South Woodham Ferrers
Encyclopedia
South Woodham Ferrers is a town
and civil parish
in the borough
of Chelmsford
, Essex
, England
. It is approximately 35 mi (56.3 km) from London
and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 16,629. The town is located east of Fenn Creek, and near where it meets the River Crouch
. South Woodham Ferrers is currently part of the Maldon constituency
represented by John Whittingdale
.
South Woodham Ferrers is today considered to be a generally affluent commuter town
.
, which lies a mile or so to the north of South Woodham Ferrers, above the valley where the railway runs. The town of South Woodham Ferrers itself grew up around the station, but underwent dramatic growth as part of a planned development in the late 1970s. The final phase of the town's development has occurred in the last two years with a new area of building near Fenn Creek.
In 1981 HM Queen Elizabeth II
opened the town square, which is named after her.
Many street names in the south-western part of the town, developed as part of the second wave of building in the 1980s, are taken from the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
, with names such as Gandalf's Ride, Gimli Watch, Rivendell Vale, Celeborn Street, Hobbiton Hill and Arwen Drive.
testing site. This site was operated by a number of the former Marconi
companies including Alenia Marconi Systems
, and more recently (currently?) operated by BAE Systems
in the process of developing various radar technologies , some of which is for military orientated projects. While the site remains in use, the large dish which earned the hill its nick-name has since been removed. Online mapping services such as Google Maps clearly show the site in use, including a "H" pad is located there for the landing of helicopters. The public footpath around the site passes the entrance sign warning of "helicopters landing, danger of radiation" and other such dangers associated with a working radar testing site. The actual inner workings of the site are well secured with a security gatehouse, anti-climb harass fencing and a number of well placed CCTV cameras.
Bushy Hill was also known locally, before Marconi came to use it, as "Landslip Hill", referring to the south face of the hill which has slid away leaving a bare escarpment, clearly visible from the village. From the west-side of the present Marconi site, trailing off towards Edwin's Hall, is a woodland of mature trees, sometimes called "Bluebell Wood".
During snowy winters, Bushy Hill is very popular for sledging.
, Trinity St. Mary's C of E
and Woodville. Chetwood Primary School was closed in 2009.
The supermarket
chain Asda
is regarded as a key development partner for the town centre, opening a store in the town in late 1978 which made them the principal retailer in the town. In 2001 Essex County Council sold the freehold for the vast majority of the town to Asda, who in turn sold a package of land and property to SW Investments. As a result of these sales, Asda own the town's car parks, Queen Elizabeth II Square and approximately one third of the shop premises in the town centre. SW Investments owns most of the remaining areas in the town centre, including Market Square, with the remaining premises having a variety of private owners.
Because Asda is such a focus for the town centre, many perceive it as dominating the area. Sporadically the local newspapers carry letters from a small number of residents complaining about the situation, often accusing the company of charging excessive rents, abusing their position, and controlling the shops in the town. These letters often culminate in calls to boycott Asda, yet very few residents seem to take part in such proposed boycotts. Despite the complaints, a number of small businesses have existed in the town centre for significant periods, with a number closing for various reasons, the most commonly given being a lack of support from the local community.
Chelmsford Borough Council has recently entered a consultation period with a number of groups in the town, including the local business group, over the future development of the town centre.
lies to the north of the town, which leads to the A130
, a road linking Chelmsford
to Canvey Island
) and then into Wickford and to the A127
and A13 in Basildon
. The B1012 road connects SWF with the Dengie peninsula, including the towns of Burnham and Maldon. The town is also served by South Woodham Ferrers railway station, (formally Woodham Ferrers station until May 2007) a station on the single track Crouch Valley Line
which runs hourly trains between Wickford
and Southminster
. During rush hour however, trains continue on from Wickford to London Liverpool Street. The relative infrequency of the train service is due to the track being a single line over most of its distance to Wickford, meaning trains cannot pass each other, except for a 2 line passing point at Fambridge station. Notably, the branch line was more substantial in the past, operating a double line, but this was removed during the 'Beeching Axe
' of British railways in the 1960s. It is thought however, that the line has also survived in part, remaining open in its current form due to its servicing of nearby but no longer operational Bradwell Power Station
. A weekly train load of used or "spent" nuclear fuel replaced one of the timetabled passenger train services for many years. The material was taken by road from Bradwell to Southminster, and then by train for reprocessing, usually at Sellafield
in Cumbria.
There are a number of bus routes connecting South Woodham Ferrers with towns in the surrounding area:
There are also other buses which serve a number of the villages in the Dengie Peninsula
.
Due to the way the town is laid out, it is very easy to walk or cycle from one side of town to the other, and there is also a Golden Jubilee Walk, which was created in honour of Queen Elizabeth II
for her Golden Anniversary in 2002. A coastal path walk, providing an attractive view of the Crouch Valley/Estuary can be picked up from the Compass Gardens area, and either heads towards the nearby village of Fambridge in one direction, or Battlesbridge in the other.
, whose ale won the 2005 and 2006 Champion Beer of Britain
at the Campaign for Real Ale
(CAMRA) Great British Beer Festival
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and civil parish
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 borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of 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...
, 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
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...
. It is approximately 35 mi (56.3 km) from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 16,629. The town is located east of Fenn Creek, and near where it meets the River Crouch
River Crouch
The River Crouch is a river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex.The distance of the Navigation between Holliwell Point which is north of Foulness Island and Battlesbridge is 17.5 Miles, i.e. 15.21 Nautical Miles.-Route:...
. South Woodham Ferrers is currently part of the Maldon constituency
Maldon (UK Parliament constituency)
Maldon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
represented by John Whittingdale
John Whittingdale
John Flasby Lawrance Whittingdale OBE, , is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1992.-Education:...
.
South Woodham Ferrers is today considered to be a generally affluent 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...
.
History
The railway station was originally built in the early 20th century to serve the small village of Woodham FerrersWoodham Ferrers
Woodham Ferrers is a small village about southeast of Chelmsford, located between South Woodham Ferrers and Bicknacre in the county of Essex, England. The village is often shortened to Woodham by those in the area...
, which lies a mile or so to the north of South Woodham Ferrers, above the valley where the railway runs. The town of South Woodham Ferrers itself grew up around the station, but underwent dramatic growth as part of a planned development in the late 1970s. The final phase of the town's development has occurred in the last two years with a new area of building near Fenn Creek.
In 1981 HM Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
opened the town square, which is named after her.
Many street names in the south-western part of the town, developed as part of the second wave of building in the 1980s, are taken from the works of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
, with names such as Gandalf's Ride, Gimli Watch, Rivendell Vale, Celeborn Street, Hobbiton Hill and Arwen Drive.
Bushy Hill (aka "Radar Hill")
Bushy Hill is technically part of South Woodham Ferrers and lies to the north of the town. It is known locally as "Radar Hill" due to having been visually dominated by a radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
testing site. This site was operated by a number of the former Marconi
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
companies including Alenia Marconi Systems
Alenia Marconi Systems
Alenia Marconi Systems was a major European integrated defence electronics company and an equal shares joint venture between BAE Systems and Finmeccanica until its dissolution on May 3, 2005....
, and more recently (currently?) operated by BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
in the process of developing various radar technologies , some of which is for military orientated projects. While the site remains in use, the large dish which earned the hill its nick-name has since been removed. Online mapping services such as Google Maps clearly show the site in use, including a "H" pad is located there for the landing of helicopters. The public footpath around the site passes the entrance sign warning of "helicopters landing, danger of radiation" and other such dangers associated with a working radar testing site. The actual inner workings of the site are well secured with a security gatehouse, anti-climb harass fencing and a number of well placed CCTV cameras.
Bushy Hill was also known locally, before Marconi came to use it, as "Landslip Hill", referring to the south face of the hill which has slid away leaving a bare escarpment, clearly visible from the village. From the west-side of the present Marconi site, trailing off towards Edwin's Hall, is a woodland of mature trees, sometimes called "Bluebell Wood".
During snowy winters, Bushy Hill is very popular for sledging.
Schools
The main secondary school in the town is William de Ferrers School, the first intake of which was in 1982. South Woodham Ferrers is home to five primary schools: Collingwood, Elmwood, St. Josephs RCRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, Trinity St. Mary's C of E
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and Woodville. Chetwood Primary School was closed in 2009.
Town centre
The town centre consists of around 100 business units. Approximately 45% are retail premises, with the remainder being a combination of professional services (such as banks and estate agents) and dining locations such as cafes and restaurants.The supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
is regarded as a key development partner for the town centre, opening a store in the town in late 1978 which made them the principal retailer in the town. In 2001 Essex County Council sold the freehold for the vast majority of the town to Asda, who in turn sold a package of land and property to SW Investments. As a result of these sales, Asda own the town's car parks, Queen Elizabeth II Square and approximately one third of the shop premises in the town centre. SW Investments owns most of the remaining areas in the town centre, including Market Square, with the remaining premises having a variety of private owners.
Because Asda is such a focus for the town centre, many perceive it as dominating the area. Sporadically the local newspapers carry letters from a small number of residents complaining about the situation, often accusing the company of charging excessive rents, abusing their position, and controlling the shops in the town. These letters often culminate in calls to boycott Asda, yet very few residents seem to take part in such proposed boycotts. Despite the complaints, a number of small businesses have existed in the town centre for significant periods, with a number closing for various reasons, the most commonly given being a lack of support from the local community.
Chelmsford Borough Council has recently entered a consultation period with a number of groups in the town, including the local business group, over the future development of the town centre.
The village hall
Home to the local football club and cricket team, the village hall is a well known feature of the town. It offers special events such as monthly and weekly football and cricket matches.Other
In Summer 2006, South Woodham Ferrers elected its first town mayor, Councillor Ian Roberts.Rugby Union
South Woodham Ferrers Rugby Club has its own purpose built Club House at Saltcoats Park. They are a young club of some 25 years standing and have one of the strongest Juniors and Minis sections in the south east, running teams at all ages between under 7 and under 16. The youth section consists of under 17s and colts and have three senior teams, a veterans team and a ladies team. The First Team is in the London North East Third Division.Cricket
South Woodham Ferrers Cricket club currently run three teams in the T Rippon Mid-Essex League, playing home games at Saltcoats Park & the village hall.Football
South Woodham Ferrers is home to a number of low-level amateur football teams. These include Ferrers Athletic (better known as the Dragons) AFC Woodham, Focus Ferrers, Fennlands and Woodham Radars.Transport
South Woodham Ferrers has good road transport links: The A132A132 road (England)
The A132 road is a road in England connecting Pitsea and South Woodham Ferrers....
lies to the north of the town, which leads to the A130
A130 road
The A130 is a major road in England linking Little Waltham, near Chelmsford, the county town of Essex, with Canvey Island in the south of that county. It is a primary route for most of its length, only losing that status south of the A13 junction at Sadlers Farm "magic" roundabout as it nears its...
, a road linking 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...
to Canvey Island
Canvey Island
Canvey Island is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks...
) and then into Wickford and to 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...
and A13 in Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
. The B1012 road connects SWF with the Dengie peninsula, including the towns of Burnham and Maldon. The town is also served by South Woodham Ferrers railway station, (formally Woodham Ferrers station until May 2007) a station on the single track Crouch Valley Line
Crouch Valley Line
The Crouch Valley Line is a branch line from Wickford to Southminster in Essex. It is usually called the Southminster Branch by users of the line, although that is no longer its official name...
which runs hourly trains between Wickford
Wickford
Wickford is a town in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of more than 32,500. Located approximately 30 miles east of London, it falls within the District of Basildon along with Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Pitsea....
and Southminster
Southminster
Southminster is a town on the Dengie peninsula in the Maldon district of Essex in the East of England. It lies about three miles north of Burnham-on-Crouch and ten miles south-east of Maldon. To the north is the River Blackwater, which is tidal and since Roman times has been the gateway to trading...
. During rush hour however, trains continue on from Wickford to London Liverpool Street. The relative infrequency of the train service is due to the track being a single line over most of its distance to Wickford, meaning trains cannot pass each other, except for a 2 line passing point at Fambridge station. Notably, the branch line was more substantial in the past, operating a double line, but this was removed during the 'Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
' of British railways in the 1960s. It is thought however, that the line has also survived in part, remaining open in its current form due to its servicing of nearby but no longer operational Bradwell Power Station
Bradwell Power Station
Bradwell nuclear power station is a disused Magnox power station located on the Dengie peninsula at the mouth of the River Blackwater, Essex.-History:...
. A weekly train load of used or "spent" nuclear fuel replaced one of the timetabled passenger train services for many years. The material was taken by road from Bradwell to Southminster, and then by train for reprocessing, usually at Sellafield
Sellafield
Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...
in Cumbria.
There are a number of bus routes connecting South Woodham Ferrers with towns in the surrounding area:
- BasildonBasildonBasildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
via WickfordWickfordWickford is a town in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of more than 32,500. Located approximately 30 miles east of London, it falls within the District of Basildon along with Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Pitsea....
and Ramsden BellhouseRamsden BellhouseRamsden Bellhouse is a village in Essex, England. The village is in the district of Basildon and in the parliamentary constituency of Billericay.The River Crouch flows through Ramsden Bellhouse, flowing under Church Road....
- Bus 237 - ChelmsfordChelmsfordChelmsford 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...
via DanburyDanbury, EssexDanbury is a village in Essex, England. It is located northeast of Charing Cross, London and has a population of 6,500. It is situated on a hill above sea level.-Origins:The village was built on the site of a megalithic hill fort noted for its oval shape....
, BicknacreBicknacreBicknacre is a village in Essex, England. It is approximately north of South Woodham Ferrers and southeast of the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the borough of Chelmsford and in the parliamentary constituency of Maldon & East Chelmsford...
and Great BaddowGreat BaddowGreat Baddow is an urban village in the Chelmsford borough of Essex, England. It is close to the county town, Chelmsford and, with a population of over 13,000, is one of the largest villages in the country....
- Bus 36 (run by First EssexFirst EssexFirst Essex Buses Limited is owned by First Group. First Essex carries around 29 million passengers each year on a network of routes serving Essex and the surrounding areas. It arose from an amalgamation of Eastern National and Thamesway Buses, whose yellow/maroon livery has only recently disappeared...
, part of the First Group) - South Woodham Ferrers Circular - Bus 37 (run by the bus company NIBS)
There are also other buses which serve a number of the villages in the Dengie Peninsula
Dengie peninsula
Dengie is a peninsula in Essex, England, that once formed a hundred of the same name .The peninsula is formed by the River Crouch to the south, the Blackwater to the north, both of which are tidal, and the North Sea to the east...
.
Due to the way the town is laid out, it is very easy to walk or cycle from one side of town to the other, and there is also a Golden Jubilee Walk, which was created in honour of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
for her Golden Anniversary in 2002. A coastal path walk, providing an attractive view of the Crouch Valley/Estuary can be picked up from the Compass Gardens area, and either heads towards the nearby village of Fambridge in one direction, or Battlesbridge in the other.
Places of interest
Places of interest include "The William De Ferrers Sports Centre" (providing public facilities for swimming, badminton, tennis,fitness room, and home to multiple other sporting clubs and activies such as football, hockey, netball, gymnastics etc)), "Marsh Farm Country Park", "Tropical Wings" Butterfly & Animal/Bird Collection, "Compass Gardens", "Saltcoats Park" and the "Memorial Park". South Woodham Ferrers is also home to the Crouch Vale BreweryCrouch Vale Brewery
The Crouch Vale Brewery is an independent brewery based in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, England. Its name is derived from its proximity to the River Crouch, and having been established in 1981, it is the oldest brewer in Essex, somewhat shockingly...
, whose ale won the 2005 and 2006 Champion Beer of Britain
Champion Beer of Britain
The Champion Beer of Britain is an award presented by the Campaign for Real Ale , at their annual Great British Beer Festival in early August. Beers can qualify in three ways:...
at the Campaign for Real Ale
Campaign for Real Ale
The Campaign for Real Ale is an independent voluntary consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aims are promoting real ale, real cider and the traditional British pub...
(CAMRA) Great British Beer Festival
Great British Beer Festival
The Great British Beer Festival is a yearly beer festival organised by the Campaign for Real Ale . It presents a selection of cask ales and other alcoholic drinks from the UK and beyond. The festival is also home to the Champion Beer of Britain awards...
.