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Essex () is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the East of
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. One of the
home counties The home counties are the counties of England that surround London. The counties are not precisely defined but Buckinghamshire and Surrey are usually included in definitions and Berkshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent are also often inc ...
, it borders
Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
and
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
to the north, the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
to the east,
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
to the west,
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
across the estuary of the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
to the south, and
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...
to the south and south-west. There are three cities in Essex: Southend, Colchester and Chelmsford, in order of population. For the purposes of government statistics, Essex is placed in the
East of England The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. This region was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics purposes from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire ...
region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
. There are four definitions of the extent of Essex, the widest being the ancient county. Next, the largest is the former
postal county The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known as former postal counties, were postal subdivisions in routine use by the Royal Mail until 1996. The purpose of the postal county – as opposed to any other kind of county – was to aid the ...
, followed by the
ceremonial county The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England and informally known as ceremonial counties, are areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas i ...
, with the smallest being the administrative county—the area administered by the
County Council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...
, which excludes the two unitary authorities of
Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...
and
Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
. The ceremonial county occupies the eastern part of what was, during the
Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
, the
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
Kingdom of Essex la, Regnum Orientalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the East Saxons , common_name = Essex , era = Heptarchy , status = , status_text = , government_type = Monarch ...
. As well as rural areas and urban areas, it forms part of the wider
Home Counties The home counties are the counties of England that surround London. The counties are not precisely defined but Buckinghamshire and Surrey are usually included in definitions and Berkshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent are also often inc ...
of England.


Physical geography and boundaries

The ceremonial county of Essex is bounded by
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, south of the
Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is where the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea, in the south-east of Great Britain. Limits An estuary can be defined according to different criteria (e.g. tidal, geographical, navigational or in terms of salini ...
;
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...
to the south-west;
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
, broadly west of the
River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in South East England. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Creek. It is one of t ...
and the
Stort The River Stort is a river in Essex and Hertfordshire, England. It is 24 miles (38 km) long and flows from just south of the village of Langley to the River Lea at Hoddesdon. The river's name is a back-formation; the town of Bishop's Stor ...
;
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
to the northwest;
Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
broadly north of the River Stour; with the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
to the east.


Definitions

The county of Essex has four definitions: the ancient, ceremonial, administrative and postal counties.


Ancient county

The ancient county of Essex consists of the entire territory of the county of Essex, as established in the late Anglo-Saxon period, some time after the larger former
Kingdom of the East Saxons la, Regnum Orientalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the East Saxons , common_name = Essex , era = Heptarchy , status = , status_text = , government_type = Monarch ...
had lost its independence. It includes areas such as the three north-western parishes transferred to the
administrative county An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until either 1973 (in Northern Ireland) or 2002 (in the Republic of Ireland). They are now abolished, although mos ...
of Cambridgeshire in 1889, and the five
boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
of
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...
east of the
River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in South East England. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Creek. It is one of t ...
. The ancient county also includes
Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...
and
Southend-on-sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
, which became
unitary authorities A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...
in 1998.


Ceremonial county

The
ceremonial county The counties and areas for the purposes of the lieutenancies, also referred to as the lieutenancy areas of England and informally known as ceremonial counties, are areas of England to which lords-lieutenant are appointed. Legally, the areas i ...
is the area represented by the
Lord Lieutenant of Essex This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex. Since 1688, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Essex. *John Petre, 1st Baron Petre *John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford 1558–? *Robert Dudley, 1st Earl ...
. It excludes the areas transferred out in 1889 and 1965, but includes the unitary authorities of Thurrock and Southend which separated from the administrative county in 1998.


Administrative county

The administrative county is the area for which
Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, and is currently controlled by the Conservative Party. The council meets at County Hall ...
has responsibility. The administrative county was formed in 1889, and has reduced in size since that time. The administrative county excludes Thurrock, Southend, areas in Greater London, and the much smaller areas transferred in 1889.


Postal county

The
postal county The postal counties of the United Kingdom, now known as former postal counties, were postal subdivisions in routine use by the Royal Mail until 1996. The purpose of the postal county – as opposed to any other kind of county – was to aid the ...
of Essex was a term in use by the
Royal Mail , kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga , logo = Royal Mail.svg , logo_size = 250px , type = Public limited company , traded_as = , foundation = , founder = Henry VIII , location = London, England, UK , key_people = * Keith Williams ...
until 1996, intended to facilitate the sorting of mail by assisting the differentiation of similar
post town A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in the address increases ...
s. The postal county was a collection of post towns approximating to the Ancient and Ceremonial County areas. There were two main distinctions: the first that the postal county of Hertfordshire extended deep into west Essex, with Stansted isolated as an exclave of postal Essex. Postal counties were abolished in 1996, although they are still commonly used in postal addressing.


Metropolitan Essex

Metropolitan Essex refers to places in Essex that form part of the
conurbation A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...
and/or the metropolitan area of
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 ...
, including the five
boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
of
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...
east of the
Lea Lea or LEA may refer to: Places Australia * Lea River, Tasmania, Australia * Lake Lea, Tasmania, from which the Lea River flows * RAAF Base Learmonth, IATA airport code "LEA" England * Lea, Cheshire, a civil parish * Lea, Derbyshire, a set ...
, which were created in the
London Government Act 1963 The London Government Act 1963 (c. 33) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which created Greater London and a new local government structure within it. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the ...
from former
municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
s,
county borough County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent ter ...
s and urban districts within administrative Essex. Greater London is a ceremonial county created for administrative purposes by the act, which aimed to place more of London within a single administrative district, replacing the
County of London The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government A ...
, which solely covered the inner part of the conurbation. Metropolitan Essex does not have a precise, formal definition.


Coast

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 The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
coast is characterised by three major peninsulas, each named after the
Hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to de ...
based on the peninsula: *
Tendring Tendring is a village and civil parish in Essex. It gives its name to the Tendring District and before that the Tendring Hundred. Its name was given to the larger groupings because it was at the centre, not because it was larger than the other ...
between the Stour and the
Colne Colne () is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Pendle in Lancashire, England. Located northeast of Nelson, north-east of Burnley, east of Preston and west of Leeds. The town should not be confused with the unrelated Colne Val ...
. *
Dengie Dengie is a village and civil parish in the Maldon district of Essex, England, with a population of 119 at the 2011 census. It gives its name to the Dengie peninsula and hundred and to the Dengie Special Protection Area. The place-name 'Dengi ...
between the Blackwater and the Crouch *
Rochford Rochford is a town in Essex, England, north of Southend-on-Sea, from London and from Chelmsford, the county town. At the 2011 census, the Civil parishes in England, civil parish, which includes the town and London Southend Airport, had a popu ...
between the Crouch and the
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
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.


Highest point

The highest point of the county of Essex is Chrishall Common near the village of
Langley Langley may refer to: People * Langley (surname), a common English surname, including a list of notable people with the name * Dawn Langley Simmons (1922–2000), English author and biographer * Elizabeth Langley (born 1933), Canadian perfor ...
, close to the
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
border, which reaches .


Human and economic geography

The county's infrastructure is shaped by its physical geography and proximity to London. Together, these influences both stimulate and constrain the Essex economy.


Economy

A high proportion of the population, especially in the south, work outside the county, commuting to London and elsewhere by rail and by road. These London-based jobs are often well paid and complement the contribution made by the employers based within Essex. Industry is largely limited to the south of the county, with the majority of the land elsewhere being given over to agriculture. Harlow is a centre for electronics, science and
pharmaceutical A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy (pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field and re ...
companies. Chelmsford has been an important location for
electronics The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
companies, such as the
Marconi Company The Marconi Company was a British telecommunications and engineering company that did business under that name from 1963 to 1987. Its roots were in the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company founded by Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 ...
, since the industry was born; it is also the location for a number of insurance and financial services organisations and, until 2015, was the home of the soft drinks producer
Britvic Britvic plc is a British producer of soft drinks based in Hemel Hempstead, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. It produces soft drinks under its own name, and several other brands. Hist ...
.
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 ...
is home to
New Holland Agriculture New Holland is a global full-line agricultural machinery manufacturer. New Holland agricultural products include tractors, combine harvesters, balers, forage harvesters, self-propelled sprayers, haying tools, seeding equipment, hobby tractors, ...
's European headquarters as well as the
Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
's British HQ. Debden, in
Loughton Loughton () is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. Part of the metropolitan and urban area of London, the town borders Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill, and is northeast of Chari ...
, is home to a production facility for British and foreign
banknotes A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable instrument, negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes w ...
. Other businesses in the county are dominated by mechanical engineering, including but not limited to
metalworking Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on every scale ...
,
glassmaking Glass production involves two main methods – the float glass process that produces sheet glass, and glassblowing that produces bottles and other containers. It has been done in a variety of ways during the history of glass. Glass container ...
and plastics and the
service sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
. Colchester is a
garrison A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
town and the local economy is helped by the
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
's personnel living there. Basildon is the location of
State Street Corporation State Street Corporation is an American financial services and bank holding company headquartered at One Lincoln Street in Boston with operations worldwide. It is the second-oldest continually operating United States bank; its predecessor, Un ...
's United Kingdom HQ International Financial Data Services and remains heavily dependent on London for employment, due to its proximity and direct transport routes. Southend-on-Sea is home to the Adventure Island theme park and is one of the few still growing British
seaside resort A seaside resort is a resort town, town, village, or hotel that serves as a Resort, vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, suc ...
s, benefiting from modern and direct rail links from
Fenchurch Street railway station Fenchurch Street railway station, also known as London Fenchurch Street, is a central London railway terminus in the southeastern corner of the City of London. It takes its name from its proximity to Fenchurch Street, a key thoroughfare in the ...
and
Liverpool Street station Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, in the ward of Bishopsgate Without. It is the t ...
(so that housing is in high demand, especially for financial services commuters), which maintains the town's commercial and general economy. Parts of eastern Essex suffer from high levels of deprivation; one of the most highly deprived wards is in the seaside town of Clacton. In the
Indices of deprivation 2007 The Indices of deprivation 2007 (ID 2007) is a deprivation index at the small area level, created by the British Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and released on 12 June 2007. It follows the Indices of deprivation 2004 (ID200 ...
,
Jaywick Jaywick is a coastal village in the Tendring district of Essex, England, west of Clacton-on-Sea. It lies on the North Sea coast of England, from London and from Colchester. It was constructed in the 1930s as a holiday resort for Londoners, b ...
was identified as the most deprived Lower Super Output Area in Southern England. Unemployment was estimated at 44% and many homes were found to lack very basic amenities. The Brooklands and Grasslands area of Jaywick was found to be the third-most deprived area in England; two areas in
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
and
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
were rated more deprived. In contrast, mid, west and south-west Essex is one of the most affluent parts of eastern England, forming part of the
London commuter belt The London metropolitan area is the metropolitan area of London, England. It has several definitions, including the London Travel to Work Area, and usually consists of the London urban area, settlements that share London's infrastructure, and ...
. There is a large middle class here and the area is widely known for its private schools. In 2008, ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...
'' found
Ingatestone Ingatestone is a village and former civil parish in Essex, England, with a population of 5,365 inhabitants according to the 2011 census. Just north lies the village of Fryerning, the two forming now the parish of Ingatestone and Fryerning. Ing ...
and Brentwood to be the 14th- and 19th-richest towns in the UK respectively.


Settlement patterns

The pattern of settlement in the county is diverse. The areas closest to London are the most densely settled, though the
Metropolitan Green Belt The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It comprises parts of Greater London, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey, parts of two of the three districts of Bedfordshire and a s ...
has prevented 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 town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
s 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 ...
and
Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...
, originally developed to resettle Londoners after the destruction of London housing in 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 ...
; they have since been significantly developed and expanded.
Epping Forest Epping Forest is a area of ancient woodland, and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London ...
also prevents the further spread of the
Greater London Urban Area The Greater London Built-up Area, or Greater London Urban Area, is a conurbation in south-east England that constitutes the continuous urban sprawl of London, and includes surrounding adjacent urban towns as defined by the Office for National Sta ...
. 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 town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
s or villages where London workers raise their families. In these areas 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 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 ...
,
Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
and
Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...
, is within the
Thames Gateway Thames Gateway is a term applied to an area around the Thames Estuary in the context of discourse around regeneration and further urbanisation. The term was first coined by the UK government and applies to an area of land stretching east from ...
and designated for further development. Parts of the south-west of the county, such as
Buckhurst Hill Buckhurst Hill is an affluent suburban town in the Epping Forest District, Epping Forest district of Essex, England. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and adjacent to the northern boundary of the London Borough of Redbridge. The area de ...
and
Chigwell Chigwell is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, England. It is part of the urban and metropolitan area of London, and is adjacent to the northern boundary of Greater London. It is on the Central line of the London U ...
, are contiguous with
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...
neighbourhoods and therefore form part of the
Greater London Urban Area The Greater London Built-up Area, or Greater London Urban Area, is a conurbation in south-east England that constitutes the continuous urban sprawl of London, and includes surrounding adjacent urban towns as defined by the Office for National Sta ...
. A small part of the south-west of the county,
Sewardstone Sewardstone is a hamlet and district of southern Waltham Abbey, in the Epping Forest District of Essex, England, lying between Epping Forest and the built-up areas of Waltham Abbey, Chingford and Enfield. It is 11.6 miles north-northeast of Centr ...
, is the only settlement outside Greater London to be covered by a postcode district of the
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 ...
post town (). Besides the cities of
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
,
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
and
Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
, the county is rural, with many small towns, villages and hamlets largely built in the traditional materials of timber and brick, with clay tile or thatched roofs.


Transport

Much of Essex lies within the
London commuter belt The London metropolitan area is the metropolitan area of London, England. It has several definitions, including the London Travel to Work Area, and usually consists of the London urban area, settlements that share London's infrastructure, and ...
, with radial transport links to the capital an important part of the area's economy. There are nationally or regionally important ports and airports and these also rely on the Essex infrastructure, causing an additional load on the local road and rail links.


Railway

Essex's railway routes to London are, running clockwise: * The
West Anglia Main Line The West Anglia Main Line is one of the two main lines that operate out of , the other being the Great Eastern Main Line, which operates services to Ipswich and Norwich via Colchester. It runs generally north through Cheshunt, Broxbourne, Har ...
from Liverpool Street to
Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...
,
Stansted Airport London Stansted Airport is a tertiary international airport serving London, England, United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, England, northeast of Central London. London Stansted serves over 160 destinations acros ...
and onward to
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
. * The southern part of
Epping Forest Epping Forest is a area of ancient woodland, and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London ...
district is served by the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
Central line. * The
Great Eastern Main Line The Great Eastern Main Line (GEML, sometimes referred to as the East Anglia Main Line) is a major railway line on the British railway system which connects Liverpool Street station in central London with destinations in east London and t ...
from Liverpool Street to
Shenfield Shenfield is a commuter suburb of Brentwood, in the borough of Brentwood, Essex, England. In 2020, the suburb was estimated to have a population of 5,396. History The old village (now town), by the church and Green Dragon pub, lies along the ...
,
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
,
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
and onto
East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
. The Great Eastern includes branch lines to: #
Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...
and its port. The nearby port of Felixstowe in Suffolk is served by a separate branch. # The
Sunshine Coast Line The Sunshine Coast Line is the current marketing name of what originally was the Tendring Hundred Railway Line, a branch off the Great Eastern Main Line in the East of England. It links to the seaside resorts of and, via a branch, . The line ...
linking
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
to the seaside resorts of
Clacton-on-Sea Clacton-on-Sea is a seaside town in the Tendring District in the county of Essex, England. It is located on the Tendring Peninsula and is the largest settlement in the Tendring District with a population of 56,874 (2016). The town is situated a ...
and
Walton-on-the-Naze Walton-on-the-Naze is a seaside town on the North Sea coast and (as Walton le Soken) a former civil parish, now in the parish of Frinton and Walton, in the Tendring district in Essex, England. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Ha ...
via the picturesque towns of
Wivenhoe Wivenhoe ( ) is a town and civil parish in north-eastern Essex, England, approximately south-east of Colchester. Historically Wivenhoe village, on the banks of the River Colne, and Wivenhoe Cross, on the higher ground to the north, were two ...
and
Great Bentley Great Bentley is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Tendring district of north Essex, England, located seven miles east of Colchester. The parish includes the hamlets of Aingers Green and South Heath. It is home to the second larg ...
. # Braintree. # Branch from
Marks Tey Marks Tey is a large village and electoral ward in Essex, England; it is located six miles west of Colchester. Facilities Marks Tey is one of a group of villages called the Teys, also including Great Tey and Little Tey. Its main features includ ...
to Sudbury (Suffolk) and villages in-between. # In the densely populated south, there is a branch to
Southend Victoria Southend Victoria railway station is the eastern terminus of the Shenfield to Southend Line in the East of England, a branch off the Great Eastern Main Line, and is one of the primary stations serving the resort city of Southend-on-Sea, Essex (t ...
, the Rochford Peninsula and several south Essex towns. This branch has a sub-branch – the Crouch Valley Line – linking
Wickford Wickford is a town and civil parish in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of 33,486. Located approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of London, it is within the Borough of Basildon along with the original town of Basil ...
to the remote
Dengie Peninsula __NOTOC__ Dengie is a peninsula in Essex, England, that once formed a hundred (subdivision), hundred of the same name (sometimes spelled Dengy). The peninsula is formed by the River Crouch to the south, the River Blackwater, Essex, Blackwater to ...
, including
Burnham-on-Crouch Burnham-on-Crouch is a town and civil parish in the Maldon District of Essex in the East of England. It lies on the north bank of the River Crouch. It is one of Britain's leading places for yachting. The civil parish extends east of the town t ...
and
Southminster Southminster is a town and electoral ward on the Dengie Peninsula in the Maldon district of Essex in the East of England. It lies about north of Burnham-on-Crouch and south-east of Maldon; it is approximately east-north-east of London. To the ...
. * Like the Southend Victoria branch, the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway also serves Southend (Southend Central railway station, Southend Central), the Rochford Peninsula and many towns in the densely populated south of the county. The London terminus is Fenchurch Street railway station, Fenchurch Street and heading eastward from Barking, the line separates into three, which later merge back into one by the time the railway reaches Pitsea. The Essex Thameside franchise is operated by c2c. The Greater Anglia routes (both the West Anglia Main Line, West Anglia and
Great Eastern Main Line The Great Eastern Main Line (GEML, sometimes referred to as the East Anglia Main Line) is a major railway line on the British railway system which connects Liverpool Street station in central London with destinations in east London and t ...
and their branches) are operated by Greater Anglia (train operating company), Greater Anglia.


Road

Essex has six main strategic routes, five of which reflect the powerful influence exerted by London. The M25 motorway, M25 is London's orbital motorway which redistributes traffic across the London area. It includes the Dartford Crossing, Dartford Road Crossings, over the Thames Estuary, linking Essex to Kent. There are four radial commuter routes into the capital: * M11 motorway, M11 motorway, which also serves Stansted Airport and provides commuter links to Cambridge. * A12 road (Great Britain), A12, to
East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...
via
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
and
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
. It also serves the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe (Suffolk). * A127 road (Great Britain), A127, to the Rochford Peninsula, including Southend and Southend Airport. This is no longer maintained as a trunk road. * A13 road (Great Britain), A13, to the Rochford Peninsula, also including Southend. It also serves the expanding Port of Tilbury, Tilbury and London Gateway ports. The A120 is a major route heading west from the ports of Harwich and Felixstowe (Suffolk) and, like the A12, the route was in use during the Roman period and, in part at least, before then.


Ports and waterborne transport

The Port of Tilbury is one of Britain's three major ports and has proposed a major extension onto the site of the former Tilbury power stations. The port of
Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...
has passenger and freight services to the Hook of Holland and a freight service to Europoort. A service to Esbjerg, Denmark ceased in September 2014 and earlier a service to Cuxhaven in Germany was discontinued in December 2005. The UK's largest container terminal London Gateway at Shell Haven in
Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...
partly opened in November 2013; final completion date is yet to be confirmed. The port was opposed by the local authority and environmental and wildlife organisations. The ports have branch lines to connect them to the national rail network. These freight movements conflict with the needs of commuter passenger services, limiting their frequency and reliability. East of the Dartford Crossing, Dartford Road Crossing to Dartford in Kent, across the Thames Estuary, a pedestrian ferry to Gravesend, Kent operates from Tilbury during limited daily hours; there are pedestrian ferries across some of Essex's rivers and estuaries in spring and summer.


Airports

The main airport in Essex is Stansted Airport, serving destinations in Europe, North Africa and Asia. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, formed in May 2010, agreed not to allow a further runway until a set time period, so curtailing the operator's ambitions for expansion. London Southend Airport, once one of Britain's busiest airports, opened a new runway extension, terminal building and railway station in March 2012. It has a station on the Shenfield to Southend Line, with a direct link to London. Southend Airport has scheduled flights to Ireland, the Channel Islands and multiple destinations in Europe. Essex has several smaller airfields, some of which owe their origins to military bases built during World War I or World War II, giving pleasure flights or flying lessons; these include Clacton Airport, Clacton Airfield, Earls Colne, Earls Colne Airfield and Stapleford Aerodrome.


History

Essex evolved from the
Kingdom of the East Saxons la, Regnum Orientalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the East Saxons , common_name = Essex , era = Heptarchy , status = , status_text = , government_type = Monarch ...
, a polity which is likely to have its roots in the territory of the Iron Age Trinovantes tribe.


Iron Age

Essex corresponds, fairly closely, to the territory of the Trinovantes tribe. Their production of their own coinage marks them out as one of the more advanced tribes on the island, this advantage (in common with other tribes in the south-east) is probably due to the Belgae#Britain, Belgic element within their elite. Their capital was the oppidum, 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 the complete control of the Catuvellauni, who took Colchester as their own capital.


Roman

The Roman conquest of Britain, Roman invasion of AD 43 began with a landing on the south coast, probably in the Richborough area of
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
. 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 Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
, and took it. Claudius held 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 Roman legion, 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 Colonia (Roman), Roman Colonia, with the official name Colonia Claudia Victricensis ('the City of Claudius' Victory'). It was initially the most important city in Roman Britain and in it they Temple of Claudius, Colchester, 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 the Boudicca, 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 Battle of Camulodunum, Massacre of the Ninth Legion. The rebels then proceeded to sack
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 ...
and St Albans, with Tacitus estimating that 70–80,000 people were killed in 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 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 Edict of Milan, granted freedom of worship to Christians in 313. Other archaeological evidence include a chi rho, chi-rho symbol etched on a tile at a site in
Wickford Wickford is a town and civil parish in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of 33,486. Located approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of London, it is within the Borough of Basildon along with the original town of Basil ...
, and a gold ring inscribed with a chi-rho monogram found at Brentwood, Essex, Brentwood. The late Roman period, and the period shortly after, was the setting for the Coel Hen#Colchester Legend, King Cole legends based around
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
. One version of the legend concerns Helena, mother of Constantine I, 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 Constantius Chlorus#British legends, related legends, are at variance with biographical details as they are now known, but it is likely that Constantine, and his father, Constantius Chlorus, Constantius spent time in Colchester during their years in Britain. The presence of St Helena in the country is less certain.


Anglo-Saxon period

The name ''Essex'' originates in the Anglo-Saxon period of the
Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
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 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 was Sledd of Essex, Sledd in 587, though there are less reliable sources giving an account of Æscwine of Essex, 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 Kingdom of Essex#List of kings, kings of Essex are notable for their S-nomenclature, nearly all of them begin with 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 Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
and at times also the Surrey#Formation of Surrey, 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 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 Saebert of Essex, Sebert converted to Christianity around 604 and St Pauls Cathedral in London 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 Cedd, St Cedd, a monk from Lindisfarne and now the patron saint of Essex, converted Sigeberht II of Essex, Sigeberht II the Good around 653. In AD 824, Ecgberht, King of Wessex, Ecgberht, the King of the Wessex and grandfather of Alfred the Great, defeated the Mercians at the Battle of Ellandun in Wiltshire, fundamentally changing the balance of power in southern England. The small kingdoms of Essex, Kingdom of Sussex, Sussex and of Kingdom of Kent, 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 South Benfleet#Battle of Benfleet, 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 was formed from the core area, east of the
River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in South East England. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Creek. It is one of t ...
, of the former Kingdom of the East Saxons in the 9th or 10th centuries and divided into groupings called Hundred (county division), Hundreds. Before the Norman conquest the East Saxons were subsumed into the Kingdom of England.


After the Norman Conquest

Having conquered England, William the Conqueror initially based himself at Barking Abbey, an already ancient nunnery, for several months while 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, Colchester, Hedingham Castle, Castle Hedingham, Rayleigh Castle, Rayleigh, Pleshey and elsewhere. Hadleigh Castle 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, it is important to note that 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 Book, Domesday returns for Essex has shown that 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 the legal ''Forest of Essex'' and it ceased to exist as a legal entity after 1327, and after that time Royal forest#Forest law, Forest Law applied to smaller areas: the forests of Writtle (near
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
), long lost Kingswood (near Colchester), Hatfield Forest, Hatfield, and Waltham Forest (Legal Forest), Waltham Forest. Waltham Forest had covered parts of the Hundred (county division), Hundreds of Hundreds of Essex, Waltham, Becontree and Ongar. It also included the physical woodland areas subsequently legally afforested (designated as a legal forest) and known as
Epping Forest Epping Forest is a area of ancient woodland, and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London ...
and Hainault Forest).


Peasants Revolt, 1381

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 was very poor due to the Hundred Years War, 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, Essex, Brentwood on 1 June 1381. Several thousand Essex rebels gathered at Bocking, Essex, Bocking on June 4, and then divided. Some heading to
Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
to raise rebellion there, with the rest heading to London, some directly – via Bow Bridge (London), Bow Bridge and others may have gone via Kent. A large force of Kentish rebels 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 the capital and executed a number of their enemies, but the revolt began to dissipate after the events at Smithfield, London, 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 Richard II of England, 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 was able to receive reinforcements and then crush the rebellion in Essex and elsewhere. His forces defeated rebels in battle at Battle of Billericay, Billericay on the 28th June, and there were mass executions; hangings and disembowelling at Chelmsford and Colchester.


Wars of the Roses

In 1471, during the Wars of the Roses a force of around 2,000 Essex supporters of the House of Lancaster, Lancastrian cause crossed Bow Bridge (London), Bow Bridge to join with 3,000 Kentish Lancastrian supporters under the Thomas Neville (died 1471), 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 (1471), Siege of London. The Lancastrians were defeated, and the Essex contingent retreated back over the
Lea Lea or LEA may refer to: Places Australia * Lea River, Tasmania, Australia * Lake Lea, Tasmania, from which the Lea River flows * RAAF Base Learmonth, IATA airport code "LEA" England * Lea, Cheshire, a civil parish * Lea, Derbyshire, a set ...
with heavy losses.


Armada

In 1588 Tilbury Fort was chosen as the focal point of the English defences against King Philip II of Spain, King Philip II's Spanish Armada, and the large veteran army he had ordered to invade England. The English believed that the Spanish would land near the Fort, so Elizabeth I of England, Queen Elizabeth's small and relatively poorly trained forces gathered at Tilbury, where the Queen made her Speech to the Troops at Tilbury, famous speech to the troops.


Civil War

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 a small Royalist cavalry force from Essex, fought a Bow Bridge (London), 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 Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
, 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 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.


Administrative history


Before the County Council

Before the creation of the county councils, county-level administration was limited in nature; lord-lieutenants replaced the sheriff#England, Wales and Northern Ireland, sheriffs from the time of Henry VIII of England, 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 justice of the peace, 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 the poor laws, administration of county prisons and setting the County Rate. JPs carried out these responsibilities, mainly through quarter sessions, and did this on a voluntary basis. At this time the county was sub-divided into units known as Hundred (county division), Hundreds. At a very early but unknown date, small parts of the county on the east bank of the Stort, near Bishops Stortford and Sawbridgeworth were transferred to
Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...


County Councils

Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, and is currently controlled by the Conservative Party. The council meets at County Hall ...
was formed in 1889. However, County Boroughs of County Borough of West Ham, West Ham (1889–1965), County Borough of Southend-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea (1914–1974) and County Borough of East Ham, East Ham (1915–1965) formed part of the county but were county boroughs (not under county council control, in a similar manner to unitary authorities today).Vision of Britain
– Essex admin county
historic map
)
12 boroughs and districts provide more localised services such as rubbish and recycling collections, leisure and planning, as shown in the map on the right. The north-west tip of Essex, the parishes of Great Chishill, Little Chishill and Heydon, Cambridgeshire, Heydon, were transferred to
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...
when the County Councils were created in 1889. Parts of a number of other parishes were also transferred at that time, and since.


Greater London established

The boundary with
Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...
was established in 1965, when County Borough of East Ham, East Ham and County Borough of West Ham, West Ham county boroughs and the Municipal Borough of Barking, Barking, Municipal Borough of Chingford, Chingford, Municipal Borough of Dagenham, Dagenham, Hornchurch Urban District, Hornchurch, Municipal Borough of Ilford, Ilford, Municipal Borough of Leyton, Leyton, Municipal Borough of Romford, Romford, Municipal Borough of Walthamstow, Walthamstow and Municipal Borough of Wanstead and Woodford, Wanstead and Woodford districts as well as a part of Chigwell Urban District, Chigwell were transferred to form the London boroughs of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Barking and Dagenham, London Borough of Havering, Havering, London Borough of Newham, Newham, London Borough of Redbridge, Redbridge and London Borough of Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest.


Two unitary authorities

In 1998, the borough status in the United Kingdom, boroughs of City of Southend-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea and
Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...
were separated from the administrative county of Essex after successful requests to become unitary authority, unitary authorities.


Administration and politics


Essex County Council

The county council governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, some of which elect more than one member, but before 1965, the number of councillors reached over 100. The council is currently controlled by the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party.Essex County Council#cite note-2, [2] The council meets at County Hall, Chelmsford, County Hall in the centre of
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
. At the time of the 2011 census it served a population of 1,393,600, which makes it one of the largest local authorities in England. As a non-metropolitan county council, responsibilities are shared between districts (including Borough status in the United Kingdom, boroughs) and in many areas also between Civil parishes in England, civil parish (including town) councils. Births, marriages/civil partnerships and death registration, roads, libraries and archives, refuse disposal, most of state education, of social services and of transport are provided at the county level.Essex County Council#cite note-comp-3, [3] The county council was formed in 1889, governing the
administrative county An administrative county was a first-level administrative division in England and Wales from 1888 to 1974, and in Ireland from 1899 until either 1973 (in Northern Ireland) or 2002 (in the Republic of Ireland). They are now abolished, although mos ...
of Essex. The county council was reconstituted in 1974 as a non-metropolitan county council, regaining jurisdiction in Southend-on-Sea; however, the non-metropolitan county was reduced in size in 1998 and the council passed responsibilities to Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Thurrock Council in those districts. For certain services the three authorities co-operate through joint arrangements, such as the Essex fire authority. At the 2013 Essex County Council election, 2013 County Council elections the Conservative Party retained overall control of the council, but its majority fell from twenty-two to four councillors. UKIP, Labour and the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats each won nine seats. Out of those three parties, UKIP gained the largest share of the county-wide vote, more than 10% ahead of Labour.2013 Essex County Council election#cite note-change-3, [3] The Liberal Democrats remain as the official Opposition, despite winning fewer votes.2013 Essex County Council election#cite note-change-3, [3] The Green Party of England and Wales, Green Party gained two seats on the council, despite its overall share of the vote falling. The Independent Loughton Residents Association and the Canvey Island Independent Party both returned one member and an Independent (politician), Independent candidate was also elected. The 2017 Essex County Council election, 2017 County Council elections saw a county-wide wipeout of UKIP. The Conservative Party profited most from this loss, regaining many of the seats it had lost at the previous election. Labour, despite a slight rise in its share of the vote, had fewer councillors elected. The Liberal Democrats also saw a notable revival, but were unable to translate this into seats. The Conservatives retained firm control of the council. The next election will be in 2021 Essex County Council election, 2021. , - ! rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" , Party ! colspan="4", Votes cast ! colspan="4", % ! colspan="4", Seats , - !2009 !2013 !2017 ! ± !2009 !2013 !2017 ! ± !2009 !2013 !2017 ! ± , - , style="background:#0087dc;", , style="text-align:left;" , Conservative Party (UK), Conservative , 169,975 , 112,229 , 184,901 , 72,672 , 43.3 , 34.4 , 49.3 , 14.9 , 60 , 42 , 56 , 14 , - , style="background:#dc241f;", , style="text-align:left;" , Labour Party (UK), Labour , 42,334 , 57,290 , 63,470 , 6,180 , 10.8 , 16.4 , 16.9 , 0.5 , 1 , 9 , 6 , 3 , - , style="background:#fdbb30;", , style="text-align:left;" , Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat , 79,085 , 35,651 , 51,524 , 15,873 , 20.1 , 11.6 , 13.7 , 2.1 , 12 , 9 , 7 , 2 , - , style="background:#70147a;", , style="text-align:left;" , UKIP , 18,186 , 90,812 , 29,796 , 61,016 , 4.6 , 27.6 , 7.9 , 19.7 , 0 , 9 , 0 , 9 , - , style="background:#6ab023;", , style="text-align:left;" , Green Party of England and Wales, Green , 26,547 , 15,187 , 15,187 , , 6.8 , 4.8 , 4.3 , 0.5 , 0 , 2 , 1 , 1 , - , style="background:#e9e9e9;", , style="text-align:left;" , Independents , 5,845 , 4,631 , 12,506 , 7,875 , 1.5 , 0.6 , 2.4 , 1.8 , 0 , 1 , 2 , 1 , - , style="background-color:;" , , style="text-align:left;" , Residents for Uttlesford , ''N/A'' , ''N/A'' , 5,231 , , ''N/A'' , ''N/A'' , 1.4 , , 0 , 0*(1) , 0 , 1 , - , style="background:black;", , style="text-align:left;" , Canvey Island Independent Party, Canvey Island Independents , 1,655 , 2,777 , 3,654 , 877 , 0.4 , 0.9 , 1.0 , 0.1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 1 , - , style="background:#008800;", , style="text-align:left;" , Loughton Residents Association, Loughton Residents , 2,764 , 3,286 , 2,824 , 462 , 0.7 , 1.1 , 0.8 , 0.3 , 1 , 1 , 1 , , - , style="background-color:;" , , style="text-align:left;" , Tendring First , 5,866 , 4,093 , 1,332 , 2,761 , 1.5 , 1.4 , 0.4 , 1.0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background-color:;" , , style="text-align:left;" , British National Party, BNP , 35,037 , 909 , 847 , 62 , 8.9 , 0.3 , 0.2 , 0.1 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#915f6d;", , style="text-align:left;" , English Democrats , 5,212 , 835 , 58 , 164 , 1.3 , 0.3 , 0.0 , 0.3 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background-color:;" , , style="text-align:left;" , Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, TUSC , ''N/A'' , 431 , ''N/A'' , , ''N/A'' , 0.1 , ''N/A'' , , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background-color:;" , , style="text-align:left;" , National Front (UK), National Front , ''N/A'' , 304 , ''N/A'' , , ''N/A'' , 0.1 , ''N/A'' , , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - ! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" , Total ! 392,506 ! 328,435 ! 372,834 ! ! 100% ! 100% ! 100% ! ! 75 ! 75 ! 75 !


County Hall

The county council chamber and main headquarters is at the County Hall, Chelmsford, County Hall in
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
. Before 1938, the council regularly met in London near Moorgate railway station, Moorgate, which with significant parts of the county close to that point and the Railways in the United Kingdom, dominance of railway travel had been more convenient than any place in the county. The County Hall, made a listed building in 2007, dates largely from the mid-1930s and is decorated with fine artworks of that period, mostly the gift of the family who owned the textile firm Courtaulds.


English region

Essex became part of the
East of England The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. This region was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics purposes from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire ...
Regions of England, Government Office Region in 1994 and was statistically counted as part of that region from 1999, having previously been part of the South East England region.


Essex Police

Essex Police covers the administrative county and the two unitary authorities.


Youth councils

The Essex County Council also has a Youth Assembly, 75 members aged between 11 and 19 who aim to represent all young people in their districts across Essex. They decide on the priorities for young people and campaign to make a difference. With this, some district and unitary authorities may have their own youth councils, such as Epping Forest District, Epping Forest, Uttlesford and Harlow District Council elections, Harlow. All these councillors are elected by their schools. The elections to the Young Essex Assembly occur in the respective schools in which the candidates are standing, likewise for the youth councils at a district and unitary level. These young people will then go on to represent their school and their parish/ward or (in the case of the Young Essex Assembly) their entire district. The initiative seeks to engage younger people in the county and rely on the youth councillors of all status to work closely with schools and youth centres to improve youth services in Essex and help promote the opinions of Essex youth.


Local government


Borough and district level

The county of Essex is divided int
12 district and borough councils with 2 unitary authorities
(Southend-on-Sea City Council, Southend on Sea and Thurrock Council, Thurrock). The 12 councils manage housing, local planning, refuse collection, street cleaning, elections and meet in their respective civic offices. The local representatives are elected in parts in local elections, held every year.


Town and parish level

Town and Parish councils in England, parish councils vary in size from those with a population of around 200 to those with a population of over 30,000. Annual expenditure can vary greatly, depending on the circumstances of the individual council. Parish and town councils (local councils) have the same powers and duties, but a town council may elect a town mayor, rather than a chairman, each year in May. There are just under 300 town and parish councils within Essex. These Councils have no statutory duties but can contribute to local life in a range of ways, such as maintaining allotments and open spaces, to crime prevention and providing recreation facilities. They can also influence other decision makers and can deliver services to meet local needs. Their powers and duties range Town and parish councils have the right to become statutory consultees at both district and county level and, although the decision remains with the planning authorities, local councils can influence the decision-making process by making informed comments and recommendations.


Westminster and the 2016 EU referendum

As of the 2019 United Kingdom general election, 2019 general election, all List of Parliamentary constituencies in Essex, 18 Essex seats are represented by Conservatives, all of them with absolute majorities (over 50% of the vote). There have previously been some Labour Party (UK), Labour MPs: most recently, Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency), Thurrock, Harlow (UK Parliament constituency), Harlow and Basildon (UK Parliament constituency), Basildon in Labour's 2005 election victory. The Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats until 2015 had a sizeable following in Essex, gaining Colchester (UK Parliament constituency), Colchester in the 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 general election. The 2015 United Kingdom general election, 2015 general election saw a large vote in Essex for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), with its only MP, Douglas Carswell, retaining the seat of Clacton that he had won in a 2014 Clacton by-election, 2014 by-election, and other strong performances, notably in Thurrock and Castle Point (UK Parliament constituency), Castle Point, but in the 2017 United Kingdom general election, 2017 general election, UKIP's vote share plummeted by 15.6% while both Conservative and Labour rose by 9%. This resulted in Labour regaining second place in Essex, increasing their vote share across the county and cutting some Conservative majorities in areas that had been unaffected by the 1997 United Kingdom general election, 1997 general election, namely Rochford and Southend East (UK Parliament constituency), Rochford and Southend East and Southend West (UK Parliament constituency), Southend West. In 2015, Thurrock was a three-way marginal, with UKIP, Labour and the Conservatives gaining 30%, 31% and 32% respectively. In 2017, the Conservatives held Thurrock with an increased share of the vote, but a smaller margin of victory. It was the constituency in which UKIP performed best in 2017, with 20% of the vote, while all other areas had been reduced to low single-figure vote shares. Several new MPs were elected in the 2017 election, with Alex Burghart, Vicky Ford, Giles Watling and Kemi Badenoch all replacing senior Conservative politicians Eric Pickles, Sir Eric Pickles, Simon Burns, Sir Simon Burns, Douglas Carswell and Sir Alan Haselhurst, respectively. At the 2019 general election, Castle Point constituency recorded the highest vote share for the Conservatives in the entire United Kingdom, with 76.7%. The most marginal constituency in the county is Colchester; however the Conservative Party still command a majority of over 9,400 votes. In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 EU referendum, 62.3% of voters in Essex voted to Results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, leave the EU, with all 14 District Council areas voting to leave, the smallest margin being in Uttlesford. , - ! rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" , Party ! colspan="4", Votes cast ! colspan="4", % ! colspan="4", Seats , - !2015 !2017 !2019 ! ± !2015 !2017 !2019 ! ± !2015 !2017 !2019 ! ± , - , style="background:#0087dc;", , style="text-align:left;" , Conservative Party (UK), Conservative , 436,758 , 528,949 , 577,118 , 48,169 , 49.6 , 59.0 , 64.8 , 5.8 , 17 , 18 , 18 , , - , style="background:#dc241f;", , style="text-align:left;" , Labour Party (UK), Labour , 171,026 , 261,671 , 189,471 , 72,200 , 19.4 , 29.2 , 21.2 , 8.0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#fdbb30;", , style="text-align:left;" , Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat , 58,592 , 46,254 , 95,078 , 48,824 , 6.6 , 5.1 , 10.6 , 5.5 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#6ab023;", , style="text-align:left;" , Green Party of England and Wales, Green , 25,993 , 12,343 , 20,438 , 8,095 , 3.0 , 1.3 , 2.3 , 1.0 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#e9e9e9;", , style="text-align:left;" , Independents , 6,919 , 4,179 , 10,224 , 6,045 , 0.7 , 0.4 , 1.1 , 0.7 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#fff000;", , style="text-align:left;" , Official Monster Raving Loony Party, Monster Raving Loony , ''N/A'' , ''N/A'' , 804 , 804 , ''N/A'' , ''N/A'' , 0.09 , 0.09 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#915f6d;", , style="text-align:left;" , English Democrats , 453 , 289 , 532 , 243 , 0.05 , 0.03 , 0.06 , 0.03 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#D25469;", , style="text-align:left;" , Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present), SDP , ''N/A'' , ''N/A'' , 394 , 394 , ''N/A'' , ''N/A'' , 0.04 , 0.04 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#FF01FF;", , style="text-align:left;" , Psychedelic Future , ''N/A'' , ''N/A'' , 367 , 367 , ''N/A'' , ''N/A'' , 0.04 , 0.04 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#ff0;", , style="text-align:left;" , YPP , 80 , 110 , 170 , 60 , 0.00 , 0.01 , 0.02 , 0.01 , 0 , 0 , 0 , , - , style="background:#70147a;", , style="text-align:left;" , UKIP , 177,756 , 41,478 , ''N/A'' , 41,478 , 20.2 , 4.6 , ''N/A'' , 4.6 , 1 , 0 , 0 , , - ! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" , Total ! 879,918 ! 896,231 ! 894,608 ! ! 100% ! 100% ! 100% ! ! 18 ! 18 ! 18 !


Culture and community


Flag and coat of arms

Both the Flag of Essex and the county's coat of arms comprise three Saxon seax knives (although they look rather more like scimitars), mainly white and pointing to the right (from the point of view of the observer), arranged vertically one above another on a red background (''Gules three Seaxes fesswise in pale Argent pommels and hilts Or, points to the sinister and notches to the base''). The three-seax device is also used as the official logo of Essex County Council; this was granted in 1932.Robert Young. (2009). Civic Heraldry of England and Wales
Essex
. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
The emblem was attributed to Kingdom of Essex, Anglo-Saxon Essex in Early Modern historiography. The earliest reference to the arms of the East Saxon kings was by Richard Verstegan, the author of ''A Restitution of Decayed Intelligence'' (Antwerp, 1605), claiming that "Erkenwyne king of the East-Saxons did beare for his armes, three [seaxes] argent, in a field gules". There is no earlier evidence substantiating Verstegan's claim, which is an anachronism for the Anglo-Saxon period seeing that heraldry only evolved in the 12th century, well after the Norman Conquest. John Speed in his ''Historie of Great Britaine'' (1611) follows Verstegan in his descriptions of the arms of Erkenwyne, but he qualifies the statement by adding "as some or our heralds have emblazed".


Patron saint

The East Saxon royal house had converted the Christianity around 604 AD, but subsequently apostasised. In the mid 7th century, a new Christian king, Sigeberht the Good, requested help from the monks of Lindisfarne in promoting Christianity among his people. Cedd, St Cedd, an Irish trained Northumbrian monk, sailed south and established a chapel, dedicated to Saint Peter, St Peter, on the site of the old Roman fort of Othona (modern Bradwell-on-Sea), a chapel which still stands. Cedd, who was well known for confronting political authority, filled Bishop of London#List of Bishops, the vacant position of Bishop of London – the Bishop of the East Saxons. The feast day of St Cedd, also known as ''Essex Day'', is marked on the 26th October.


County plant

The cowslip is the county plant of Essex.


Speech

The county has its own ''Essex dialect'', though this has lost ground to other forms so that it is now chiefly spoken in parts of the north and among older residents. It has been partially replaced by Received Pronunciation (RP) and Cockney, a form originally heavily influenced by the Essex dialect. The prevalence of Cockney, particularly in the south, is the result of the large-scale migration of East Londoners to Essex, ''the Cockney Diaspora'', particularly after World War II. A blend of RP and Cockney is widely heard, and known as Estuary English.


Traditions

Essex is also home to the Great Dunmow, Dunmow Flitch Trials, a traditional ceremony that takes place every four years and consists of a test of a married couple's devotion to one another. A common claim of the origin of the Dunmow Flitch dates back to 1104 and the Augustinians, Augustinian Little Dunmow Priory, priory of Little Dunmow, founded by Lady Juga Baynard. Lord of the Manor Reginald Fitzwalter and his wife dressed themselves as humble folk and begged blessing of the Prior a year and a day after marriage. The prior, impressed by their devotion, bestowed upon them a flitch of bacon. Upon revealing his true identity, Fitzwalter gave his land to the priory on condition that a flitch should be awarded to any couple who could claim they were similarly devoted. By the 14th century, the Dunmow Flitch Trials appear to have achieved a significant reputation outside the local area. The author William Langland, who lived on the Welsh borders, mentions it in his 1362 book ''The Vision of Piers Plowman'' in a manner that implies general knowledge of the custom among his readers.


Sport


Football

The ceremonial county is home to two professional sides, Southend United and Colchester United with ''Metropolitan Essex'' home to three more - West Ham United F.C., West Ham United, Leyton Orient F.C., Leyton Orient and Dagenham & Redbridge F.C., Dagenham & Redbridge. Essex also has a number of other clubs which play below English football’s fifth tier. Billericay Town F.C., Billericay Town, Braintree Town F.C., Braintree Town, Chelmsford City F.C., Chelmsford City and Concord Rangers F.C., Concord Rangers all play in the National League South. The highest domestic trophy for non-league teams, the FA Trophy, has been won on three occasions by Essex teams: Colchester United (1992), Canvey Island (2001) and by Grays Athletic F.C., Grays Athletic in 2006. The FA Vase has been won three times by Billericay Town in 1976, 1977 and 1979, and by Stansted F.C., Stansted in 1984.


Cricket

Essex County Cricket Club became a First-class cricket, first-class county in 1894. The county has won eight County Championship league titles; six of these were won during the dominant period between 1979 and 1992, with a gap of 25 years before the county's next titles in 2017 and 2019.


Other sports

The county is also home to the Romford Raiders and Chelmsford Chieftains ice hockey teams and the Essex Leopards basketball team. It is home to the amateur rugby league football teams the Eastern Rhinos and Brentwood Eels (Essex Eels). Defunct teams include the Essex Pirates basketball team, as well as Motorcycle speedway, speedway teams the Lakeside Hammers (formerly Arena Essex Hammers), the Rayleigh Rockets and the Romford Bombers. During the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 London Olympics, Hadleigh Farm played host to the mountain bike races. London Stadium, which was the host of the games, is located within the historical Essex boundaries. Essex has one horse racing venue, Chelmsford City Racecourse at Great Leighs. Horse racing also took place at Chelmsford Racecourse in Galleywood until 1935. The county has one current greyhound racing track, Harlow Stadium. Rayleigh Weir Stadium and Southend Stadium are former greyhound venues. Team Essex Volleyball Club is Chelmsford's national league volleyball club. It has four teams which play in Volleyball England's national volleyball league. Its men's 1st team currently competes in the top division in the country, the Super 8s, while the women's 1st team competes one tier below the men. The club has a strong junior programme and trains at The Boswells School in Chelmsford.


Sportspeople

Many famous sports stars have come from or trained in Essex. These have included swimmer Mark Foster (swimmer), Mark Foster; cricket stars Trevor Bailey, Nasser Hussain, Alastair Cook and Graham Gooch; footballers Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1953), Peter Taylor, James Tomkins (footballer), James Tomkins, Justin Edinburgh, Nigel Spink; tennis stars John Lloyd (tennis), John Lloyd and David Lloyd (tennis), David Lloyd; Olympic Gold-winning gymnast Max Whitlock; Olympic sailing champion Saskia Clark; World Champion snooker stars Stuart Bingham and Steve Davis; world champion boxers Terry Marsh (boxer), Terry Marsh, Nigel Benn and Frank Bruno; London Marathon winner Eamonn Martin; international rugby players Malcolm O'Kelly and Stuart Barnes; Formula 1 sports car drivers Johnny Herbert and Perry McCarthy.


Television

The county is served by BBC East and ITV Anglia, but southern parts of Essex are also served by BBC London and ITV London.


Education

Education in Essex is substantially provided by three authorities:
Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, and is currently controlled by the Conservative Party. The council meets at County Hall ...
and the two unitary authorities, City of Southend-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea and
Thurrock Thurrock () is a unitary authority area with borough status and unparished area in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The l ...
. In all there are some 90 state secondary schools provided by these authorities, the majority of which are comprehensive, although one in Uttlesford, two in
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
, two in
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
and four in
Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
are selective grammar schools. There are also various independent schools particularly, as mentioned above, in rural parts and the west of the county. The University of Essex, which was established in 1963, is located just outside Colchester, with two further campuses in
Loughton Loughton () is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. Part of the metropolitan and urban area of London, the town borders Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill, and is northeast of Chari ...
and Southend-on-Sea. Anglia Ruskin University has a campus in Chelmsford. Lord Ashcroft International Business School, Faculty of Medical Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Anglia Law School, Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education and School of Medicine are located in the campus area. Writtle University College, at Writtle, near Chelmsford, offers both higher and further education in land-management subjects.


Landmarks

Over 14,000 buildings have listed building, listed status in the county and around 1,000 of those are recognised as of Grade I or II* importance. The buildings range from the 7th century Saxon church of Church of St Peter-on-the-Wall, St Peter-on-the-Wall, to the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club which was the United Kingdom's entry in the 'International Exhibition of Modern Architecture' held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1932. Southend Pier is in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest pleasure pier in the world. File:St Peter-on-the-Wall ext.jpg, Church of St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea, The church of St Peter-on-the-Wall, Bradwell-on-Sea File:The keep, Hedingham Castle in winter.jpg, The Grade I listed Hedingham Castle, with the best preserved Norman keep in the UK File:Thaxted guildhall.JPG, Thaxted Guildhall, dating from around 1450 File:AudleyEndHouse.JPG, The 17th century Audley End House, Saffron Walden File:Royal Corinthian Yacht Club Burnham-on-Crouch.jpg, Royal Corinthian Yacht Club,
Burnham-on-Crouch Burnham-on-Crouch is a town and civil parish in the Maldon District of Essex in the East of England. It lies on the north bank of the River Crouch. It is one of Britain's leading places for yachting. The civil parish extends east of the town t ...
File:Colchester castle 800.jpg, Colchester Castle,
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
File:Hylands house.jpg, Hylands House, south of Writtle and south-west of
Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...
File:Southend from Southend Pier.jpg, Southend Pier,
Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...


Places of interest

* Abberton Reservoir * Anglia Ruskin University Chelmsford campus * Ashdon (The site of the ancient Bartlow Hills and also a claimant as the location of the Battle of Ashingdon) * Ashingdon (The site of the Battle of Ashingdon in 1016), near Southend, with its isolated St Andrews Church and site of England's earliest aerodrome at South Fambridge * Audley End House and Gardens, Saffron Walden * Brentwood Cathedral *
Clacton-on-Sea Clacton-on-Sea is a seaside town in the Tendring District in the county of Essex, England. It is located on the Tendring Peninsula and is the largest settlement in the Tendring District with a population of 56,874 (2016). The town is situated a ...
* Chelmsford Cathedral * Colchester Castle * Colchester Zoo * Colne Valley Railway * Cressing Temple * East Anglian Railway Museum *
Epping Forest Epping Forest is a area of ancient woodland, and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London ...
* Epping Ongar Railway * Finchingfield (home of the author Dodie Smith) * Frinton-on-Sea *
Great Bentley Great Bentley is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Tendring district of north Essex, England, located seven miles east of Colchester. The parish includes the hamlets of Aingers Green and South Heath. It is home to the second larg ...
, which has the largest village green in England * Hadleigh Castle * Harlow New Town * Hedingham Castle, between Stansted and
Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
, to the north of Braintree * Ingatestone Hall, Ingatestone, between Brentwood and Chelmsford * Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker * Lakeside Shopping Centre *
Loughton Loughton () is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. Part of the metropolitan and urban area of London, the town borders Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill, and is northeast of Chari ...
, near
Epping Forest Epping Forest is a area of ancient woodland, and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London ...
* Maldon, Essex, Maldon historic market town, close to Chelmsford and the North Sea, and site of the Battle of Maldon * Mangapps Railway Museum (
Burnham-on-Crouch Burnham-on-Crouch is a town and civil parish in the Maldon District of Essex in the East of England. It lies on the north bank of the River Crouch. It is one of Britain's leading places for yachting. The civil parish extends east of the town t ...
) * Marsh Farm Country Park (South Woodham Ferrers) * Mersea Island, birdwatching and rambling resort with one settlement, West Mersea * Mistley Towers, Manningtree, between Colchester and Ipswich, near Alton Water. * Stansted Mountfitchet, Mountfitchet Castle , Stansted * North Weald Airfield * Northey Island * Orsett Hall Hotel, Prince Charles Avenue, Orsett near Chadwell St Mary * Real Circumstance Theatre Company * Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills, Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey * St Peter-on-the-Wall * Saffron Walden * Southend Pier * Thames Estuary * Tilbury Fort * Thaxted, south of Saffron Walden * Thurrock Thameside Nature Park * University of Essex (Wivenhoe Park, Colchester and
Loughton Loughton () is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. Part of the metropolitan and urban area of London, the town borders Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill, and is northeast of Chari ...
) * Waltham Abbey Church


Notable people


Sister counties and regions

* Jiangsu, China * Picardy, France * Thuringia, Germany * Henrico County, Virginia, Henrico County, Virginia, United States * Accra, Ghana


See also

* Custos Rotulorum of Essex – Keepers of the Rolls * Earl of Essex * Essex (UK Parliament constituency) * Essex Police and Crime Commissioner * Healthcare in Essex * High Sheriff of Essex * List of civil parishes in England * List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Essex *
Lord Lieutenant of Essex This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex. Since 1688, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Essex. *John Petre, 1st Baron Petre *John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford 1558–? *Robert Dudley, 1st Earl ...
* Q Camp: WWII camp in Essex * Essex girl * University of Essex * The Hundred Parishes


References


External links

*
Essex County Council

Seax – Essex Archives Online

Images of Essex
at the English Heritage Archive {{Authority control Essex, Non-metropolitan counties NUTS 2 statistical regions of the United Kingdom English royal forests Home counties Counties of England established in antiquity