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105-719: Shenfield is a suburb of Brentwood in the Borough of Brentwood , Essex , England. In 2020, it was estimated to have a population of 5,396. The former village, by the church and Green Dragon pub , lies along the original Roman road (now the A1023 ) which linked London and Colchester . Nathaniel Ward , a Puritan clergyman and author, was made minister of the Shenfield church in 1648 and held that office until his death in 1652. In 1870–72, John Marius Wilson 's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Shenfield like this: SHENFIELD,

210-690: A chi-rho monogram found at Brentwood . The late Roman period, and the period shortly after, was the setting for the King Cole legends based around Colchester . One version of the legend concerns St Helena , the mother of Constantine the Great . The legend makes her the daughter of Coel, Duke of the Britons ( King Cole ) and in it she gives birth to Constantine in Colchester. This, and related legends , are at variance with biographical details as they are now known, but it

315-416: A children's playing area.There are additional playing fields on Alexander Lane, next to Shenfield High School . Shenfield railway station is situated on the following lines: Currently, fast train services reach Liverpool Street in 20 to 25 minutes. The slower Elizabeth line stopping services take 43 minutes to reach Liverpool Street. The excellent railway service contributes to Shenfield's significance in

420-590: A community radio station that serves the Brentwood area. The station was formed in August 1996 and broadcast ten trial broadcasts under a restricted service licence, each lasting 28 days, the first starting on 29 December 1996 and the last ending on 25 February 2006. On 23 March 2007, the station started to broadcast permanently on 98.0 FM, featuring popular music, local musicians and acts, local events, and interviews with key local figures. The Brentwood Art Trail has become

525-472: A county, which will be ignored in the sorting process. Sewardstone in the south-west of the ceremonial county, was outside the former Essex postal county, being covered by the London post town ( E4 ). The deep estuaries on the east coast give Essex, by some measures, the longest coast of any county. These estuaries mean the county's North Sea coast is characterised by three major peninsulas, each named after

630-635: A few hundred yards of the town centre. Brentwood Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood . Since 1978, Brentwood has been twinned with Roth in Germany and with Montbazon in France since 1994. It also has a relationship with Brentwood, Tennessee in the United States. The name was assumed by some in the 1700s to derive from a corruption of the words 'burnt' and 'wood', with

735-443: A high proportion of the population commute to London, and the wages earned in the capital are typically significantly higher than more local jobs. Many parts of Essex therefore, especially those closest to London, have a major economic dependence on London and the transport links that take people to work there. Part of the south-east of the county, already containing the major population centres of Basildon , Southend and Thurrock ,

840-456: A hotel and restaurant. In 1686 Brentwood's inns were estimated to provide 110 beds and stabling for 183 horses. There were 11 inns in the town in 1788. Protestant martyr William Hunter was burnt at the stake in Brentwood in 1555. A monument to him was erected by subscription in 1861 at Wilson's Corner. Brentwood School was founded in 1557 and established in 1558, in Ingrave Road and behind

945-696: A joint proposal of the two councils and a public consultation ended in March 2015. The proposal has met with criticism from all political parties and the residents group Residents Against Inappropriate Development Secondary schools include Brentwood County High School , Brentwood School , St Martin's School and Becket Keys Church of England School . Primary schools include St Helens Catholic Junior School, St Peters C of E, St Thomas of Canterbury C of E, Warley Primary, Willowbrook Primary, Holly Trees Primary, Hogarth Primary and Larchwood Primary School The Ford Motor Company 's United Kingdom headquarters were located in

1050-539: A leading figure worldwide in the development of modern trampolining. Brentwood still has a thriving trampolining community but no longer a local factory. The town also has a large volleyball club and the only handball club in Essex. Essex Essex ( / ˈ ɛ s ɪ k s / ESS -iks ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England , and one of the home counties . It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to

1155-478: A legal forest) and known as Epping Forest and Hainault Forest ). The Black Death significantly reduced England's population, leading to a change in the balance of power between the working population on one hand, and their masters and employers on the other. Over a period of several decades, national government brought in legislation to reverse the situation, but it was only partially successful and led to simmering resentment. By 1381, England's economic situation

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1260-413: A plethora of other stores including takeaways, small restaurants, cafes, banks and hair salons. Shenfield has a library, which was at risk of closure. However this was averted and a new library is being built in its place with retail and residential facilities. Brentwood Community Hospital serves both Shenfield and the wider borough, and is on Crescent Drive. It was rebuilt in 2008 and is very modern. There

1365-490: A popular annual summer event which was developed to create an arts experience whereby art created by local people can be recognised and appreciated. Brentwood is also home to the Brentwood Imperial Youth Band, which perform at many events throughout the year. It is a successful band and attracts youngsters from the age of 10 from Brentwood and surrounding areas. It was the first British band to ever take part in

1470-566: A range of sports including badminton, squash, swimming, and football. There are a number of golf courses, including a 70-par municipal course very close to the town centre at Hartswood as well as others in the surrounding countryside. A number of cricket clubs exist in and around the town although the County Ground, closest to the town centre, no longer hosts Essex matches. Brentwood is also home to non-league football club Brentwood Town F.C. and basketball team London Leopards , who both play at

1575-493: A review of his invasion force on Lexden Heath where the army formally proclaimed him Imperator . The invasion force that assembled before him included four legions , mounted auxiliaries and an elephant corps – a force of around 30,000 men. At Colchester, the kings of 11 British tribes surrendered to Claudius. Colchester became a Roman Colonia , with the official name Colonia Claudia Victricensis ('the City of Claudius' Victory'). It

1680-488: A safe enough haven to evacuate London children here - 6,000 children arrived in September 1939 alone. The town is increasingly suburban, but it does have a very rural feel, with trees, fields and open spaces all around the town; Shenfield Common is also less than one mile from town centre shops. Brentwood's high street has also been subject to major redevelopment works costing between £3 million and £7 million. This included

1785-450: A secure base, which eventually became the Tower of London could be established in the city. While at Barking William received the submission of some of England's leading nobles. The invaders established a number of castles in the county, to help protect the new elites in a hostile country. There were castles at Colchester , Castle Hedingham , Rayleigh , Pleshey and elsewhere. Hadleigh Castle

1890-641: A significant role in the preservation of the Catholic faith in England. Sir William was assistant to Thomas Cromwell when Henry VIII sought to dissolve the monasteries and ascended to the confidential post of Secretary of State, throughout the revolutionary changes of four Tudor monarchs: Henry VIII, Edward VI , Mary I , and Elizabeth I . Queen Mary, in 1553, on her way to claim her crown in London, stopped at Ingatestone Hall; later, Queen Elizabeth I spent several nights at

1995-519: A small Royalist cavalry force from Essex, fought a battle with local parliamentarians at Bow Bridge , then crossed the River Lea into Essex. The combined force, bolstered by extra forces, marched towards Royalist held Colchester , but a Parliamentarian force caught up with them just as they were about to enter the city's medieval walls, and a bitter battle was fought but the Royalists were able to retire to

2100-598: A village and a parish in Billericay district, Essex. The village stands near the Eastern Counties railway, 1 mile NE of Brentwood; and dates from at least the time of Edward the Confessor. The parish comprises 2,397 acres. Post town, Brentwood. Rated property, £7,316. Pop. in 1851, 938; in 1861, 1,149 Houses, 229. The property is much subdivided. The manor of Fitzwalters was formerly held on the tenure of presenting gilt spurs at

2205-633: Is a town in Essex , England , in the London commuter belt 20 miles (30 km) north-east of Charing Cross and close to the M25 motorway . The population of the built-up area was 55,340 in 2021. Brentwood is a town with a shopping area along the High Street, a Roman road which became one of the main roads between London and East Anglia. Beyond the town centre are residential developments surrounded by open countryside and woodland; some of this countryside lies within only

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2310-589: Is also the musical voice of the villainous penguin in the Oscar-winning Wallace & Grommit: The Wrong Trousers . Brentwood's Orchestras for Young People was founded in 1990 and grew to include five ensembles for orchestral instrumentalists of school age, who perform regularly in and around the town. Regular rehearsals and workshops introduce the musicians to a wide variety of music, from well-known classical pieces to modern music. The Brentwood Performing Arts Festival has now been accepted into membership by

2415-495: Is also the private Nuffield Health hospital on Shenfield Road, less than a minute away from the NHS hospital. Shenfield is set to house the borough's second largest residential development as part of its Local Development Plan (LDP), Officers Meadow with 825 homes. These will be built on land around Chelmsford Road near the A12 and the railway line. A new primary school, day nursery, and care home

2520-554: Is considered unlikely that there was any significant early settlement of the area. At the time, most of Essex was covered by the Great Forest . It is believed that despite the Roman road between London and Colchester passing through the town, the Saxons were the earliest settlers of the area. The borough was on a crossroads, where the Roman road from Colchester to London crossed the route

2625-694: Is likely that Constantine, and his father, Constantius spent time in Colchester during their years in Britain. The presence of St Helena in the country is less certain. The name Essex originates in the Anglo-Saxon period of the Early Middle Ages and has its root in the Anglo-Saxon ( Old English ) name Ēastseaxe ("East Saxons"), the eastern kingdom of the Saxons who had come from the continent and settled in Britain. Excavations at Mucking have demonstrated

2730-654: Is on Wednesdays, meeting at 7:30PM at the Brentwood Centre. A Beginners' group following the 13-week 'Couch to 5k' programme is run twice a year. In 2022, a new track and field athletics club was established using the track located at Brentwood School. With more than 250 active members, Brentwood Beagles Athletics Club takes athletes from the age of five through to all masters aged athletes across all track and field, road running and cross country disciplines and event groups. In their first year of operation they have already had athletes competing nationally and also representing

2835-423: Is planned, and there are hopes that retail and a health centre will also be provided. Opposite, new grounds for Hutton FC are being built. Several smaller residential developments have sprung up, on Crescent Drive, Shenfield Road and Chelmsford Road. 75 homes are also earmarked for land at the end of Bishop Walk, just off Priests Lane, not far from the town of Brentwood itself. Brentwood, Essex Brentwood

2940-467: Is relatively generous in comparison to many other similar congresses, being around £4,000. In 2007 it was the largest chess competition to be held in Essex and was organised by Brentwood Chess Club. Although close to the extremities of Greater London , Brentwood is surrounded by open countryside and woodland. This has been cited as showing the success of the Metropolitan Green Belt in halting

3045-571: Is thought to have been flourishing among the Trinovantes in the fourth century, indications include the remains of a probable church at Colchester, the church dates from sometime after 320, shortly after the Constantine the Great granted freedom of worship to Christians in 313. Other archaeological evidence include a chi-rho symbol etched on a tile at a site in Wickford , and a gold ring inscribed with

3150-404: Is used as the centre for Brentwood Youth Service. The Hermitage youth service operates its own cafe, youth club and a live music venue called The Hermit , which has had hosted bands such as Motörhead and InMe . InMe were heavily supported in their early years by the venue, whose purpose is to promote and encourage youth bands. It also plays host to private events such as a weekly jazz club that

3255-573: Is within the Thames Gateway and designated for further development. Parts of the south-west of the county, such as Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell , are contiguous with Greater London neighbourhoods and therefore form part of the Greater London Urban Area . In rural parts of the county, there are many small towns, villages and hamlets largely built in the traditional materials of timber and brick, with clay tile or thatched roofs. Before

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3360-596: The Bastard of Fauconberg . The Essex men joined with their allies in attempting to storm Aldgate and Bishopsgate during an assault known as the Siege of London . The Lancastrians were defeated, and the Essex contingent retreated back over the Lea with heavy losses. In 1588 Tilbury Fort was chosen as the focal point of the English defences against King Philip II's Spanish Armada , and

3465-581: The Boudiccan revolt . The rebels entered the city, and after a Roman last stand at the temple of Claudius, methodically destroyed it, massacring many thousands. A significant Roman force attempting to relieve Colchester was destroyed in pitched battle, known as the Massacre of the Ninth Legion . The rebels then proceeded to sack London and St Albans , with Tacitus estimating that 70–80,000 people were killed in

3570-470: The Canary Wharf business district in London as an accompaniment to interior shots of the previous Amstrad offices, Amstrad House, which has since been converted into a Premier Inn hotel. Well-known businesses that used to operate in the town include vacuum flask manufacturer Thermos, and Nissen whose UK factory and headquarters were established in the town by Ted Blake in the mid-1960s but closed in

3675-520: The Forest of Essex was mostly farmland, and that the county as a whole was 20% wooded in 1086. After that point population growth caused the proportion of woodland to fall steadily until the arrival of the Black Death , in 1348, killed between a third and a half of England's population, leading to a long term stabilisation of the extent of woodland. Similarly, various pressures led to areas being removed from

3780-488: The Hundred based on the peninsula: A consequence of these features is that the broad estuaries defining them have been a factor in preventing any transport infrastructure linking them to neighbouring areas on the other side of the river estuaries, to the north and south. The pattern of settlement in the county is diverse. The areas closest to London are the most densely settled, though the Metropolitan Green Belt has prevented

3885-529: The London commuter belt . The station is located on the A129 , at the eastern end of the high street. Bus routes in Shenfield are operated primarily by First Essex . Routes include: There are two state secondary schools in the suburb: Shenfield High School and St Martin's School; the two state primary schools are Shenfield St Mary's Church of England school and Long Ridings. The shopping area in Shenfield consists primarily of independent stores and bars, shops and

3990-533: The Peasants' Revolt of 1381, Brentwood was the meeting place for some of the instigators, such as John Ball and Jack Straw . They apparently met regularly in local pubs and inns. The first event of the Peasants' Revolt occurred in Brentwood, when men from Fobbing, Corringham and Stanford were summoned by the commissioner Thomas Bampton to Brentwood to answer as to who had avoided paying the poll tax. Bampton insisted that

4095-473: The River Lea forming its western border. Essex is a low-lying county with a flat coastline. It contains pockets of ancient woodland, including Epping Forest in the south-west, and in the north-east shares Dedham Vale area of outstanding natural beauty with Suffolk. The coast is one of the longest of any English county, at 562 miles (905 km). It is deeply indented by estuaries, the largest being those of

4200-575: The River Stour ; with the North Sea to the east. The highest point of the county of Essex is Chrishall Common near the village of Langley , close to the Hertfordshire border, which reaches 482 feet (147 m). In England, the term county is currently applied to both the ceremonial counties (or lieutenancy areas) and the administrative (or non-metropolitan) counties . It can also be applied to

4305-724: The Stour , which forms the Suffolk border, the Colne , Blackwater , Crouch , and the Thames in the south. Parts of the coast are wetland and salt marsh, including a large expanse at Hamford Water , and it contains several large beaches. What is now Essex was occupied by the Trinovantes tribe during the Iron Age . They established a settlement at Colchester, which is the oldest recorded town in Britain. The town

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4410-637: The Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California and the first youth band to play the Spasskaya Tower Military Music Festival and Tattoo on Moscow 's Red Square . It meets twice a week in Warley. Among the many theatre companies in the region, Brentwood Operatic Society and Shenfield Operatic Society are two that represent the many groups providing excellent theatrical productions for

4515-768: The Vatican Museum in Rome . In 1917, the Roman Catholic church on Ingrave Road was awarded cathedral status. Between 1989 and 1991 the building was modified to an Italianate Classical style. Brentwood Cathedral is currently the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brentwood . Nearby Ingatestone Hall is noted for its Roman Catholic connections through the Petre family. The hall is a 16th-century manor house built by Sir William Petre at Yenge-atte-Stone. The staunch Petres played

4620-461: The 1980s. There are two tiers of local government covering Brentwood, at district (borough) and county level: Brentwood Borough Council , based at Brentwood Town Hall and Essex County Council , based in Chelmsford . Brentwood was historically a chapelry in the parish of South Weald , becoming a separate civil parish in 1866. The parish originally covered 460 acres (1.9 km ). In 1891

4725-594: The Brentwood Centre Arena. The town is also home to London league club Brentwood RLFC, the only rugby league club in west Essex. Brentwood Hockey Club is also based in the town at the Old County Ground and fielded 6 men's and 5 ladies' league teams for the 2014–15 season. Brentwood Running Club (established in 1987 as Thrift Green Trotters), aims to encourage local runners to improve their fitness whilst having fun and meeting like-minded runners. The Club night

4830-626: The British and International Federation of Festivals of which Queen Elizabeth II is patron. With this, the Festival has achieved recognition as the Festival of Performing Arts for Brentwood. The town is the venue of the Brentwood International Chess Congress which was set up in 2006 and first ran 17–18 February 2007. The congress attracted 235 competitors who included three Grandmasters and five International Masters . The prize fund

4935-571: The Kings of Essex appear to have had a greater control in the core area, east of the Lea and Stort, that would subsequently become the county of Essex. In the core area they granted charters freely, but further west they did so while also making reference to their Mercian overlords. The early kings were pagan, together with much and perhaps by this time all of the population. Sledd's son Sebert converted to Christianity around 604 and St Paul's Cathedral in London

5040-415: The Roman road grew busier, Brentwood became a major coaching stop for stagecoaches, with plenty of inns for overnight accommodation as the horses were rested. A 'stage' was approximately ten miles, and being about 20 miles (32 km) from London, Brentwood would have been a second stop for travellers to East Anglia . This has not changed; there is an above average number of pubs in the area - possibly due to

5145-489: The area, including Shenfield, was added to the urban district of Brentwood, whilst a smaller area was added to Mountnessing . The original village centre is located one mile (1.6 km) north-east of the centre of Brentwood. Apart from some small industrial areas and a modest but busy shopping area. The parish church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin and St Mary's primary school is located nearby. The town of Hutton , to

5250-466: The army being stationed at Warley Barracks until 1958. Some of the pubs date back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Brentwood was also significant as a hub for the London postal service, with a major post office since the 18th century. The major post office on the high street was closed in the 2008 budget cuts; Brentwood residents now must rely on sub-post offices. Daniel Defoe wrote about Brentwood as being "...full of good inns, and chiefly maintained by

5355-558: The balance of power in southern England. The small kingdoms of Essex, Sussex and of Kent , previously independent albeit under Mercian overlordship, were subsequently fully absorbed into Wessex. The later Anglo-Saxon period shows three major battles fought with the Norse recorded in Essex; the Battle of Benfleet in 894, the Battle of Maldon in 991 and the Battle of Assandun (probably at either Ashingdon or Ashdon ) in 1016. The county of Essex

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5460-524: The borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. Essex, London and the eastern counties backed Parliament in the English Civil War , but by 1648, this loyalty was stretched. In June 1648 a force of 500 Kentish Royalists landed near the Isle of Dogs , linked up with

5565-458: The boundaries with other neighbouring parishes). Brentwood Urban District was abolished in 1974 and replaced by the larger Brentwood District , gaining the neighbouring rural parishes of Blackmore , Doddinghurst , Ingatestone and Fryerning , Kelvedon Hatch , Mountnessing , Navestock and Stondon Massey . No successor parish was created for the former urban district. The enlarged district has an area of 36,378 acres (147.22 km ) and

5670-504: The building and roof suffered significant damage during a fire. The building now shows little of its original historic interest, Marygreen Manor, a 16th-century building on London Road, is mentioned in Samuel Pepys ' diaries and is said to have been often visited by the Tudor monarch Henry VIII when Henry Roper, Gentleman Pursuant to Queen Catherine of Aragon , lived there in 1514. It is now

5775-529: The capital and executed a number of their enemies, but the revolt began to dissipate after the events at West Smithfield on 15 June, when the Mayor of London, William Walworth , killed the rebel leader Wat Tyler. The rebels prepared to fire arrows at the royal party but the 15 year old King Richard II rode toward the crowd and spoke to them, defusing the situation, in part by making a series of promises he did not subsequently keep. Having bought himself time, Richard

5880-428: The centre of trampolining in the United Kingdom between 1965 and 1981 after George Nissen brought the new sport to the town in 1949 and eventually manufactured trampolines in the town, continuing to do so for many years after they ceased production in the US for fear of litigation. Ted Blake , a long-term Brentwood resident, was managing director of Nissen UK from its inception until shortly before it closed and became

5985-429: The community. Brentwood Operatic Society also trains young actors with its BOSSY Youth acting program, headed by Gaynor Wilson, who formerly directed actor Stephen Moyer. David Pickthall serves as musical director when not scoring films and television shows for the BBC, directing British orchestras, and composing. The award-winning composer wrote two operas and three musicals, published worldwide by Samuel French Ltd. He

6090-460: The complete control of the Catuvellauni, who took Colchester as their own capital. The Roman invasion of AD 43 began with a landing on the south coast, probably in the Richborough area of Kent . After some initial successes against the Britons, they paused to await reinforcements, and the arrival of the Emperor Claudius . The combined army then proceeded to the capital of the Catevellauni-Trinovantes at Colchester , and took it. Claudius held

6195-410: The county in a range of events. First year wins and trophies include the U13G 2022/23 Essex XC Relay Champions, six county championship medals, a number of Essex Schools Vests, County vests and national medals. In September 2022, the Beagles appointed former Chief Executive of Brentwood Borough Council, Bob McLintock, as their inaugural President. Although no longer manufactured here, Brentwood became

6300-407: The county is very densely populated, and the remainder, besides Colchester and Chelmsford, is largely rural. For local government purposes Essex comprises a non-metropolitan county , with twelve districts, and two unitary authority areas: Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea . The districts of Chelmsford, Colchester and Southend have city status. The county historically included north-east Greater London,

6405-524: The creation of the county councils, county-level administration was limited in nature; lord-lieutenants replaced the sheriffs from the time of Henry VIII and took a primarily military role, responsible for the militia and the Volunteer Force that replaced it. Most administration was carried out by justices of the peace (JPs) appointed by the Lord-Lieutenant of Essex based upon their reputation. The JPs carried out judicial and administrative duties such as maintenance of roads and bridges, supervision of

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6510-648: The current non-metropolitan county and the unitary authorities formerly part of it. Until 1996, the Royal Mail additionally divided Britain into postal counties , used for addresses. Although it adopted many local government boundary changes, the Royal Mail did not adopt the 1965 London boundary reform due to cost. Therefore, parts of post-1965 Greater London continued to have an Essex address. The postal county of Hertfordshire also extended deep into west Essex, with Stansted isolated as an exclave of postal Essex. In 1996, postal counties were discontinued and replaced entirely by postcodes , though customers may still use

6615-400: The demolition of the Sir Charles Napier pub to build an additional lane to improve traffic flow at the west end of the high street, and re-laying the pavements and road surface in the high street itself. There is a proposal for creating "Dunton Garden Suburb" on land between Basildon and Brentwood. This proposal may have 6,000 homes, together with retail, commercial and leisure uses. This is

6720-471: The destruction of London housing in the Second World War ; they have since been significantly developed and expanded. Epping Forest also prevents the further spread of the Greater London Urban Area . As it is not far from London, with its economic magnetism, many of Essex's settlements, particularly those near or within short driving distance of railway stations, function as dormitory towns or villages where London workers raise their families. In these areas

6825-421: The destruction of the three cities. Boudicca was defeated in battle, somewhere in the west midlands, and the Romans are likely to have ravaged the lands of the rebel tribes, so Essex will have suffered greatly. Despite this, the Trinovantes' identity persisted. Roman provinces were divided into civitas for local government purposes – with a civitas for the Trinovantes strongly implied by Ptolemy . Christianity

6930-401: The development of the Harwich International Port , and petroleum industry. Essex evolved from the Kingdom of the East Saxons , a polity which is likely to have its roots in the territory of the Iron Age Trinovantes tribe. In the Iron Age, Essex and parts of southern Suffolk were controlled by the local Trinovantes tribe. Their production of their own coinage marks them out as one of

7035-427: The east of Shenfield, is now largely part of the built-up area. The town is host to the Shenfield Cricket Club, founded in 1921 and situated on the Courage Playing Fields. The land was granted by the Courage brewing family for use by the cricket club. The club's badge is a cockerel , which echoes both the trade mark of the Courage brand and the weathervane on St Mary's church. The Courage Playing Fields also contain

7140-400: The excessive multitude of carriers and passengers, which are constantly passing this way to London, with droves of cattle, provisions and manufactures." The 'Brentwood Ring', the earliest Christian ring ever to have been discovered in Britain was found in Brentwood in the late 1940s. It now resides at the British Museum in London. The only other ring of its type in existence can be found at

7245-400: The former historic counties and the former postal counties . Essex therefore, has different boundaries depending on which type of county is being referred to. The largest extent of Essex was the historic (or ancient) county, which included Metropolitan Essex i.e. areas that now lie within the London conurbation such as Romford and West Ham . This boundary of Essex was established in

7350-405: The further sprawl of London into the county. The Green Belt was initially a narrow band of land, but subsequent expansions meant it was able to limit the further expansion of many of the commuter towns close to the capital. The Green Belt zone close to London includes many prosperous commuter towns, as well as the new towns of Basildon and Harlow , originally developed to resettle Londoners after

7455-410: The greens on Shenfield Road by Sir Anthony Browne and the site of Hunter's execution in commemorated by a plaque in the school. Thomas Munn, 'gentleman brickmaker' of Brentwood, met a less noble end when he was hanged for robbing the Yarmouth mail and his body was exhibited in chains at Gallows Corner , a road junction a few miles from Brentwood, in Romford. A ducking stool was mentioned in 1584. As

7560-430: The hall on her royal progress of 1561. Today, Ingatestone Hall, like all other large Tudor houses, is an expression of wealth and status and retains many of the features of a 16th-century knightly residence, despite alterations by descendants who still live in the house. Ingatestone Hall represented the exterior of Bleak House in the 2005 television adaptation of Charles Dickens ' novel, and also appeared in an episode of

7665-400: The king's coronation. Roman antiquities have been found. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Rochester. Value, £580.* Patron, Countess Cowper. The church is very ancient; was restored in 1863, and enlarged in 1867. National schools were built in 1865. Charities, £3. Shenfield is a former civil parish ; in 1931, it had a population of 3501. On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished. Most of

7770-627: The large veteran army he had ordered to invade England. The English believed that the Spanish would land near the Fort, so Queen Elizabeth 's small and relatively poorly trained forces gathered at Tilbury, where the Queen made her famous speech to the troops . I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain , or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade

7875-567: The late Anglo-Saxon period, sometime after the larger former Kingdom of the East Saxons had lost its independence. It included the whole ceremonial county, as well as the three north-western parishes transferred to Cambridgeshire in 1889, other smaller areas (such as the Bartlow Hills transferred to neighbours at the same time, and the five London boroughs administered as part of Essex until 1965. The administrative county and County Council

7980-490: The legal Forest of Essex and it ceased to exist as a legal entity after 1327, and after that time Forest Law applied to smaller areas: the forests of Writtle (near Chelmsford ), long lost Kingswood (near Colchester), Hatfield , and Waltham Forest . Waltham Forest had covered parts of the Hundreds of Waltham, Becontree and Ongar . It also included the physical woodland areas subsequently legally afforested (designated as

8085-637: The letter S. The Kingdom of the East Saxons included not just the subsequent county of Essex, but also Middlesex (including the City of London ), much of Hertfordshire and at times also the sub-Kingdom of Surrey . The Middlesex and Hertfordshire parts were known as the Province of the Middle Saxons since at least the early eighth century but it is not known if the province was previously an independent unit that came under East Saxon control. Charter evidence shows that

8190-526: The more advanced tribes on the island, this advantage (in common with other tribes in the south-east) is probably due to the Belgic element within their elite. Their capital was the oppidum (a type of town) of Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town, which had its own mint. The tribe were in extended conflict with their western neighbours, the Catuvellauni , and steadily lost ground. By AD 10 they had come under

8295-557: The name Burntwood still visible on some 18th-century maps. However, brent was the middle English for "burnt". The name describes the presumed reason for settlement in the part of the Forest of Essex (later Epping Forest ) that would have covered the area, where a major occupation was charcoal burning. Although a Bronze Age axe has been found in Brentwood and there are clear signs of an entrenched encampment in Weald Country Park , it

8400-504: The nearby parish church of Brentwood, built in the 1880s, retains the dedication to St. Thomas of Canterbury. Pilgrims Hatch , or 'Pilgrims' gate', was probably named from pilgrims who crossed through on their way to the chapel. It is likely, however, that Brentwood's development was due chiefly to its main road position, its market, and its convenient location as an administrative centre. Early industries were connected mainly with textile and garment making, brewing, and brickmaking. During

8505-541: The north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the south, Greater London to the south-west, and Hertfordshire to the west. The largest settlement is Southend-on-Sea , and the county town is Chelmsford . The county has an area of 3,670 km (1,420 sq mi) and a population of 1,832,751. After Southend-on-Sea (182,305), the largest settlements are Colchester (130,245), Basildon (115,955) and Chelmsford (110,625). The south of

8610-499: The outward spread of London's built-up area. Brentwood has a number of public open spaces including King George V Playing Field , Shenfield Common, and two country parks at South Weald and Thorndon. Weald Country Park was first chosen to hold the 2012 Olympics mountain biking but was declared to be "too easy" a course. Brentwood does however host a number of Criterium Cycle Races that attract many of Britain's greatest cyclists. The town has two large sports centres providing access to

8715-487: The peasants pay what was demanded of them. The peasants refused to pay and a riot ensued as Bampton attempted to arrest the peasants. The peasants moved to kill Bampton, but he managed to escape to London. The rioters then, fearing the repercussions of what they had done, fled into the forest. After the riot the peasants sent word to the rest of the country and initiated the Peasants' Revolt. The Essex assizes were sometimes held here, as well as at Chelmsford . One such pub

8820-518: The pilgrims took over the River Thames to Canterbury. A chapel was built in or around 1221, and in 1227 a market charter was granted. Its growth may have been stimulated by the cult of St. Thomas the Martyr, to whom the chapel was dedicated: the 13th-century ruin of Thomas Becket Chapel was a popular stopping point for pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. The ruin stands in the centre of the high street and

8925-467: The populace of the county were heavily involved in the Peasants' Revolt . The subsequent centuries were more settled, and the county's economy became increasingly tied to that of London; in the nineteenth century the railways allowed coastal resorts such as Clacton-on-Sea to develop and the Port of London to shift downriver to Tilbury . Subsequent development has included the new towns of Basildon and Harlow ,

9030-606: The population was 4,949. When elected parish and district councils were established in 1894 the parish was included in the Billericay Rural District . Brentwood gained independence from the rural district in 1899 when the parish was made an urban district . The urban district was substantially enlarged in 1934, when the neighbouring parishes of Childerditch , East Horndon , Hutton , Ingrave , Little Warley , Shenfield , South Weald and West Horndon were all abolished and absorbed into Brentwood (with some adjustments to

9135-517: The presence of Anglo-Saxon settlers in the early fifth century, however the way in which these settlers became ascendent in the territory of the Trinovantes is not known. Studies suggest a pattern of typically peaceful co-existence, with the structure of the Romano-British landscape being maintained, and with the Saxon settlers believed to have been in the minority. The first known king of the East Saxons

9240-417: The rest heading to London, some directly – via Bow Bridge and others may have gone via Kent. A large force of Kentish rebels under Wat Tyler , who may himself have been from Essex, also advanced on London while revolt also spread to a number of other parts of the country. The rebels gained access to the walled City of London and gained control of the Tower of London . They carried out extensive looting in

9345-457: The security of the walls. The Siege of Colchester followed, but ten weeks' starvation and news of Royalist defeats elsewhere led the Royalists to surrender. The ceremonial county of Essex is bounded by Kent , south of the Thames Estuary ; Greater London to the south-west; Hertfordshire , broadly west of the River Lea and the Stort ; Cambridgeshire to the northwest; Suffolk broadly north of

9450-619: The site was redeveloped as the European headquarters for the Ford Motor Company . A few buildings remain from the Barracks – the regimental chapel, the gymnasium (now home to Brentwood Trampoline Club) and the officers' mess (now Marillac Hospital). The military has associations with Warley going back over 200 years. It also had strategic importance during the time of the Spanish Armada - it

9555-618: The suburb of Warley until 2018. From the financial services sector, Equity Insurance Group , comprising Equity Red Star (of Lloyd's of London ), affinity provider Equity Direct Broking Limited and motorcycle insurance broker Bike Team, is headquartered in the town centre. General insurance broker Brents was established in the town in 1963. The Bank of New York Mellon also has a substantial presence in Brentwood, as does LV= , employing 350 people there. The previous headquarters of electronics company Amstrad were located in Brentwood. The television show The Apprentice used overhead views of

9660-500: The television series Lovejoy . It is open to the public for tours, concerts, and performances; the hall and grounds can be rented for weddings and other occasions. Brentwood was the location of Warley Hospital , a psychiatric hospital , from 1853 to 2001. A British East India Company elephant training school was based in Brentwood and this remained an active army base as a depot for the Essex Regiment until 1959, when much of

9765-419: Was Sledd in 587, though there are less reliable sources giving an account of Aescwine (other versions call him Erkenwine) founding the kingdom in 527. The early kings of the East Saxons were pagan and uniquely amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms traced their lineage back to Seaxnēat , god of the Saxons , rather than Woden . The kings of Essex are notable for their S-nomenclature, nearly all of them begin with

9870-460: Was The White Hart (now a nightclub). One of the oldest buildings in Brentwood; it is believed to have been built in 1480 although apocryphal evidence suggests a hostelry might have stood on the site as much as a hundred years earlier and been visited in 1392 by Richard II , whose coat of arms included a White Hart . The ground floor was originally stabling and in the mid-1700s the owners ran their own coach service to London. On 13 September 2009,

9975-587: Was able to receive reinforcements and then crush the rebellion in Essex and elsewhere. His forces defeated rebels in battle at Billericay on 28 June, and there were mass executions including hangings and disembowellings at Chelmsford and Colchester. In 1471, during the Wars of the Roses a force of around 2,000 Essex supporters of the Lancastrian cause crossed Bow Bridge to join with 3,000 Kentish Lancastrian supporters under

10080-568: Was awarded borough status in 1993. For elections to Westminster, Brentwood forms part of the Brentwood and Ongar constituency . The Brentwood Theatre and The Hermitage are the main cultural buildings in Brentwood, located on the same site in the town centre. Brentwood Theatre is a fully fitted community theatre that serves more than 40 non-professional performing arts groups. Owned and maintained by an independent charity, Brentwood Theatre receives no regular arts funding or subsidy. The Hermitage

10185-737: Was conquered by the Romans but subsequently sacked by the Trinovantes during the Boudican revolt . In the Early Middle Ages the region was invaded by the Saxons , who formed the Kingdom of Essex ; they were followed by the Vikings, who after winning the Battle of Maldon were able to extract the first Danegeld from King Æthelred . After the Norman Conquest much of the county became a royal forest , and in 1381

10290-469: Was developed much later, in the thirteenth century. After the arrival of the Normans , the Forest of Essex was established as a royal forest , however, at that time, the term was a legal term. There was a weak correlation between the area covered by the Forest of Essex (the large majority of the county) and the much smaller area covered by woodland. An analysis of Domesday returns for Essex has shown that

10395-741: Was established. On Sebert's death in 616 his sons renounced Christianity and drove out Mellitus , the Bishop of London . The kingdom re-converted after St Cedd , a monk from Lindisfarne and now the patron saint of Essex, converted Sigeberht II the Good around 653. In AD 824, Ecgberht , the King of the Wessex and grandfather of Alfred the Great , defeated the Mercians at the Battle of Ellandun in Wiltshire, fundamentally changing

10500-511: Was formed from the core area, east of the River Lea , of the former Kingdom of the East Saxons in the 9th or 10th centuries and divided into groupings called Hundreds . Before the Norman conquest the East Saxons were subsumed into the Kingdom of England . Having conquered England, William the Conqueror initially based himself at Barking Abbey , an already ancient nunnery, for several months while

10605-522: Was formed in 1889. The county was made a non-metropolitan county (a new type of adminsitrative county) in 1974, meaning the role of the administrative county was redefined, as part of the 1970s local government reorganisation . Its present boundaries were set in 1998 when Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea were separated from the non-metropolitan county to become unitary authorities. In 1997 the Lieutenancies Act defined Essex for ceremonial purposes as

10710-670: Was initially the most important city in Roman Britain and in it they established a temple to the God-Emperor Claudius. This was the largest building of its kind in Roman Britain . The establishment of the Colonia is thought to have involved extensive appropriation of land from local people, this and other grievances led to the Trinovantes joining their northern neighbours, the Iceni , in

10815-738: Was run by the saxophonist Spike Robinson until his death. Both venues co-host the Brentwood Blues Festival, a music event that has played host to the Blockheads and Bill Wyman . Local TV coverage is provided by BBC London and ITV London which is received from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter. Some areas of town can also receive BBC East and ITV Anglia from the Sudbury TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Essex on 95.3 FM, Heart Essex on 96.3 FM, and Phoenix FM ,

10920-580: Was used as a meeting place for contingents from eight eastern and midland counties (900 horsemen assembled here) to then travel on to Tilbury. The local common was used as a military camp in 1742, and became a permanent feature as Warley Barracks in 1804. During World War II , over 1,000 bombs were dropped on Brentwood, with 19 flying bombs ( V1 ), 32 long-range rockets ( V2 ) and many incendiary bombs and parachute mines. 5,038 houses were destroyed, 389 people were injured and 43 died. The 15th- and 16th-century pubs, however, survived. Brentwood had been considered

11025-562: Was very poor due to the war with France , so a new Poll Tax was levied with commissioners being sent round the country to interrogate local officials in an attempt to ensure tax evasion was reduced and more money extracted. This was hugely unpopular and the Peasants' Revolt broke out in Brentwood on 1 June 1381. The revolt was partly inspired by the egalitarian preaching of the radical Essex priest John Ball . Several thousand Essex rebels gathered at Bocking on 4 June, and then divided. Some heading to Suffolk to raise rebellion there, with

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