, but it was only partially successful and led to simmering resentment.
By 1381, England's economic situation was very poor due to the
Several thousand Essex rebels gathered at
The rebels gained access to the walled City of London and gained control of the Tower of London. They carried out extensive looting in the capital and executed a number of their enemies, but the revolt began to dissipate after the events at West Smithfield on 15 June, when the Mayor of London, William Walworth, killed the rebel leader Wat Tyler. The rebels prepared to fire arrows at the royal party but the 15 year old King Richard II rode toward the crowd and spoke to them, defusing the situation, in part by making a series of promises he did not subsequently keep.[24]
Having bought himself time, Richard was able to receive reinforcements and then crush the rebellion in Essex and elsewhere. His forces defeated rebels in battle at Billericay on 28 June, and there were mass executions including hangings and disembowellings at Chelmsford and Colchester.[25]
Wars of the Roses
In 1471, during the
The Essex men joined with their allies in attempting to storm Aldgate and Bishopsgate during an assault known as the Siege of London. The Lancastrians were defeated, and the Essex contingent retreated back over the Lea with heavy losses.[26]
Armada
In 1588
I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.
Civil War
Essex, London and the eastern counties backed Parliament in the
The combined force, bolstered by extra forces, marched towards Royalist held Colchester, but a Parliamentarian force caught up with them just as they were about to enter the city's medieval walls, and a bitter battle was fought but the Royalists were able to retire to the security of the walls. The Siege of Colchester followed, but ten weeks' starvation and news of Royalist defeats elsewhere led the Royalists to surrender.[28]
Geography
The ceremonial county of Essex is bounded by Kent, south of the Thames Estuary; Greater London to the south-west; Hertfordshire, broadly west of the River Lea and the Stort; Cambridgeshire to the northwest; Suffolk broadly north of the River Stour; with the North Sea to the east. The highest point of the county of Essex is Chrishall Common near the village of Langley, close to the Hertfordshire border, which reaches 482 feet (147 m).
Boundaries
In England, the term county is currently applied to both the ceremonial counties (or lieutenancy areas) and the non-metropolitan counties. It can also be applied to the former historic counties of England and the former postal counties. Therefore, Essex has different boundaries depending on which type of county is being referred to.
The largest extent of Essex was the historic county, which included 'Metropolitan Essex' i.e. areas that now lie within the London conurbation such as Romford and West Ham.[29][30] This boundary of Essex was established in the late Anglo-Saxon period, sometime after the larger former Kingdom of the East Saxons had lost its independence. It included the whole ceremonial county, as well as the three north-western parishes (transferred to Cambridgeshire in 1889), and the five London boroughs previously administered as part of Essex.
The administrative county and County Council was formed in 1889.[31] The county was made a non-metropolitan county as part of the 1970s local government reorganisation.[32] Its present boundaries were set in 1998 when Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea were separated from the non-metropolitan county to become unitary authorities.[33] In 1997 the Lieutenancies Act defined Essex for ceremonial purposes as the current non-metropolitan county and the unitary authorities formerly part of it.[34]
Until 1996, the Royal Mail additionally divided Britain into postal counties, used for addresses.[35] Although it adopted many local government boundary changes, the Royal Mail did not adopt the 1965 London boundary reform due to cost.[36] Therefore, parts of post-1965 Greater London continued to have an Essex address.[37] The postal county of Hertfordshire also extended deep into west Essex, with Stansted isolated as an exclave of postal Essex. In 1996, postal counties were discontinued and replaced entirely by postcodes, though customers may still use a county, which will be ignored in the sorting process.[37]
Coast
The deep estuaries on the east coast give Essex, by some measures, the longest coast of any county.[38] These estuaries mean the county's North Sea coast is characterised by three major peninsulas, each named after the Hundred based on the peninsula:
- Tendring[39] between the Stour and the Colne.
- Dengie[40] between the Blackwater and the Crouch
- Rochford[41] between the Crouch and the Thames
A consequence of these features is that the broad estuaries defining them have been a factor in preventing any transport infrastructure linking them to neighbouring areas on the other side of the river estuaries, to the north and south.
Settlement patterns
The pattern of settlement in the county is diverse. The areas closest to London are the most densely settled, though the
Part of the south-east of the county, already containing the major population centres of
A small part of the south-west of the county, Sewardstone, is the only settlement outside Greater London to be covered by a postcode district of the London post town (E4). In rural parts of the county, there are many small towns, villages and hamlets largely built in the traditional materials of timber and brick, with clay tile or thatched roofs.
Administrative history
Before the County Council
Before the creation of the county councils, county-level administration was limited in nature;
Most administration was carried out by
At this time the county was sub-divided into units known as
County Councils
The north-west tip of Essex, the parishes of Great Chishill, Little Chishill and Heydon, were transferred to Cambridgeshire when the County Councils were created in 1889. Parts of a number of other parishes were also transferred at that time, and since.
Greater London established
The boundary with
.Two unitary authorities
In 1998, the
Governance
National
Essex became part of the East of England Government Office Region in 1994 and was statistically counted as part of that region from 1999, having previously been part of the South East England region.
As of the
The 2015 general election saw a large vote in Essex for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), with its only MP, Douglas Carswell, retaining the seat of Clacton that he had won in a 2014 by-election, and other strong performances, notably in Thurrock and Castle Point, but in the 2017 general election, UKIP's vote share plummeted by 15.6% while both Conservative and Labour rose by 9%. This resulted in Labour regaining second place in Essex, increasing their vote share across the county and cutting some Conservative majorities in areas that had been unaffected by the 1997 general election, namely Rochford and Southend East and Southend West
In 2015, Thurrock was a three-way marginal, with UKIP, Labour and the Conservatives gaining 30%, 31% and 32% respectively. In 2017, the Conservatives held Thurrock with an increased share of the vote, but a smaller margin of victory. It was the constituency in which UKIP performed best in 2017, with 20% of the vote, while all other areas had been reduced to low single-figure vote shares. Several new MPs were elected in the 2017 election, with
At the 2019 general election, Castle Point constituency recorded the highest vote share for the Conservatives in the entire United Kingdom, with 76.7%. The most marginal constituency in the county is Colchester; however the Conservative Party still command a majority of over 9,400 votes.
In the 2016 EU referendum, 62.3% of voters in Essex voted to leave the EU, with all 14 District Council areas voting to leave, the smallest margin being in Uttlesford.[47]
Party | Votes cast | % | Seats | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 2017 | 2019 | ± | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | ± | 2015 | 2017 | 2019 | ± | ||
Conservative | 436,758 | 528,949 | 577,118 | 48,169 | 49.6 | 59.0 | 64.8 | 5.8 | 17 | 18 | 18 | ||
Labour | 171,026 | 261,671 | 189,471 | 72,200 | 19.4 | 29.2 | 21.2 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Liberal Democrat | 58,592 | 46,254 | 95,078 | 48,824 | 6.6 | 5.1 | 10.6 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Green | 25,993 | 12,343 | 20,438 | 8,095 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Independents | 6,919 | 4,179 | 10,224 | 6,045 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Monster Raving Loony | N/A | N/A | 804 | 804 | N/A | N/A | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
English Democrats | 453 | 289 | 532 | 243 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
SDP | N/A | N/A | 394 | 394 | N/A | N/A | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Psychedelic Future | N/A | N/A | 367 | 367 | N/A | N/A | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
YPP | 80 | 110 | 170 | 60 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
UKIP
|
177,756 | 41,478 | N/A | 41,478 | 20.2 | 4.6 | N/A | 4.6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 879,918 | 896,231 | 894,608 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 18 | 18 | 18 |
County-wide
Essex Police and Essex County Fire and Rescue Service covers the ceremonial county.[48] The county council governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, some of which elect more than one member, but before 1965, the number of councillors reached over 100. The council is currently under Conservative majority control, with the party holding 52 of the 75 council seats. [2] The council meets at County Hall in the centre of Chelmsford.
At the time of the 2011 census it served a population of 1,393,600, which makes it one of the largest local authorities in England. As a non-metropolitan county council, responsibilities are shared between districts (including
The county council was formed in 1889, governing the
At the
The 2017 County Council elections saw a county-wide wipeout of UKIP. The Conservative Party profited most from this loss, regaining many of the seats it had lost at the previous election. Labour, despite a slight rise in its share of the vote, had fewer councillors elected. The Liberal Democrats also saw a notable revival, but were unable to translate this into seats. The Conservatives retained firm control of the council. The next election will be in 2021.
Party | Votes cast | % | Seats | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | 2013 | 2017 | ± | 2009 | 2013 | 2017 | ± | 2009 | 2013 | 2017 | ± | ||
Conservative | 169,975 | 112,229 | 184,901 | 72,672 | 43.3 | 34.4 | 49.3 | 14.9 | 60 | 42 | 56 | 14 | |
Labour | 42,334 | 57,290 | 63,470 | 6,180 | 10.8 | 16.4 | 16.9 | 0.5 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 3 | |
Liberal Democrat | 79,085 | 35,651 | 51,524 | 15,873 | 20.1 | 11.6 | 13.7 | 2.1 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 2 | |
UKIP
|
18,186 | 90,812 | 29,796 | 61,016 | 4.6 | 27.6 | 7.9 | 19.7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | |
Green | 26,547 | 15,187 | 15,187 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
Independents | 5,845 | 4,631 | 12,506 | 7,875 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
Residents for Uttlesford | N/A | N/A | 5,231 | N/A | N/A | 1.4 | 0 | 0*(1) | 0 | 1 | |||
Canvey Island Independents | 1,655 | 2,777 | 3,654 | 877 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
Loughton Residents | 2,764 | 3,286 | 2,824 | 462 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
Tendring First | 5,866 | 4,093 | 1,332 | 2,761 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
BNP | 35,037 | 909 | 847 | 62 | 8.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
English Democrats | 5,212 | 835 | 58 | 164 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
TUSC | N/A | 431 | N/A | N/A | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
National Front | N/A | 304 | N/A | N/A | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Total | 392,506 | 328,435 | 372,834 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 75 | 75 | 75 |
County Hall
The county council chamber and main headquarters is at the
Borough and district level
The county of Essex is divided into 12 district and borough councils with 2 unitary authorities (Southend on Sea and Thurrock). The 12 councils manage housing, local planning, refuse collection, street cleaning, elections and meet in their respective civic offices. The local representatives are elected in parts in local elections, held every year.[50]
Youth councils
The Essex County Council also has a Youth Assembly, 75 members aged between 11 and 19 who aim to represent all young people in their districts across Essex. They decide on the priorities for young people and campaign to make a difference.[51] With this, some district and unitary authorities may have their own youth councils, such as Epping Forest,[52] Uttlesford[53] and Harlow.[54]
All these councillors are elected by their schools. The elections to the Young Essex Assembly occur in the respective schools in which the candidates are standing, likewise for the youth councils at a district and unitary level. These young people will then go on to represent their school and their parish/ward or (in the case of the Young Essex Assembly) their entire district. The initiative seeks to engage younger people in the county and rely on the youth councillors of all status to work closely with schools and youth centres to improve youth services in Essex and help promote the opinions of Essex youth.
Town and parish level
Town and
There are just under 300 town and parish councils within Essex.[50] These Councils have no statutory duties but can contribute to local life in a range of ways, such as maintaining allotments and open spaces, to crime prevention and providing recreation facilities. They can also influence other decision makers and can deliver services to meet local needs. Their powers and duties range
Town and parish councils have the right to become statutory consultees at both district and county level and, although the decision remains with the planning authorities, local councils can influence the decision-making process by making informed comments and recommendations.[50]
Economy
A high proportion of the population, especially in the south, work outside the county, commuting to London and elsewhere by rail and by road. These London-based jobs are often well paid and complement the contribution made by the employers based within Essex.
Industry is largely limited to the south of the county, with the majority of the land elsewhere being given over to agriculture. Harlow is a centre for electronics, science and
Other businesses in the county are dominated by mechanical engineering, including but not limited to
Parts of eastern Essex suffer from high levels of deprivation; one of the most highly deprived wards is in the seaside town of
Transport
Much of Essex lies within the
Railway
Essex's railway routes to London are, running clockwise:
- The .
- The southern part of Epping Forest district is served by the London Underground Central line.
- The Great Eastern Main Line from Liverpool Street to Shenfield, Chelmsford, Colchester and onto East Anglia. The Great Eastern includes branch lines to:
- Harwich and its port. The nearby port of Felixstowe in Suffolk is served by a separate branch.
- The Sunshine Coast Line linking Colchester to the seaside resorts of Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze via the picturesque towns of Wivenhoe and Great Bentley.
- Braintree.
- Branch from Marks Tey to Sudbury (Suffolk) and villages in-between.
- In the densely populated south, there is a branch to Crouch Valley Line – linking Wickford to the remote Dengie Peninsula, including Burnham-on-Crouch and Southminster.[58]
- Like the Southend Victoria branch, the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway also serves Southend (Southend Central), the Rochford Peninsula and many towns in the densely populated south of the county. The London terminus is Fenchurch Street and heading eastward from Barking, the line separates into three, which later merge back into one by the time the railway reaches Pitsea.
The
Road
Essex has six main strategic routes, five of which reflect the powerful influence exerted by London.
The M25 is London's orbital motorway which redistributes traffic across the London area. It includes the Dartford Road Crossings, over the Thames Estuary, linking Essex to Kent.
There are four radial commuter routes into the capital:
- Stansted Airport and provides commuter links to Cambridge.
- . It also serves the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe (Suffolk).
- Southend Airport. This is no longer maintained as a trunk road.
- A13, to the Rochford Peninsula, also including Southend. It also serves the expanding Tilbury and London Gatewayports.
The A120 is a major route heading west from the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe (Suffolk) and, like the A12, the route was in use during the Roman period and, in part at least, before then.
Ports and waterborne transport
The
in Germany was discontinued in December 2005.The UK's largest container terminal London Gateway at Shell Haven in Thurrock partly opened in November 2013; final completion date is yet to be confirmed.[61] The port was opposed by the local authority and environmental and wildlife organisations.[62][63][64]
The ports have branch lines to connect them to the national rail network. These freight movements conflict with the needs of commuter passenger services, limiting their frequency and reliability.[65]
East of the
Airports
The main airport in Essex is
Southend Airport has scheduled flights to Ireland, the Channel Islands and multiple destinations in Europe. Essex has several smaller airfields, some of which owe their origins to military bases built during World War I or World War II, giving pleasure flights or flying lessons; these include Clacton Airfield, Earls Colne Airfield and Stapleford Aerodrome.
Culture and community
Symbols
Both the Flag of Essex and the county's coat of arms comprise three Saxon seax knives (although they look rather more like scimitars), mainly white and pointing to the right (from the point of view of the observer), arranged vertically one above another on a red background (Gules three Seaxes fesswise in pale Argent pommels and hilts Or, points to the sinister and notches to the base). The three-seax device is also used as the official logo of Essex County Council; this was granted in 1932.[68]
The emblem was attributed to
John Speed in his Historie of Great Britaine (1611) follows Verstegan in his descriptions of the arms of Erkenwyne, but he qualifies the statement by adding "as some or our heralds have emblazed".[68]
The cowslip is the county plant of Essex.[69]
Patron saint
The East Saxon royal house had converted the Christianity around 604 AD, but subsequently apostasised. In the mid 7th century, a new Christian king, Sigeberht the Good, requested help from the monks of Lindisfarne in promoting Christianity among his people.
St Cedd, an Irish trained Northumbrian monk, sailed south and established a chapel, dedicated to St Peter, on the site of the old Roman fort of Othona (modern Bradwell-on-Sea), a chapel which still stands. Cedd, who was well known for confronting political authority, filled the vacant position of Bishop of London – the Bishop of the East Saxons. The feast day of St Cedd, also known as Essex Day, is marked on 26 October.[70]
Speech
The county has its own Essex dialect, though this has lost ground to other forms so that it is now chiefly spoken in parts of the north and among older residents. It has been partially replaced by Received Pronunciation (RP) and Cockney, a form originally heavily influenced by the Essex dialect.[71]
The prevalence of Cockney, particularly in the south, is the result of the large-scale migration of East Londoners to Essex, the Cockney Diaspora, particularly after World War II. A blend of RP and Cockney is widely heard, and known as Estuary English.[72]
Traditions
Essex is also home to the
By the 14th century, the Dunmow Flitch Trials appear to have achieved a significant reputation outside the local area. The author
Television
The county is served by BBC East and ITV Anglia, but southern parts of Essex are also served by BBC London and ITV London.
Radio
Local radio stations are
Sport
The county is also home to the Romford Raiders and Chelmsford Chieftains ice hockey teams.
Ball
It is home to the amateur rugby league football teams the Eastern Rhinos and Brentwood Eels (Essex Eels).
The county's basketball team is Essex Leopards, a defunct teams include the Essex Pirates basketball team. Team Essex Volleyball Club is Chelmsford's national league volleyball club. It has four teams which play in Volleyball England's national volleyball league. Its men's 1st team currently competes in the top division in the country, the Super 8s, while the women's 1st team competes one tier below the men. The club has a strong junior programme and trains at The Boswells School in Chelmsford.
Essex County Cricket Club became a first-class county in 1894. The county has won eight County Championship league titles; six of these were won during the dominant period between 1979 and 1992, with a gap of 25 years before the county's next titles in 2017 and 2019.
Racing
Speedway teams in the county were Lakeside Hammers (formerly Arena Essex Hammers), the Rayleigh Rockets and the Romford Bombers.
During the 2012 London Olympics, Hadleigh Farm played host to the mountain bike races.
Essex has one horse racing venue, Chelmsford City Racecourse at Great Leighs. Horse racing also took place at Chelmsford Racecourse in Galleywood until 1935. The county has one current greyhound racing track, Harlow Stadium. Rayleigh Weir Stadium and Southend Stadium are former greyhound venues.
Notable people
Many famous sports stars have come from or trained in Essex. These have included swimmer Mark Foster; cricket stars Trevor Bailey, Nasser Hussain, Alastair Cook and Graham Gooch; footballers Peter Taylor, James Tomkins, Justin Edinburgh, Nigel Spink; tennis stars John Lloyd and David Lloyd; Olympic Gold-winning gymnast Max Whitlock; Olympic sailing champion Saskia Clark; World Champion snooker stars Stuart Bingham and Steve Davis; world champion boxers Terry Marsh, Nigel Benn and Frank Bruno; London Marathon winner Eamonn Martin; international rugby players Malcolm O'Kelly and Stuart Barnes; Formula 1 sports car drivers Johnny Herbert and Perry McCarthy.
Education
Education in Essex is substantially provided by three authorities:
The University of Essex, which was established in 1963, is located just outside Colchester, with two further campuses in Loughton and Southend-on-Sea.
Anglia Ruskin University has a campus in Chelmsford. Lord Ashcroft International Business School, Faculty of Medical Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Anglia Law School, Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education and School of Medicine are located in the campus area.
Writtle University College, at Writtle, near Chelmsford, offers both higher and further education in land-management subjects.
Landmarks and places of interest
Over 14,000 buildings have
Key | |
Abbey/Priory/Cathedral | |
Accessible open space | |
Amusement/Theme Park | |
Castle | |
Country Park | |
English Heritage | |
Forestry Commission | |
Heritage railway | |
Historic House
| |
Places of Worship | |
Museum (free/not free) | |
National Trust
| |
Theatre | |
Zoo |
- Abberton Reservoir
- Anglia Ruskin University Chelmsford campus
- Battle of Ashingdon)
- Battle of Ashingdonin 1016), near Southend, with its isolated St Andrews Church and site of England's earliest aerodrome at South Fambridge
- Brentwood Cathedral
- Clacton-on-Sea
- Chelmsford Cathedral
- Colchester Castle [78]
- Colchester Zoo
- Colne Valley Railway
- Cressing Temple
- East Anglian Railway Museum
- Epping Forest
- Epping Ongar Railway
- Finchingfield (home of the author Dodie Smith)
- Frinton-on-Sea
- Great Bentley
- Greensted Church
- Hadleigh Castle
- Harlow New Town
- Hedingham Castle, between Stansted and Colchester, to the north of Braintree
- Ingatestone Hall, Ingatestone, between Brentwood and Chelmsford
- Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker
- Lakeside Shopping Centre
- Loughton, near Epping Forest
- Maldon historic market town, close to Chelmsford and the North Sea, and site of the Battle of Maldon
- Mangapps Railway Museum (Burnham-on-Crouch)
- Marsh Farm Country Park (South Woodham Ferrers)
- Mersea Island, birdwatching and rambling resort with one settlement, West Mersea
- Mistley Towers, Manningtree, between Colchester and Ipswich, near Alton Water.
- Mountfitchet Castle , Stansted
- North Weald Airfield
- Northey Island
- Orsett Hall Hotel, Prince Charles Avenue, Orsett near Chadwell St Mary
- Real Circumstance Theatre Company
- Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey
- Saffron Walden
- Southend Pier
- Thames Estuary
- Tilbury Fort
- Thaxted, south of Saffron Walden
- Thurrock Thameside Nature Park
- University of Essex (Wivenhoe Park, Colchester and Loughton)
- Waltham Abbey Church
Notable people
Sister counties and regions
- Jiangsu, China
- Picardy, France
- Thuringia, Germany
- Henrico County, Virginia, United States
- Accra, Ghana
See also
- Custos Rotulorum of Essex – Keepers of the Rolls
- Earl of Essex
- Essex (UK Parliament constituency)
- Essex Police and Crime Commissioner
- Healthcare in Essex
- High Sheriff of Essex
- List of civil parishes in England
- List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Essex
- Lord Lieutenant of Essex
- Q Camp: WWII camp in Essex
- University of Essex
- The Hundred Parishes
References
Notes
Sources
- ^ "Lord-Lieutenant of Essex: Jennifer Tolhurst". GOV.UK. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Essex | History, Population, & Facts". Britannica. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Protecting the environment: The Essex coast | Essex County Council". www.essex.gov.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England, p46. Barbara Yorke. Yorke makes reference to research by Rodwell and Rodwell (1986) and Bassett (1989)
- ISBN 0-7156-0843-6.
- ^ Described in 'The Essex Landscape', by John Hunter, Essex Record Office, 1999. Chapter 4
- ^ Life in Roman Britain, Anthony Birley, 1964
- ISBN 1 897719 04 3)
- ISBN 1-84119-318-6)
- ISBN 0-7156-0843-6.
- ISBN 0-7156-0843-6.
- ISBN 978-0-19-875937-9.
- ^ Details on the church, Colchester Archaeologist website https://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=34126 Archived 11 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 0-7156-0843-6. the reference relates to the flourishing nature of Christiantity in fourth century Essex and the finds at Wickford and Brentwood
- ISBN 0-905392-98-1.
- ISBN 0-7156-0843-6. The source states that the earliest record in the 14th century Colchester Oath Book, but recounted by Daniel Defoe and others
- ISBN 0-415-16639-X.
- ^ Vision of Britain Archived 26 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine – Essex ancient county boundaries map
- ^ forest
- ^ ISBN 978-1-8421-2469-7.
- ISBN 1-898529-15-9
- OL 1878197M. 086299781X. see table, p224 for Essex Stanestreet and p221-229 for details of each forest
- ^ The English: A Social History 1066-1945. p36-37 Christopher Hibbert, Paladin Publishing 1988, ISBN 0 586 08471 1
- ^ Commentary on the Battle of Billericay and the aftermath of the revolt in Essex: Whybra, Julian. "The Battle of Norsey Wood, 1381" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 October 2021.
- ^ Overview of the events of 1471: Rickard, J (27 February 2014). "Siege of London, 12-15 May 1471". Military History Encyclopedia on the Web. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020.
- ISBN 0-86272-282-9.
- ISBN 978-0-349-11564-1.
- ^ www.abcounties.com (26 June 2013). "Essex". Association of British Counties. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "Metropolitan Essex since 1850: Introduction | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1888", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1888 c. 41
- ^ "Local Government Act 1974", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1974 c. 40
- ^ "The Essex (Boroughs of Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock and District of Tendring) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1875
- ^ Lieutenancies Act 1997 (c. 23).
- ^ "Pembrokeshire (Royal Mail Database) c218WH". Hansard. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ^ "G.P.O. To Keep Old Names. London Changes Too Costly". The Times. 12 April 1966.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84348-592-6.
- ^ Ordnance Survey Blog on the Essex coastline and the difficulty of measuring coastlines https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/2017/01/english-county-longest-coastline/ Archived 28 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ A link to show the term Tendring Peninsula in use and to describe the name as resulting from the name of the Hundred
- ^ link to show the Dengie Peninsula in use and linking that to Hundred organisation
- ^ A link to show the term Rochford Peninsula in use http://www.visitessex.com/rochford.aspx Archived 30 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ English Social History, Trevelyan
- ^ Vision of Britain Archived 14 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine – Southend-on-Sea MB/CB
- ^ a b Vision of Britain Archived 26 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine – Essex admin county (historic map Archived 30 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ Essex County Council Archived 24 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine – District or Borough Councils
- ^ OPSI Archived 4 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine – The Essex (Boroughs of Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock and District of Tendring) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996
- ^ "Two of UK's top Leave districts in Essex". BBC News. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ OPSI Archived 12 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine – The Essex (Police Area and Authority) Order 1997
- ^ "Conference on Labour History in Essex – Spring 2005" (PDF). Labour Heritage. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ a b c "Local government structure". www.essex.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ "About us". www.young-essex-assembly.org.uk. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ Warr, Mike. "Youth Council". www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ R4U (14 December 2016). "Residents for Uttlesford [R4U] | R4U's Uttlesford Youth Council initiative gets green light". Residents for Uttlesford. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Youth Council | Harlow Council". www.harlow.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ "Did you know deprivation in Chelmsford Diocese". Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Jackwich: Village 'third most deprived area in UK'". Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
- ^ "Britain's richest towns: 20 – 11". The Daily Telegraph. London. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.
- ^ "National Rail Enquiries – Official source for UK train times and timetables". www.nationalrail.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 February 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Link to website promoting the Tilbury2 proposals http://www.tilbury2.co.uk/ Archived 14 December 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "DFDS Harwich to Esbjerg ferry route's final journey – BBC News". BBC News. 27 September 2014. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ "London Gateway : Home". www.londongateway.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ Portswatch: Current Port Proposals: London Gateway (Shell Haven) Archived 25 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
- ^ Thurrock Council. (26 February 2003). Shell Haven public inquiry opens Archived 15 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
- ^ Dredging News Online. (18 May 2008). Harbour Development, Shell Haven, UK Archived 3 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
- ^ Anglia Route Study, describes opportunities and constraints for the E of England rail network – https://www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Anglia-Route-Study-UPDATED-1.pdf Archived 31 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Cheap flights from London Stansted to Sharm El Sheikh Archived 27 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine. easyJet.com (17 February 2013). Retrieved on 17 July 2013.
- ^ Topham, Gwyn (5 March 2012). "London Southend airport: flying under the radar (and to the left of the pier)". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
- ^ a b Robert Young. (2009). Civic Heraldry of England and Wales. Essex Archived 3 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
- ^ Essex WT website https://www.essexwt.org.uk/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/cowslip Archived 25 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Evening Echo article on St Cedd's Day https://essex-tv.co.uk/basildon-council-raises-county-flag-celebrate-essex-day/ Archived 5 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ellis, Alexander J. (1890). English dialects: Their Sounds and Homes. p35, 57, 58
- ^ "Estuary English Q and A - JCW". Phon.ucl.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 11 January 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "Dunmow Flitch Trials – History – Background". www.dunmowflitchtrials.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
- ^ "Radio in Essex - Summary of Stations". Retrieved 30 September 2023.
- ^ Essex County Council. (2006). Secondary School Information Archived 7 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
- ^ independent schools Directory. (2009). Independent Schools in Essex Archived 30 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
- ^ Bettley, James. (2008). Essex Explored: Essex Architecture. Archived 6 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine Essex County Council. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
- ^ "Colchester Castle Museum-Index". Colchestermuseums.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
External links
- Essex at Curlie
- Essex County Council
- Seax – Essex Archives Online
- Images of Essex at the English Heritage Archive