Billericay
Encyclopedia
Billericay is a town and civil parish
in the Basildon borough of Essex
, England. It lies within the London Basin
, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town
35 miles (56.3 km) east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces. It is thought to have been occupied since the Bronze Ages.
: evidence of occupation in the Bronze
and Iron Age
s. Evidence of Roman occupation has been found at a number of locations in the town and there may have been a small cavalry fort at Blunts Wall.
The Saxons
did not settle in the centre of Billericay.They established themselves two miles south, at Great Burstead
. In the late 10th century it was known as 'Burhstede'. Billericay was not mentioned in the Domesday Book
, as it lay within Great Burstead. At this time the parish church for Billericay was at Great Burstead. In 1291 the name 'Byllyrica' is first recorded. This is believed to be from a medieval Latin
word, bellerīca, meaning 'dyehouse or tanhouse'.
at Tilbury
. This may account for the large number of inns in the town.
Billericay's most notable historical episode was on 28 June 1381, when King Richard II's soldiers defeated Essex rebels at Norsey Wood. About 500 rebels were killed in the battle, which ended the Peasants' Revolt
.
The Wycliffe preachers
influenced the town. Four local people (Thomas Watts, Joan Hornes, Elizabeth Thackwell, and Margaret Ellis) were burnt at the stake. Two other residents (Joan Potter and James Harris) were tortured for their faith during the reign of Queen Mary
.
is said to have taken place in Billericay, and many local names and much historical imagery reflect this: Mayflower House, Morris Men, Taxis, School, Hall. Sunnymede School's houses
were called Mayflower, Pilgrim, Chantry
and Martin (after Christopher Martin, a Billericay merchant who travelled on the Mayflower as Ship's Governor).
Four people from Billericay were on board, including Christopher Martin. He and his wife Marie, along with Solomon Prowe and John Langemore, perished shortly after their arrival at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
The unfortunate fate of the would-be pioneers did not deter other inhabitants of Billericay from setting sail for the New World. The town of Billerica, Massachusetts
was established in 1655 to commemorate the origins of some of the first settlers.
In the town, The Union Workhouse was built in 1840 to continue to implement the Poor Law
. Parts of this building were later incorporated into what was St. Andrews Hospital. The railway arrived in Billericay in 1889, being on the Great Eastern Main Line
between London and Southend-on-Sea
.
St Andrew's Hospital, which was formerly the site of the town's Victorian workhouse
, continued to function as an important communal building. From 1973, it housed the internationally renowned Regional Plastic Surgery and Burns unit until this was relocated to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford
in April 1998. After the relocation, most of the hospital was redeveloped into housing. The listed buildings remain intact but are now residential.
and lies on a mixture of London clay
, Claygate Beds and Bagshot Beds
. Near the High Street, there is a change in soil type from sandy to clay, which gives rise to local underground springs. Open spaces include Norsey Wood
, Mill Meadows Nature Reserve, Queen's Park Country Park, Sun Corner, Lake Meadows
, Hanningfield Reservoir and South Green. Billericay contains Billericay School
, Mayflower High School
and St John's School
.
.
, whose MP is John Baron of the Conservative Party
. The town was previously represented by Teresa Gorman
from 1987 to 2001, a Conservative rebel who had the whip
withdrawn for opposing the Maastricht Treaty
. Her predecessor, the Conservative MP Harvey Proctor
, was also prominent in the news in 1987, when he was charged with indecency.
, although occasional proposals have been made to transfer it to the nearby Brentwood
district. Basildon District Council is Conservative controlled. Billericay is also served by a town council of 20 members elected in 3 wards. There is also a youth town council, elected in schools around the town. The town council has powers related to local planning and finance, while the youth council has an annual budget of £500 to spend or invest in local services or entertainment.
Billericay parish was not formed until 1937; before then the area had been part of the ancient Great Burstead
parish. In 1894 Billericay Rural District
was created, which covered a wide area stretching as far as Brentwood
and Pitsea
. In 1934 the core of this district around Basildon and Billericay became Billericay Urban District, and in 1937 a Billericay civil parish was created covering the same area. The urban district, but not the parish, was renamed Basildon
in 1955. In 1974 the district was abolished and became the present-day Basildon district
.
.
It is served by Billericay railway station
on the National Express East Anglia route
from Liverpool Street station
, in the City of London
, to Southend.
Buses and taxis are available in some abundance from the front of Billericay station.
With regard to Taxis there is both a Taxi rank that is used by independent Taxi operators and a Taxi office which is run by Mayflower Car Services.
Mayflower Car Services runs the towns largest fleet of Taxi and Private Hire vehicles and operates 24 hours a day.
The Taxi rank is served by vehicles from all across Basildon District whereas The Mayflower company is able to offer a more specialist expert service exclusively for Billericay.
Billericay is close to two primary routes: the A12 to the north and the A127
in the south. The A176 provides a road link to Basildon to the south of Billericay, as well as to the A127. The only secondary road in the town, the B1007, passes from just south of the town centre as Laindon Road, meets the A129
at Sun Corner and then continues northwards as Billericay's High Street and then Stock Road. It continues north to the county town of Chelmsford. Along its route is the village of Stock and an interchange to the A12. The town is a destination on the A129, linking it to the neighbouring towns of Brentwood and Wickford.
Billericay Rugby Football Club
is the local rugby team, playing in Essex Division One. Their ground is the Willowbrook Sports Club to the North of the town off of Stock Road. They are the only team from Essex to play at Twickenham, the home of English Rugby, when they won the Tetley Bitter Vase in 1999, a trophy in which they were runners up in 2007. Billericay is the only town to have won both the football and rugby vases. The club was formed in 1969 (although evidence has been found dating back to 1905). There has been a tennis club in the town since c. 1930.
Billericay is also the hometown of the Essex Spartans
American football team who play their home games on the 3G Astroturf field at Hannakins Farm Community Centre.
is the local football team and are currently in the Ryman Premier League. The stadium is called the New Lodge and has a capacity of 3,500. Whilst members of the Essex Senior League, the club won the F.A. Vase in 1976 when Stamford were beaten 1-0 after extra-time at Wembley Stadium.
The following season, 1976/77, saw the club go to Wembley again and – after a 1-1 draw there – played at Nottingham Forest F.C. in the replay and emerged victorious with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield, the oldest club in the world.
Billericay Town became the first (and so far the only) club to win the F.A. Vase for a third time in 1979 when they defeated Almondsbury Greenway 4-1. This match was notable for a hat-trick by Doug Young – the first hat-trick in a Cup Final at Wembley Stadium since Geoff Hurst
's in the 1966 World Cup Final.
Ivory FC, a Sunday League Team, were formed in 2007 and are linked to The Ivory Rooms, a bar in the town. The team gained notability by being part of a viral advertising campaign by Nivea
winning the Great Football Experiment in 2011. They currently play in the Brentwood Sunday League Division 1, and are managed by Will Rockett.
". Billericay is also mentioned in George Orwell
's novel Down and Out in Paris and London
. Billericay is also the setting of the BBC
sitcom Gavin & Stacey
as the home of Gavin Shipman (Mathew Horne
) and his parents, however the actual filming took place in Wales.
The Cater Museum is a privately owned local history museum housed in an 18th & 19th century building in the High Street.
Billericay has a vibrant weekend nightlife with some bars open as late as 1.00 am.
There are many pubs and restaurants that will cater for all tastes. Some of those are independent eateries that can be found side by side with many more nationally familiar names.
with:
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Basildon borough of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England. It lies within the London Basin
London Basin
The London Basin is an elongated, roughly triangular sedimentary basin approximately long which underlies London and a large area of south east England, south eastern East Anglia and the adjacent North Sea...
, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
35 miles (56.3 km) east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces. It is thought to have been occupied since the Bronze Ages.
History
Some of the earliest records of human occupation of Billericay are the burial mounds in Norsey WoodNorsey Wood
Norsey Wood is a mixed coppice woodland situated in Billericay, Essex, England. The nature reserve covers an area of 67.17 hectares or , and consists of a variety of habitats due to its distinctive, underlying geology. It has a remarkable history that has been calculated to go back some 4,000 years...
: evidence of occupation in the Bronze
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
s. Evidence of Roman occupation has been found at a number of locations in the town and there may have been a small cavalry fort at Blunts Wall.
The Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
did not settle in the centre of Billericay.They established themselves two miles south, at Great Burstead
Great Burstead
Great Burstead is an urban settlement in Essex, England - it is contiguous with the town of Billericay.By tradition, the origins of the church, St Mary Magdalene, at Great Burstead are linked to Saint Cedd. Cedd, a missionary monk and later Bishop of the East Saxons, was trained by the Celtic Saint...
. In the late 10th century it was known as 'Burhstede'. Billericay was not mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
, as it lay within Great Burstead. At this time the parish church for Billericay was at Great Burstead. In 1291 the name 'Byllyrica' is first recorded. This is believed to be from a medieval Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word, bellerīca, meaning 'dyehouse or tanhouse'.
Middle Ages
In the 13th and 14th centuries some pilgrims to Canterbury journeyed via Billericay. Some of them may have spent the night in Billericay before crossing the River ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Tilbury
Tilbury
Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...
. This may account for the large number of inns in the town.
Billericay's most notable historical episode was on 28 June 1381, when King Richard II's soldiers defeated Essex rebels at Norsey Wood. About 500 rebels were killed in the battle, which ended the Peasants' Revolt
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, Wat Tyler's Rebellion, or the Great Rising of 1381 was one of a number of popular revolts in late medieval Europe and is a major event in the history of England. Tyler's Rebellion was not only the most extreme and widespread insurrection in English history but also the...
.
The Wycliffe preachers
John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe was an English Scholastic philosopher, theologian, lay preacher, translator, reformer and university teacher who was known as an early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. His followers were known as Lollards, a somewhat rebellious movement, which preached...
influenced the town. Four local people (Thomas Watts, Joan Hornes, Elizabeth Thackwell, and Margaret Ellis) were burnt at the stake. Two other residents (Joan Potter and James Harris) were tortured for their faith during the reign of Queen Mary
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
The Pilgrim Fathers
A meeting of the Pilgrim Fathers prior to their sailing in the MayflowerMayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
is said to have taken place in Billericay, and many local names and much historical imagery reflect this: Mayflower House, Morris Men, Taxis, School, Hall. Sunnymede School's houses
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
were called Mayflower, Pilgrim, Chantry
Chantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
and Martin (after Christopher Martin, a Billericay merchant who travelled on the Mayflower as Ship's Governor).
Four people from Billericay were on board, including Christopher Martin. He and his wife Marie, along with Solomon Prowe and John Langemore, perished shortly after their arrival at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
The unfortunate fate of the would-be pioneers did not deter other inhabitants of Billericay from setting sail for the New World. The town of Billerica, Massachusetts
Billerica, Massachusetts
Billerica is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,243 at the 2010 census. It is the only town named Billerica in the United States and borrows its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England.- History :...
was established in 1655 to commemorate the origins of some of the first settlers.
Georgian and Victorian era
In the Georgian period many excellent examples of the period's houses were built in Billericay. One of those remaining today is Burghstead Lodge in the High Street, which used to house the library. The road from Billericay to Tilbury still had a reputation for "footpads" and highwaymen operating along the road, where it passed through open country.In the town, The Union Workhouse was built in 1840 to continue to implement the Poor Law
Poor Law
The English Poor Laws were a system of poor relief which existed in England and Wales that developed out of late-medieval and Tudor-era laws before being codified in 1587–98...
. Parts of this building were later incorporated into what was St. Andrews Hospital. The railway arrived in Billericay in 1889, being on the Great Eastern Main Line
Great Eastern Main Line
The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
between London and Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
.
The 20th century
In 1916, during the First World War, one of the giant German Zeppelin airships was shot down during an aerial battle over Billericay. During its fiery demise, it narrowly missed the High Street, crashing into a nearby field. Recent research has indicated that this may be identified with the 'ghost Zeppelin' of Tonbridge which was allegedly seen floating over that town earlier in the day.St Andrew's Hospital, which was formerly the site of the town's Victorian workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
, continued to function as an important communal building. From 1973, it housed the internationally renowned Regional Plastic Surgery and Burns unit until this was relocated to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
in April 1998. After the relocation, most of the hospital was redeveloped into housing. The listed buildings remain intact but are now residential.
Geography
Billericay is within the London BasinLondon Basin
The London Basin is an elongated, roughly triangular sedimentary basin approximately long which underlies London and a large area of south east England, south eastern East Anglia and the adjacent North Sea...
and lies on a mixture of London clay
London Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
, Claygate Beds and Bagshot Beds
Bagshot Beds
In geology, the Bagshot Beds are a series of sands and clays of shallow-water origin, some being fresh-water, some marine. They belong to the upper Eocene formation of the London and Hampshire basins, in England and derive their name from Bagshot Heath in Surrey. They are also well developed in...
. Near the High Street, there is a change in soil type from sandy to clay, which gives rise to local underground springs. Open spaces include Norsey Wood
Norsey Wood
Norsey Wood is a mixed coppice woodland situated in Billericay, Essex, England. The nature reserve covers an area of 67.17 hectares or , and consists of a variety of habitats due to its distinctive, underlying geology. It has a remarkable history that has been calculated to go back some 4,000 years...
, Mill Meadows Nature Reserve, Queen's Park Country Park, Sun Corner, Lake Meadows
Lake Meadows
Lake Meadows is a field and play area located in Billericay, Essex. It homes many local events including Billericay Fireworks and small-scale concerts. The Billericay fireworks are the largest firework display in Essex There is 40 acres of parkland, fishing lakes and golf apparatus as well as a...
, Hanningfield Reservoir and South Green. Billericay contains Billericay School
Billericay School
The Billericay School is a co-educational secondary comprehensive school with a mixed-ability intake and sixth form college in Billericay, England. The school is led by headmistress Sue Hammond. The enrollment of the school is 1655 The school has Artsmark and Sportsmark designations and is one of...
, Mayflower High School
Mayflower High School
Mayflower High School, founded in 1966, and named after The Mayflower, is a coeducational, secondary school located in Billericay, Essex in the East of England in the United Kingdom. The school has a mixed intake of students aged 11–18 and is a community comprehensive. As of June 2006 the number...
and St John's School
St John's School (Billericay)
St John's School is an independent school in Billericay, Essex. for students aged 3–16. The school is split into the preparatory school and the senior school.-External links:*...
.
Governance
Between 1 July 1837 and 1 July 1939 Billericay was a registration district. From 1974 until the present, the town falls under the Basildon district. The registry office is located in Basildon, in the council offices. There is also the facility to register deaths in Basildon HospitalBasildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides healthcare for people in the south west Essex, in the East of England. There are two hospitals in the trust and one clinical centre: Basildon Hospital and Orsett Hospital and Billericay St. Andrew's Centre...
.
Parliamentary
Since major boundary changes in Essex for the 2010 general election, Billericay has been part of the parliamentary constituency of Basildon and BillericayBasildon and Billericay (UK Parliament constituency)
Basildon and Billericay is a borough constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament using the first past the post electoral system. The seat was created for the 2010 general election following a review of the Parliamentary...
, whose MP is John Baron of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. The town was previously represented by Teresa Gorman
Teresa Gorman
Teresa Ellen Gorman is a British politician, and was Conservative Member of Parliament for Billericay, in the county of Essex in England until 2001 when she stood down...
from 1987 to 2001, a Conservative rebel who had the whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
withdrawn for opposing the Maastricht Treaty
Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty was signed on 7 February 1992 by the members of the European Community in Maastricht, Netherlands. On 9–10 December 1991, the same city hosted the European Council which drafted the treaty...
. Her predecessor, the Conservative MP Harvey Proctor
Harvey Proctor
Harvey Proctor was a British Conservative Member of Parliament. He represented Basildon from 1979 to 1983 and Billericay from 1983 to 1987. Proctor became known for his right-wing views and for the manner in which scandal forced the end of his Parliamentary career.- Background :Proctor's father...
, was also prominent in the news in 1987, when he was charged with indecency.
Local government
Billericay is part of the Basildon districtBasildon (district)
Basildon is a local government district in south Essex in the East of England, centred around the town of Basildon. The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 from the former area of Basildon Urban District and the part of Thurrock Urban District that was within the...
, although occasional proposals have been made to transfer it to the nearby Brentwood
Brentwood (borough)
Brentwood is a local government district and borough in Essex in the East of England.-History & Geography:The borough is named after the town of Brentwood which is the main development in the area. There are still large areas of woodland including Shenfield Common, Hartswood , Weald Country Park,...
district. Basildon District Council is Conservative controlled. Billericay is also served by a town council of 20 members elected in 3 wards. There is also a youth town council, elected in schools around the town. The town council has powers related to local planning and finance, while the youth council has an annual budget of £500 to spend or invest in local services or entertainment.
Billericay parish was not formed until 1937; before then the area had been part of the ancient Great Burstead
Great Burstead
Great Burstead is an urban settlement in Essex, England - it is contiguous with the town of Billericay.By tradition, the origins of the church, St Mary Magdalene, at Great Burstead are linked to Saint Cedd. Cedd, a missionary monk and later Bishop of the East Saxons, was trained by the Celtic Saint...
parish. In 1894 Billericay Rural District
Billericay Rural District
Billericay Rural District was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1934.It consisted of the following parishes:*Basildon*Brentwood *Bowes Gifford*Childerditch*Downham*Dunton...
was created, which covered a wide area stretching as far as Brentwood
Brentwood, Essex
Brentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the east of England. It is located in the London commuter belt, 20 miles east north-east of Charing Cross in London, and near the M25 motorway....
and Pitsea
Pitsea
Pitsea is a small town in the east of the Basildon district of south Essex, England. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood , Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. Vange is located to the west of Pitsea, Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet to the east and Nevendon...
. In 1934 the core of this district around Basildon and Billericay became Billericay Urban District, and in 1937 a Billericay civil parish was created covering the same area. The urban district, but not the parish, was renamed Basildon
Basildon Urban District
Basildon Urban District was a local government district in south Essex, England from 1934 to 1974.The district was created in 1934 consisting of the following parishes :...
in 1955. In 1974 the district was abolished and became the present-day Basildon district
Basildon (district)
Basildon is a local government district in south Essex in the East of England, centred around the town of Basildon. The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 from the former area of Basildon Urban District and the part of Thurrock Urban District that was within the...
.
Transport
Billericay is a part of the London commuter beltLondon commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
.
It is served by Billericay railway station
Billericay railway station
Billericay railway station is a railway station in the town of Billericay in the Basildon district of the county of Essex in the East of England...
on the National Express East Anglia route
Shenfield to Southend Line
The Shenfield to Southend Line is a railway line from Southend-on-Sea to Shenfield in Essex. Almost all trains continue through to London Liverpool Street along the Great Eastern Main Line...
from Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
, in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, to Southend.
Buses and taxis are available in some abundance from the front of Billericay station.
With regard to Taxis there is both a Taxi rank that is used by independent Taxi operators and a Taxi office which is run by Mayflower Car Services.
Mayflower Car Services runs the towns largest fleet of Taxi and Private Hire vehicles and operates 24 hours a day.
The Taxi rank is served by vehicles from all across Basildon District whereas The Mayflower company is able to offer a more specialist expert service exclusively for Billericay.
Billericay is close to two primary routes: the A12 to the north and the A127
A127 road
The A127, also known as the Southend Arterial Road, is one of the trunk roads in England linking London with Southend-on-Sea, the other being the A13. It is a dual carriageway for its entire length, rare on a trunk road since the only others are the A14 and the A282, and is known as the Southend...
in the south. The A176 provides a road link to Basildon to the south of Billericay, as well as to the A127. The only secondary road in the town, the B1007, passes from just south of the town centre as Laindon Road, meets the A129
A129 road
The A129 is a main road in Essex, England.The road connects Shenfield in the west and Hadleigh in the east, linking various commuter towns in the county. It forms a road link between the railway stations of Shenfield and Rayleigh...
at Sun Corner and then continues northwards as Billericay's High Street and then Stock Road. It continues north to the county town of Chelmsford. Along its route is the village of Stock and an interchange to the A12. The town is a destination on the A129, linking it to the neighbouring towns of Brentwood and Wickford.
Sport
The town is represented by local teams in a number of sports. The grounds of the local football and cricket teams and tennis club are located in the West of Billericay, along Blunts Wall Road.Billericay Rugby Football Club
Billericay Rugby Football Club
Billericay Rugby Football Club is a rugby football club based in Billericay. It was formed in 1959, and is affiliated to the RFU and Essex County Rugby Football Union. The club colours are black with gold trim....
is the local rugby team, playing in Essex Division One. Their ground is the Willowbrook Sports Club to the North of the town off of Stock Road. They are the only team from Essex to play at Twickenham, the home of English Rugby, when they won the Tetley Bitter Vase in 1999, a trophy in which they were runners up in 2007. Billericay is the only town to have won both the football and rugby vases. The club was formed in 1969 (although evidence has been found dating back to 1905). There has been a tennis club in the town since c. 1930.
Billericay is also the hometown of the Essex Spartans
Essex Spartans
The Essex Spartans are an American Football team based in Billericay, Essex, England. The team has played under the Spartans name since 1998 following a merger between two local teams and currently play in the BAFA Community Leagues, Division 2 East....
American football team who play their home games on the 3G Astroturf field at Hannakins Farm Community Centre.
Football
Formed in 1880, Billericay Town FCBillericay Town F.C.
Billericay Town Football Club are an English football club based in Billericay, Essex, who currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division....
is the local football team and are currently in the Ryman Premier League. The stadium is called the New Lodge and has a capacity of 3,500. Whilst members of the Essex Senior League, the club won the F.A. Vase in 1976 when Stamford were beaten 1-0 after extra-time at Wembley Stadium.
The following season, 1976/77, saw the club go to Wembley again and – after a 1-1 draw there – played at Nottingham Forest F.C. in the replay and emerged victorious with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield, the oldest club in the world.
Billericay Town became the first (and so far the only) club to win the F.A. Vase for a third time in 1979 when they defeated Almondsbury Greenway 4-1. This match was notable for a hat-trick by Doug Young – the first hat-trick in a Cup Final at Wembley Stadium since Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
's in the 1966 World Cup Final.
Ivory FC, a Sunday League Team, were formed in 2007 and are linked to The Ivory Rooms, a bar in the town. The team gained notability by being part of a viral advertising campaign by Nivea
Nivea
Nivea is a global skin- and body-care brand that is owned by the German company Beiersdorf. The company was founded on March 28 1882 by pharmacist Carl Paul Beiersdorf. In 1900, the new owner Oskar Troplowitz developed a water-in-oil emulsion as a skin cream with Eucerit, the first stable emulsion...
winning the Great Football Experiment in 2011. They currently play in the Brentwood Sunday League Division 1, and are managed by Will Rockett.
Culture
The town was immortalised in the Ian Dury and the Blockheads song "Billericay DickieBillericay Dickie
Billericay Dickie is a song by Ian Dury, from his debut album New Boots and Panties!!. It is narrated by a bragging bricklayer from Billericay, and is filled with name-checks for places in Essex...
". Billericay is also mentioned in George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's novel Down and Out in Paris and London
Down and Out in Paris and London
Down and Out in Paris and London is the first full-length work by the English author George Orwell , published in 1933. It is a memoir in two parts on the theme of poverty in the two cities. The first part is a picaresque account of living on the breadline in Paris and the experience of casual...
. Billericay is also the setting of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey is a British comedy television series. A romantic comedy-drama, the show follows the long-distance relationship of Gavin from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The writers of the show, actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, also...
as the home of Gavin Shipman (Mathew Horne
Mathew Horne
Mathew Frazer Horne is an English actor, stand-up comedian, television presenter and narrator best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey portraying Gavin Shipman, The Catherine Tate Show, Teachers and Horne and Corden.-Early life:Horne was born...
) and his parents, however the actual filming took place in Wales.
The Cater Museum is a privately owned local history museum housed in an 18th & 19th century building in the High Street.
Billericay has a vibrant weekend nightlife with some bars open as late as 1.00 am.
There are many pubs and restaurants that will cater for all tastes. Some of those are independent eateries that can be found side by side with many more nationally familiar names.
Twinning
Billericay is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Fishers, Indiana Fishers, Indiana Fishers is a town located in Fall Creek and Delaware townships, Hamilton County, Indiana, with a population of 76,794, according to the 2010 census. A suburb of Indianapolis, Fishers has grown rapidly in recent decades: about 350 people lived there in 1963, 2,000 in 1980, and only 7,200 as recently... , United States, since 1998 Billerica, Massachusetts Billerica, Massachusetts Billerica is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,243 at the 2010 census. It is the only town named Billerica in the United States and borrows its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England.- History :... , United States, since 1998 |
Chauvigny Chauvigny Chauvigny is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.Chauvigny is located east of Poitiers by rail. The town is situated overlooking the Vienne River and a small brook. Chauvigny is twinned with Billericay in Essex, England.-Sights:Chauvigny features two... , France, since 2005 |
Notable people
- Alison MoyetAlison MoyetAlison Moyet , is an English singer, songwriter and performer noted for her bluesy voice.Her UK album sales have reached a certified 2.3 million, with 800,000 singles sold, all in the UK, where all seven of her studio albums and three compilation albums have charted in the Top 40 UK Album Chart,...
, British pop singer, born in Billericay - Barbara Follett, British politician, lived in Billericay as child
- Carl BeechCarl BeechCarl Beech is a British Baptist minister and General Director of Christian Vision for Men , an evangelical movement focussed on Christian witness to men.He was converted to Christianity at the age of 18...
, Christian writer & speaker; was senior pastor of Billericay Baptist Church - Chris HaywoodChris HaywoodChris Haywood is an English-born, Australian-based film and television actor/producer.-Early life:Haywood was born in Billericay, Essex, England. He spent his early childhood in Chelmsford before moving to High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire where he attended High Wycombe Royal Grammar School from...
, Australian actor/producer, born in Billericay - Christopher Martin, Mayflower pilgrim, lived in Billericay before his pilgrimage
- Daniel CorbettDaniel CorbettDaniel Corbett is a British broadcast meteorologist, who worked for the Met Office and the BBC for many years until May 2011. He regularly appeared on BBC ONE, BBC News, BBC World News, BBC Red Button, BBC Four, BFBS TV, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 5 Live. He first joined the Met Office...
, British TV weather forecaster, lived in Billericay as child - Darren DayDarren DayDarren Day , is an English actor, singer and television presenter, well known for his West End theatre starring roles.-Early life:His paternal grandfather was a support and warm-up act for George Formby...
, British entertainer, lived in Billericay - Francis Thomas BaconFrancis Thomas BaconFrancis Thomas Bacon OBE FREng F.R.S. was an English engineer who developed the first practical hydrogen–oxygen fuel cell.- Life and works :...
, British engineer, born in Billericay - Lee BarnardLee BarnardLee James Barnard is an English footballer currently playing for Southampton.Born in Romford, London Borough of Havering in 1984, he attended Billericay's Mayflower County High School.-Playing career:...
, English football player, went to school in Billericay - Ricky GroverRicky GroverRicky Grover is an English actor. His stepfather was an armed robber and his mother a hairdresser. Grover became a ladies' hairdresser and a boxer, before becoming a stand-up comedian, actor and occasional television presenter.-Career:Grover has appeared in television programmes including Red...
, Actor, lives in Billericay - Lee EvansLee Evans (comedian)Lee Evans is an English comedian, writer, actor and musician.-Personal life:Lee Evans was born in Avonmouth, Bristol, England to an Irish mother and a Welsh father, Dave Evans, a nightclub performer. He left Bristol at the age of 13 and then went to The Billericay School in Billericay, Essex...
, Comedian, went to school and lives in Billericay - Marshall JeffersonMarshall JeffersonMarshall Jefferson is an American musician, working in house music, in particular, the subgenres of Chicago house and deep house.-Biography:...
, house musicHouse musicHouse music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
pioneer lived in Billericay in the late 1990s/early 2000s - Lee HarrisonLee HarrisonLee David Harrison is an English footballer who last played for Newport County as a goalkeeper where he was also Assistant Manager. He has spent most of his career at Barnet...
, English football player, born in Billericay - Mark FosterMark Foster (swimmer)Mark Andrew Foster is a British professional swimmer, specialising in butterfly and freestyle at 50 metres....
, British swimmer, born in Billericay - Neal AsherNeal AsherNeal Asher is an English science fiction writer. Both his parents are educators and science fiction fans. Although he began writing Science Fiction and Fantasy in secondary school, Asher did not turn seriously to writing till he was 25...
, science fiction writer, born in Billericay - Peter BonePeter BonePeter William Bone is a British Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for Wellingborough and Rushden.-Personal life:Bone was born in 1952 in Billericay and was educated at Westcliff-on-Sea High School for Boys...
, British politician, born in Billericay - Russell ToveyRussell ToveyRussell George Tovey is an English actor with numerous television, film and stage credits. Tovey is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural drama Being Human which started in 2008...
, British actor, has Billericay as his hometown - Stewart RobsonStewart RobsonStewart Ian Robson is an English former football player. He now summarises for Arsenal TV and sometimes on TalkSPORT's evening Kick Off Show during the week...
, former English football player, born in Billericay - David GandyDavid GandyDavid James Gandy is an English model.-Career:Gandy began modeling in 2002 after winning a daytime-TV model search competition . At the time he had a job delivering cars to a car magazine...
, English model (Dolce & Gabbana advertising) - Perry McCarthyPerry McCarthy-Career:Born in Billericay, Essex, McCarthy grew up to work for his father's company servicing North Sea oil rigs. Unlike most Formula One drivers, McCarthy did not start racing in karts...
, Former F1 driver - Kevin PainterKevin PainterKevin Painter is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation tournaments, where he is known as "The Artist"...
British darts player, born in Billericay - Patrick W. WelchPatrick W. WelchPatrick W. Welch was an English painter, illustrator, cartoonist, and art professor who lived in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He billed himself as "Patrick W. Welch, Painter of Hate," a spoof/homage to Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light.- Career :Welch was born in Billericay, England and...
English-American painter, born in Billericay - Teresa GormanTeresa GormanTeresa Ellen Gorman is a British politician, and was Conservative Member of Parliament for Billericay, in the county of Essex in England until 2001 when she stood down...
, politician, former Member of Parliament - Paul Parker (footballer), was raised in Billericay and lived there when he became a professional football player.
- Nicholas FarrellNicholas FarrellNicholas Farrell is an English stage, film and television actor. His early screen career included the role of Aubrey Montague in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. In 1983, he starred as Edmund Bertram in a television adaptation of the Jane Austen novel, Mansfield Park...
, Actor, born in Billericay - Richard OsmanRichard OsmanRichard Thomas Osman is an English television presenter, producer and director. He is creative director for the television production company Endemol UK, but is best known on-screen as the co-presenter of the quiz show Pointless.-Television work:Since 2009, Osman has worked on the BBC Two quiz...
TV Personality ("Pointless Friend" on BBC show PointlessPointless (TV series)Pointless is a quiz show shown on BBC One, hosted by Alexander Armstrong, with Richard Osman as assistant. It has been broadcast since 24 August 2009....
), born in Billericay
External links
- Local Interest in and Around Billericay 6 December 2007.
- The Billericay Society – Retrieved 9 November 2006.
- Wyn Grant's Billericay Page – Retrieved 9 November 2006.
- www.billericayessex.co.uk – Latest local news, events and business directory – 1 February 2011.
- Billericay Round Table – Local men's social club – 4 November 2011.