|
|
Wickford
Wickford nestles in a meander of the River Crouch, just north of Basildon in south Essex.
Another river, the Wick, flows into the Crouch from the south. Its name, at various times written as Wickeford,
Wyckford or Wygford, is Saxon in origin and means 'a sheep farm on a river crossing'. However, the town predates the name and has existed since
the Bronze Age or earlier.
Wickford - A History,
by Judith Williams, traces the town's fortunes from its humble beginnings as a tiny farming hamlet beset by regular flooding
and poverty, to the bustling commuter town it is today. The author studies factors such as population growth, changing economic activities and town
development to shed light on the challenges the town has faced. These include agricultural depressions, cholera outbreaks, exploitation by land
developers, heavy bombing during the Second World War and near absorption into the rapid urban spread of Basildon New Town.
Agricultural
Heritage
Before the 20th century Wickford was an agricultural
village. Thomas Churchman Darby was an agricultural engineer who moved to
Russell Gardens, Wickford in 1900. He designed and constructed his
digger, which could do the work of 70 men, and sold them throughout the
world. It was not an amazing success, but he continued to make cultivating implements and barn machinery. After his death, his younger son, Sidney took on the business, which became Sidney C. Darby (Wickford) Ltd.
|
The Darby Digger
|
Population
In 1832 the population was 402. The coming of the railway in 1887 lead to a slow
growth from East Enders moving out to the Essex countryside, the so-called 'Plotlanders',
but by 1910 there were still only 1000 residents. After the war there was a need
to house the London homeless, and the tiny hamlet of Basildon was chosen to
accommodate 50,000 people. In 1955 Basildon Urban District Council was set up,
and Wickford was transformed from a remote village into an urban suburb almost
overnight. The current population of Wickford is 32,500 following a number of
developments including Shotgate and the Wick, and is set to rise even more in
the coming years.
Wickford today
Not the prettiest town in England, it is nevertheless home to over 30,000
people who would like to retain many of its features whilst improving others.
The Masterplan COULD offer many of these
benefits, if everybody worked together and the Masterplan was developed for the residents and not solely for
profit. But care must be taken to ensure these plans are carried out with continued consultation with the people of Wickford, of which we need more, and with their thoughts in mind,
and it is the aim of the Wickford Action Group to monitor this.
Wickford links
Wickford
on Basildon
Council's website
Wikipedia
Francis
Frith's photographs of Wickford in the 50s
New Wickford-Rayleigh Constituency for 2009
Wickford war memorial
|
|
