![Ruined Hawthorn in Dunton Plotlands - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Ruined_Hawthorn_in_Dunton_Plotlands_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1375134.jpg)
The Dunton Plotlands was an area of small rural plots of land in
Dunton Wayletts
Dunton Wayletts is a hamlet in the unparished area of Basildon, on the western outskirts of Laindon, in the Borough of Basildon, Essex, England. It is located between the Southend Arterial Road (A127 road) and the London, Tilbury and Southend lin ...
, southern
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
inhabited from the 1930s to the 1980s.
The 'plotlands' consisted of small plots of land sold in the first half of the 20th century to people who built weekend cottages, holiday bungalows or smallholdings there.
Many of the people building weekend cottages here would have come out from
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.
With the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, many weekenders moved out to their plots on a permanent basis, to escape the worst effects of the Blitz. This period saw the Dunton population at its highest.
After the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the new town of
Basildon
Basildon ( ) is the largest town in the borough of Basildon, within the county of Essex, England. It has a population of 107,123. In 1931 the parish had a population of 1159.
It lies east of Central London, south of the city of Chelmsford and ...
was created, encompassing the plotlands here and in the surrounding areas of
Laindon
Laindon is a commuter town in Essex, between Basildon and West Horndon. It was an ancient parish in Essex, England, that was abolished for civil purposes in 1937. It was based on the (probably smaller) manor of the same name and now lies mostly ...
and
Pitsea
Pitsea is a small town and former civil parish, now in the unparished area of Basildon, in south Essex, England. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood (previously known as Felmores), Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and B ...
. At the time, 25000 people lived in the whole area, often with unsurfaced roads and limited water supplies.
Dunton Plotlands is situated to the west of
Laindon
Laindon is a commuter town in Essex, between Basildon and West Horndon. It was an ancient parish in Essex, England, that was abolished for civil purposes in 1937. It was based on the (probably smaller) manor of the same name and now lies mostly ...
and the
Langdon Hills
Langdon Hills is a township and former civil parish located in Basildon in Essex, England.
It is located south of Laindon railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend line. It is the location of the Langdon Hills Country Park, which is ...
, now on the edge of the
Basildon district.
Today, Dunton Plotlands is part of the
Essex Wildlife Trust
The Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) is one of 46 wildlife trusts which cover the United Kingdom. The EWT was founded in 1959, and it describes itself as Essex's leading conservation charity, which aims to protect wildlife for the future and the people ...
's
Langdon Nature Reserve. The Langdon Visitor Centre and the Haven Plotlands Museum, housed in a converted bungalow,
exhibit the natural and social history of the area.
![The Haven - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/The_Haven_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1375111.jpg)
The Plotlands is still a wooded area where a small number of cottages, and some of the original grid of grass tracks remain. Visitors can look around a preserved bungalow. Many wildlife events are held throughout the year.
References
External links
Langdon Visitor Centre- Essex Wildlife Trust
- www.basildon.com
Dunton Plotlands(www.roselake.co.uk)
Dunton- Laindon and District Community Archive
{{Basildon
Borough of Basildon
Nature reserves in Essex
Museums in Essex