Silver End
Encyclopedia
Silver End is a small village in Essex
, between Braintree
and Witham
in England
, UK
. It was conceived as a model village
by the industrialist Francis Henry Crittall
who established a factory there to manufacture components for metal windows.
and adjacent shops. The village hall was opened boasting a 1st class dance floor, cinema, library, snooker room and health clinic. It is the largest village hall in the UK.
The village includes some noteworthy early examples of Modernist
architectural design; the distinctive white, flat-roofed houses on Frances Way and Silver Street are the work of influential Scottish architect Thomas S. Tait
, a leading designer of Art Deco
and Streamline Moderne
buildings in the 20th Century who is also credited with designing the concrete pylons on Sydney Harbour Bridge
. Of note are the steel window frames manufactured by Crittall's firm as a test for their use in the damp English climate.
All major production ceased at the original Crittall site in 2006 when the factory was closed down and production of window frames was transferred to the Midlands.
There is still production of window frames under the Crittall name at a factory facility in Witham.
in Witham. Today, Silver End has a library, doctors surgery, chemist, Chinese takeaway, fish & chip shop, opticians, small Co-op supermarket, a Barnardos Charity Shop and a village football team.
There are 3 churches and 2 playing fields and one pub called the Western Arms. There is one primary school and secondary schools are situated in and around Braintree and Witham. The Maltings Academy & Rickstones Academy (both situated in Witham,Essex) are the most popular choices for secondary school as well as Alec Hunter Humanities College in Braintree.
There is also a bus service numbered 131 which runs from Braintree via Cressing and Silver End to Witham. Unfortunately, this service is somewhat less than comprehensive, the last bus being circa 1900, and no service on Sundays.The nearest and most accessible main line train station is at Witham
, situated on the London Liverpool Street to Norwich main line
via Hatfield Peveral, Chelmsford, Romford and Stratford, but there is also a branch line to Witham from White Notley (which is actually the nearest train station to Silver End).
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...
, between Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
and Witham
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was conceived as a model village
Model village
A model village is a type of mostly self-contained community, in most cases built from the late eighteenth century onwards by industrialists to house their workers...
by the industrialist Francis Henry Crittall
Crittall Windows Ltd
Crittall Windows Ltd is a notable English manufacturer of steel-framed windows, today based in Witham, Essex, close to its historic roots in the county...
who established a factory there to manufacture components for metal windows.
History
Crittall, or "The Guv'nor" as he was known to his workforce, had a vision to provide his workforce with houses and amenities in close proximity to his window factory. Thus over six years from 1926 Silver End village was built. In 1928, a large department store was opened with 26 various departments under one roof, unfortunately it burnt down in 1951, and was re-built as the existing Co-opThe Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
and adjacent shops. The village hall was opened boasting a 1st class dance floor, cinema, library, snooker room and health clinic. It is the largest village hall in the UK.
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
architectural design; the distinctive white, flat-roofed houses on Frances Way and Silver Street are the work of influential Scottish architect Thomas S. Tait
Thomas S. Tait
Thomas Smith Tait was a prominent Scottish Modernist architect. He designed a number of buildings around the world in Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles, notably St...
, a leading designer of Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
and Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
buildings in the 20th Century who is also credited with designing the concrete pylons on Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
. Of note are the steel window frames manufactured by Crittall's firm as a test for their use in the damp English climate.
All major production ceased at the original Crittall site in 2006 when the factory was closed down and production of window frames was transferred to the Midlands.
The factory today
The majority of the buildings on the original factory site were demolished over the summer vacation period of 2008. Although these factory buildings were in the conservation area of the village, none of them was listed for conservation, although the developer agreed to retain the original 1926 factory and the Power House building, which originally generated electricity at the village. These factory buildings, which originally formed part of the intrinsic character of the village, and an integral part of its raison d'etre, as a village in which to live and also to work, in Crittall's original concept, have thus now been lost. Most of these factories had been unused for some while. There is now little employment within Silver End and it thus has become essentially a dormitory village. One of the difficulties now, with this site being within the conservation area of the village, is to what standard will 21st century houses be "conserved" and in what style will they be built? This development will make existing conservation standards extremely difficult in the future. Any new dwelling houses constructed within the conservation area will be subject to the Article 4 Direction (Town and Country Planning Act 1990) which was served in 1983. This effectively removed 'Permitted Development' rights for replacement windows, doors,etc.,on the dwelling houses in the Conservation Area to prevent further inappropriate alterations.There is still production of window frames under the Crittall name at a factory facility in Witham.
Local facilities
Silver End has a small number of shops for the local residents but the nearest large supermarket is a MorrisonsMorrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
in Witham. Today, Silver End has a library, doctors surgery, chemist, Chinese takeaway, fish & chip shop, opticians, small Co-op supermarket, a Barnardos Charity Shop and a village football team.
There are 3 churches and 2 playing fields and one pub called the Western Arms. There is one primary school and secondary schools are situated in and around Braintree and Witham. The Maltings Academy & Rickstones Academy (both situated in Witham,Essex) are the most popular choices for secondary school as well as Alec Hunter Humanities College in Braintree.
Transport
Silver End is on a direct link by road to Braintree and Witham which are within a 10 minute drive. There is a bus service numbered 132 which runs from Braintree via Freeport and Silver End to Witham.There is also a bus service numbered 131 which runs from Braintree via Cressing and Silver End to Witham. Unfortunately, this service is somewhat less than comprehensive, the last bus being circa 1900, and no service on Sundays.The nearest and most accessible main line train station is at Witham
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
, situated on the London Liverpool Street to Norwich 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...
via Hatfield Peveral, Chelmsford, Romford and Stratford, but there is also a branch line to Witham from White Notley (which is actually the nearest train station to Silver End).
External links
- Silver End United Football Club
- Photos of Silver End (Flickr.com)
- History of the village
- Historical photos
- Photos and Information on the village
- The Perfect Village (BBC'sBBCThe 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...
Restoration VillageRestoration (TV series)Restoration, Restoration, Restoration is a set of BBC television series where viewers decided on which listed building that was in immediate need of remedial works was to win a grant from Heritage Lottery Fund...
)