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Wickford is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It is located approximately east of London and north-east of the centre of Basildon. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 27,601 and the built up area as defined by the Office for National Statistics had a population of 27,535.
Wickford has a main high street which includes a wide range of shops. It also has a swimming pool, library, open-air market and a community centre within the vicinity of the town centre.
The name Wickford is first attested in a Anglo-Saxons charter of 995, where it appears as Wicford. The "-ford" indicates a crossing of the River Crouch, but there are a number of theories as to the meaning of the "Wick-" element; it may refer to wych elm, a dairy or other specialised farm, or sheep.Eilert Ekwall, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, pp. 515–516
In the Domesday Book of 1086 there were nine estates or Manorialism at the vill of Wicfort or Wincfort in the Barstable Hundred of Essex. The two main estates were the manor of Wickford Hall and the manor of Stilemans. Robert Wikeford or de Wickford (c.1320–90), Archbishop of Dublin, was born in Wickford and his family are thought to have been Lords of the Manor of Wickford Hall.O'Flanagan, J. Roderick Lives of the Lord Chancellors of Ireland London 1870
No priest or church is mentioned in any of the Wickford entries in the Domesday Book, but Wickford became a parish. Its parish church, dedicated to St Catherine, stands on high ground along Southend Road, to the east of the Crouch. The church was rebuilt in 1875–1876, replacing a medieval building on the same site.
Before the 20th century, Wickford was an agricultural village. The original core of the village was around the church; the manor house of Wickford Hall formerly stood immediately to the east of the church. Over time, the commercial centre of Wickford has migrated westwards towards the modern High Street on the western side of the Crouch.
Wickford railway station opened to passengers in 1889 on the Shenfield to Southend branch line of the Great Eastern Railway. Later that same year the station became a junction station when the Crouch Valley branch line to Southminster opened. The arrival of the railway encouraged the growth of Wickford.
The Office for National Statistics defines a Wickford built up area which also covers Shotgate, which forms its own parish separate from Wickford. Immediately adjoining the Wickford built up area to the north is the Runwell built up area, which is includes the parts of Wickford parish north of the railway line and River Crouch. The Wickford built up area had a population of 27,535 at the 2021 census, and the adjoining Runwell built up area had a population of 8,085.
In addition, the Crouch Valley line has services between Wickford and Southminster.
Greater Anglia manages the station and operates all of its passenger services.
In 1934 most of the rural district, including the parish of Wickford, was converted into the Billericay Urban District. The parishes within it were then classed as and so became ineligible to have their own parish councils. All the civil parishes within the urban district were merged into a single parish called Billericay in 1937. The urban district was renamed Basildon in 1955 and was reformed to become the modern Basildon district in 1974, at which point the district also became an unparished area.
In 2007 part of the area of the pre-1937 parish of Wickford was made the new parish of Shotgate.
In 2022 a new civil parish of Wickford was created, with its parish council taking the name Wickford Town Council.
Local radio stations are on BBC Essex on 95.3 FM, Heart East on 96.3 FM, and Gateway 97.8, a community based radio station which broadcast from Basildon on 97.8 FM.
The town is served by the local newspaper, the Southend Echo.
Naturism
Wickford became the birthplace of British Naturism in the United Kingdom; in 1924, the English Gymnosophist Society was formed and had its home in the town.
Second World War
During the Second World War, the edge of the town was hit by a German doodlebug and, on 6 December 1944, a V-2 rocket fell in Branksome Avenue, about a mile west of the town centre. Around the town, in amongst the and fields, there are numerous pillboxes constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations.
1958 flood
In 1958, Wickford town centre was hit by a flood which made national news headlines. The most striking image of the flood was a double-decker bus, left stranded at Halls Corner overnight, partly submerged by the floodwater. A second flood, in 1960, meant that changes were made to the course of the River Crouch; this included turning the river into a concrete channel through the centre of the town.
Regeneration
There have been a number of proposals to regenerate the town centre in recent years. A town centre masterplan was adopted by Basildon Council in 2006, followed by a town centre regeneration strategy in 2013. Some of the proposals in these plans have been delivered, and further plans for the regeneration of the town centre continue to be considered.
Geography
For the most part, Wickford is flat and above sea level. The highest point, on the outskirts of the town, is above sea level. The River Crouch flows through the town, from the west to the east. The River Wick flows into the River Crouch from the south.
Wick Country Park
The Wick Country Park comprises of former agricultural land, with over 2 km (1 1/4 miles) of easy access trails around the site. The trails leads visitors past old hedgerows, the lake, ponds, World War II pillboxes and recent woodland plantings; bridges and boardwalks allow the trails to continue over the North Benfleet brook.
Transport
Railway
Wickford railway station is situated on the Shenfield to Southend Line, which provides services between London Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria. A journey to London takes approximately 40 minutes.
Buses
Bus services in Wickford are operated primarily by First Essex, but also by Stephensons of Essex and NIBS Buses.
Roads
The town can be reached easily via the A127, which connects east London and Southend-on-Sea, and by the A130 from Chelmsford.
Governance
There are three tiers of local government covering Wickford, at parish (town), district, and county level: Wickford Town Council, Basildon Borough Council, and Essex County Council. The town council generally meets at the Wick Community Centre and has an office at Wych Elm House on Nevendon Road.
Administrative history
Wickford was an ancient parish in the Barstable Hundred of Essex. When elected parish and district councils were established in 1894, Wickford was given a parish council and included in the Billericay Rural District.
Media
Local TV coverage is provided by BBC London and ITV London which is received from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter. BBC East and ITV Anglia can also be received from the Sudbury TV transmitter.
Notable people
External links
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