Billericay ( ) is a town and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the

Borough of Basildon The Borough of Basildon is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district with borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Essex, England. It is named after its largest town, Basildon, where the council is based. The borough ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, England. It lies within the

London Basin The London Basin is an elongated, roughly triangular sedimentary basin approximately long which underlies London and a large area of south east England, south eastern East Anglia and the adjacent North Sea. The basin formed as a result of compr ...

, east of the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Abbot of West Ham, in his Manor of Great Burstead. During the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, the Essex rebels were defeated in a battle with Richard II's forces in the Battle of Billericay. In 1620 four local people were on board the

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English sailing ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reac ...

as it sailed to

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, to establish the first English settlement in what would become the north of the United States. The town has long taken a pride in this connection, and many businesses and other organisations use the name ''Mayflower'', with the Town Council and other local organisations using it as their emblem.

Toponym

The origin of the name Billericay is unclear. It was first recorded as "Byllyrica" in 1291.PH Reaney-Place Names of Essex- English Place name Society - V12 The urban settlement, which was within the manor and parish of

Great Burstead Great Burstead is an urban settlement and former civil parish, now in the parish of Great Burstead and South Green, in the Basildon district, in Essex, England. It is contiguous with the town of Billericay. History By tradition, the origins of ...

, was one of many founded in the late 13th century in an already densely populated rural landscape. Several suggestions for the origin of the place name include: * ''Villa Erica'' (Heather Villa), suggesting a Romano-British origin. * ''bellerīca'', a medieval

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word meaning 'dyehouse or tanhouse'. * ''billers'', a traditional name for

watercress Watercress or yellowcress (''Nasturtium officinale'') is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Eurasia. It is one of the oldest known leaf vegetabl ...

, for which Bilbrook in Somerset and Staffordshire are named. Watercress was farmed in Billericay springs during the 20th century. Although the precise etymology of the name is not known, England has other places named Billerica: * Billerica, Kent. A deserted town adjacent to the settlement of Court-up-Street by Port Lympne. Significantly this is adjacent to a Roman "

Saxon Shore The Saxon Shore () was a military command of the Late Roman Empire, consisting of a series of fortifications on both sides of the English Channel. It was established in the late 3rd century and was led by the " Count of the Saxon Shore". In the ...

" fort as well as being on spring lines suitable for growing watercress. * Billerica Farm, near

Upton Noble Upton Noble is a village and civil parish on the River Frome. It is roughly north-east of Bruton, and from Frome town centre, in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. There was a 17th-century village pub called ''The Lamb Inn (''now cl ...

, Somerset. Although this farm might be named after the other Billericas, the site is also close to springs suitable for farming watercress. The Tudor antiquarian John Leland believed the already-abandoned Billerica in Kent was a variant of ''Bellocastrum'', ‘fair castle’ in Latin. In Billericay there is a Roman fort at Blunt's Wall Farm; likewise ‘

Burh A burh () or burg was an Anglo-Saxon fortification or fortified settlement. In the 9th century, raids and invasions by Vikings prompted Alfred the Great to develop a network of burhs and roads to use against such attackers. Some were new constru ...

’ gives its name to Great Burstead. This suggests that a Romano-British place name was reused by the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

following the

end of Roman rule in Britain The end of Roman rule in Britain occurred as the military forces of Roman Britain withdrew to defend or seize the Western Roman Empire's continental core, leaving behind an autonomous post-Roman Britain. In 383, the usurper Magnus Maximus wit ...

History

Early history

Some of the earliest records of human occupation of Billericay are the

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

s in

Norsey Wood Norsey Wood is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Billericay, Essex. It is also a Local Nature Reserve and a Scheduled Monument. The site is ancient oak woodland on acid soil which has been converted to mixed sweet chestnut co ...

, showing evidence of occupation in the

Bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

and

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

s. Evidence of a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

town, subsequently abandoned, were found on the high ground at Billericay School, just south of the High Street during excavations in 1970–71. There may also have been a small cavalry fort at Blunts Wall Farm.

Middle Ages

The town of Billericay was established in the 13th century in the Manor and Parish of Great Burstead. The Manor of ''Burgestede'' is first recorded in an Anglo-Saxon will of 975 AD. In the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086 it is recorded as Burghestada. Great Burstead is recorded in the early 13th century, showing that the division into Great and Little Burstead Manors and Parishes had happened by that time. The town of Billericay, first recorded as "Byllyrica" in 1291, is understood to have been founded in the 13th century by the Abbot of West Ham, head of the

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

community of

Stratford Langthorne Abbey Stratford Langthorne Abbey, or the Abbey of St Mary's, Stratford Langthorne was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1135 at Stratford Langthorne — then Essex but now Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. The Abbey, also known as West Ha ...

, twenty miles away on the Lower Lea, in what is now inner London. The Abbey held the Manor of Great Burstead at the time. The town was established at the High Street. Like the abandoned Roman settlement just to the south, it benefitted from a prominent position on the high ground forming the watershed of the

River Crouch The River Crouch is a small river that flows entirely through the England, English county of Essex. The distance of the Navigability, Navigation between Holliwell Point which is north of Foulness Island and Battlesbridge is 17.5 Miles, i.e. 15. ...

and

River Wid River Wid is a river in the county of Essex, England, a tributary of the River Can. It runs to the south of Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Esse ...

catchment areas. It was also on the crossroads (at Sun Corner) of the road from 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 th ...

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 Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...

(the modern B1007) and the road linking Hutton to

Wickford Wickford is a town and civil parish in the south of the English county (England), 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 orig ...

( the A129); it is believed that the Crouch may have been navigable as far as Wickford at that time. At this time, the parish church for Billericay was at

St Mary Magdalene, Great Burstead Church of St Mary Magdalene is a Listed building#Categories of listed building, Grade I-listed Church of England parish church, parish church located in the village of Great Burstead, about south of Billericay, Essex, England. While the current b ...

. By the 14th century a

chantry A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings: # a chantry service, a set of Christian liturgical celebrations for the dead (made up of the Requiem Mass and the Office of the Dead), or # a chantry chapel, a b ...

chapel had been built on the High Street in Billericay, which became a

chapel of ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church architecture, church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently, generally due to trav ...

to Great Burstead following

the Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

, eventually becoming a parish church in 1844, also dedicated to St Mary Magdalen. In the 13th and 14th centuries, some pilgrims to

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

journeyed via Billericay. Some of them may have spent the night in Billericay before crossing 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, s ...

Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a Tilbury Fort, 16th century fort ...

. This may account for the large number of inns in the town. Billericay's most notable historical episode was the

Battle of Billericay The Battle of Billericay took place on 28 June 1381 when the boy King Richard II's soldiers defeated the Essex rebels adjacent to a wood north-east of Billericay, part of the Peasants' Revolt. This is likely to have been Norsey Wood, which maps of ...

during the

Peasants' Revolt The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Black ...

of 1381.

Tudor period

The Wycliffe preachers influenced the town. Four local people (Thomas Watts, Joan Hornes, Elizabeth Thackwell and Margaret Ellis) were

burnt at the stake Death by burning is an execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a punishment for and warning agai ...

. Two other residents (Joan Potter and James Harris) were tortured for their Protestant faith during the reign of Queen Mary.

Pilgrim Fathers

A meeting of the

Pilgrim Fathers The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were the English settlers who travelled to North America on the ship ''Mayflower'' and established the Plymouth Colony at what now is Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. John Smith had named ...

, prior to their sailing in the ''

'', is said to have taken place in Billericay high street; many local names and much historical imagery reflect this, such as Mayflower House, Mayflower Morris Men, Mayflower Taxis, Mayflower School and Mayflower Hall. Sunnymede School's

houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

were called Mayflower, Pilgrim,

Chantry A chantry is an ecclesiastical term that may have either of two related meanings: # a chantry service, a set of Christian liturgical celebrations for the dead (made up of the Requiem Mass and the Office of the Dead), or # a chantry chapel, a b ...

. Christopher Martin, who was born in Great Burstead and later became a Billericay goods merchant and property owner, travelled on the ''Mayflower'' in 1620 as the official Ship's Governor and purchasing agent, procuring ships supplies for the voyage. The ''Mayflower'' ship set sail once the Pilgrim Fathers had all boarded and set to meet the Speedwell in the English Channel; the ''Speedwell'' was sailing from the Netherlands. Unfortunately the ''Speedwell'' developed leaks and so the ships headed for the Devon coast to repair her, but this proved impossible; the ''Mayflower'' eventually sailed from Plymouth without her. Four people from Billericay were on board, including Christopher Martin, his wife Mary Prowe, along with Solomon Prowe - her son from her first marriage - and John Langemore - the Martins' servant. All four pilgrims perished after their arrival at

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...

. Christopher Martin died of fever on 8 January 1621. His wife perished in Plymouth in 1621. Both Christopher and Mary are buried in the Cole Hill Burial ground in

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

. The unfortunate fate of the would-be pioneers did not deter other inhabitants of Billericay from setting sail for the New World. The town of

Billerica, Massachusetts Billerica ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 42,119 according to the 2020 census. It takes its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England. History In the early 1630s, a Praying Indian ...

, was established in 1655 by colonists from Billericay and named after their hometown in England.

Georgian and Victorian eras

In the

Georgian period The Georgian era was a period in British history from 1714 to , named after the Hanoverian kings George I, George II, George III and George IV. The definition of the Georgian era is also often extended to include the relatively short reign ...

many excellent examples of the period's houses were built in Billericay. One of those remaining today is Burghstead Lodge in High Street, which used to house the library. The

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

was built in 1830 at 94 High Street. The Billericay

Poor Law Union A poor law union was a geographical territory, and early local government unit, in Great Britain and Ireland. Poor law unions existed in England and Wales from 1834 to 1930 for the administration of poor relief. Prior to the Poor Law Amendment ...

was created in 1835 to serve the town and several surrounding parishes. It built a

workhouse In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as Scottish poorhouse, poorh ...

in 1840 on Norsey Road. Parts of this building were later incorporated into St Andrew's Hospital. The railway arrived in Billericay in 1889; the station is situated on a branch line from 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 ...

between

Shenfield Shenfield is a suburb of Brentwood, Essex, Brentwood in the Borough of Brentwood, Essex, England. In 2020, it was estimated to have a population of 5,396. History The former village, by the church and Green Dragon public house, pub, lies alo ...

and

Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in south-eastern Essex, England. It lies on the nor ...

20th century

In 1916, during the First World War, a German Zeppelin airship was shot down during an aerial battle over Billericay. During its fiery demise, it narrowly missed the High Street, crashing into a field off Greens Farm Lane. A plaque was erected at the site in 2016, to commemorate 100 years since the incident. Parts of the aluminium frame can be seen at the Cater Museum in Billericay High Street. Recent research has indicated that this may be identified with the 'ghost Zeppelin' of Tonbridge which was allegedly seen floating over that town earlier in the day. The former workhouse became St Andrew's Hospital, which housed the internationally renowned Regional Plastic Surgery and Burns unit from 1973 until this was relocated to Broomfield Hospital,

in April 1998. After the relocation, most of the hospital was redeveloped into housing, with the listed old workhouse buildings being converted to residential use.

Geography

Open spaces

Billericay has two main parks, Lake Meadows and the ''Queen Elizabeth 2nd Playing Field'' (usually known as ''Sun Corner''). The other urban open spaces are much smaller. There are several open spaces on the urban edge; the mixed use park at ''Hannakins Farm'' to the north-west includes a number of playing fields, ''Queens Park Country Park'', also to the north-west, is managed as a nature reserve, as is

and Mill Meadows on the eastern side of the town. Norsey Wood and Mill Meadows act as '

green wedges Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combin ...

' in that they extend from the open countryside to the centre of town. Both Mill Meadows and Norsey Wood are environmentally valuable and sensitive, and have, in part or whole, been designated as

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

(SSSI) as a result. Mill Meadows is a local nature reserve near the centre of Billericay. Centuries of grazing have created the ideal conditions for a wonderful diversity of wild flowers, fungi, insects and invertebrates, many of which are very rare. It contains an area of 16.63 acres (6.73 ha) that has been declared as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its unimproved neutral grassland.

Neighbouring settlements

Neighbouring settlements include

Stock Stocks (also capital stock, or sometimes interchangeably, shares) consist of all the Share (finance), shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided. A single share of the stock means fractional ownership of the corporatio ...

to the north, Ramsden Heath and

Ramsden Bellhouse Ramsden Bellhouse is a village and civil parish in Essex in the east of England. It is in the Borough of Basildon and in the parliamentary constituency of Billericay. The River Crouch flows through Ramsden Bellhouse, flowing under Church Road. ...

to the east,

Basildon Basildon ( ) is a town in Borough of Basildon, the borough of the same name, in the county of Essex, England. It had a recorded population of 115,955 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. In 1931, the town had a population of 1,159. ...

to the south,

Little Burstead Little Burstead is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It lies south-south-west of Billericay and east-south-east of Brentwood railway station.Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales, by John Marius Wilson, 1870-2 History In 1086, ...

to the south-west and Havering's Grove to the west.

Geology

Billericay is within the

and lies on a mixture of

London clay The London Clay Formation is a Sediment#Shores and shallow seas, marine formation (geology), geological formation of Ypresian (early Eocene Epoch, c. 54-50 million years ago) age which outcrop, crops out in the southeast of England. The London C ...

Claygate Beds The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian (early Eocene Epoch, c. 54-50 million years ago) age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for its fossil content. The fossils from the ...

and

Bagshot Beds In geology, the Bagshot Beds are a series of sands and clays of shallow-water origin, some being fresh-water, some marine. They belong to the upper Eocene formation of the London and Hampshire basins, in England and derive their name from Bagsh ...

on the higher ground. The point where the soils change from sandy to impermeable clay creates springs.

Governance

There are three tiers of local government covering Billericay, at parish (town), district and county level: Billericay Town Council, Basildon Borough Council and

Essex County Council Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the non-metropolitan county excludes Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock which ...

. The town council has its headquarters at the Chantry Centre on Chantry Drive, which was purpose-built for the council in 2020 and also serves as a community centre. The town council has run a youth town council scheme since 1998, elected in schools around the town.

Administrative history

Billericay was historically a

chapelry A chapelry was a subdivision of an ecclesiastical parish in England and parts of Lowland Scotland up to the mid 19th century. Status A chapelry had a similar status to a Township (England), township, but was so named as it had a chapel of ease ...

in the

ancient parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

of Great Burstead. The Billericay Poor Law Union created in 1835 gradually took on local government powers, becoming a

rural sanitary district Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1872 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures: *Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies *Rural sanitary dis ...

in 1872 which in turn became the

Billericay Rural District Billericay Rural District was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1934. It consisted of the following parishes: *Basildon * Brentwood (1894–1899; used to create Brentwood Urban District) *Bowers Gifford * Childerditc ...

in 1894, when a Great Burstead Parish Council was also created covering the parish which included the town. The rural district covered a large area stretching as far as Brentwood and

Pitsea Pitsea is a town and former civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in south Essex, England. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood (previously known as Felmores), Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. It is ...

. In 1934 most of the rural district was reconstituted as

Billericay Urban District Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Abbot of West Ham, in his Manor of Great Bur ...

and the parish councils within the area were abolished. Three years later all the

urban parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

es within the district were united into a

of Billericay. The urban district, but not the parish, was renamed

in 1955, although the council continued to be based at the Town Hall and adjoining offices in Billericay until the early 1960s when it moved into new premises in Basildon itself. In 1974 the Basildon Urban District was reconstituted as the modern

Basildon district The Borough of Basildon is a local government district with borough status in Essex, England. It is named after its largest town, Basildon, where the council is based. The borough also includes the towns of Billericay and Wickford and surroundi ...

and the civil parish of Billericay was abolished, becoming an

unparished area In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparis ...

. A new civil parish of Billericay was established in 1996, this time just covering the town itself rather than the whole Basildon district.

Parliamentary

Since major boundary changes in Essex for the 2010 general election, Billericay has been part of the parliamentary constituency of Basildon and Billericay. Since 2024 the MP has been Richard Holden of the Conservative Party.

Transport

Billericay is a 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, Travel to Work Area, and usually consists of the London urban area, settlements that share London' ...

, with a high proportion of people working in the City and other central parts of London. The town is served by

Billericay railway station Billericay railway station is a stop on the Shenfield to Southend Line in the east of England, serving the town of Billericay in the Basildon district of the county of Essex. The vast majority of services on the line connect to the Great Easte ...

, which is on the

Shenfield to Southend Line Shenfield is a suburb of Brentwood in the Borough of Brentwood, Essex, England. In 2020, it was estimated to have a population of 5,396. History The former village, by the church and Green Dragon pub, lies along the original Roman road (now ...

. Services between

London Liverpool Street Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a major 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 ...

and Southend Victoria are operated by

Greater Anglia Greater Anglia (legal name Transport UK East Anglia Limited) is a British train operating company owned as a joint venture by Transport UK Group and Mitsui & Co. It operates the East Anglia franchise, providing the commuter and inter-city se ...

; some trains in peak hours run to

Southminster Southminster is a town and civil parish 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 ...

. Local bus services are operated by

First Essex First Essex is a bus company operating services in the county of Essex. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup. History First Essex arose from an amalgamation of Eastern National and Thamesway Buses. First Essex was originally part of the Ea ...

, which connect Billericay with Chelmsford, Basildon, Brentwood and Wickford. The railway station bus stop connects to many routes, including service 300 which operates regularly between Basildon and Chelmsford. School services are provided by First Essex and

NIBS Buses NIBSBuses Limited, trading as NIBS Buses, is a bus and coach operator in Essex, England. History NIBS Buses was established as a coach charter operator in 1968 by Bill and Chris Nelson as Nelson Coaches. In 1971 Beeline Coaches of Brentwood, E ...

. The town was established at the crossroads (at Sun Corner) of the roads now known as the B1007 (higher grade parts of which are designated the A176) and A129. The B1007 provides a road link to Basildon to the south of Billericay, as well as to the A127. The road passes from just south of the town centre as Laindon Road, then the A129 junction at Sun Corner, continues northwards as Billericay's High Street and then Stock Road. It continues north to Chelmsford. Along its route is the village of

and an interchange to the A12. The A129 links the town to nearby areas such as Brentwood to the west and

to the east. The nearest primary routes are the A12 to the north and the

A127 The A127, also known as the Southend Arterial Road, is a major road in Essex, England. It was constructed as a new arterial road project in the 1920s, linking Romford with Southend-on-Sea, replacing the older A13. Formerly classified as a tru ...

in the south.

Schools

Billericay contains

Billericay School The Billericay School is an Academy (English school), academy secondary school and sixth form college located in Billericay, England. The school is led by headmaster Patrick Berry and has an enrolment of 1713. As part of the Billericay Education ...

Mayflower High School Mayflower High School, founded in 1965, and named after the ''Mayflower'' ship, is a coeducational, secondary school located in Billericay, Essex in the East of England in the United Kingdom. The school has a mixed intake of pupils aged 11–18 ...

and St John's School.

Sport

* Billericay Town Football Club *

Billericay Rugby Football Club Billericay Rugby Football Club is a rugby football club based in Billericay. The club runs 3 teams on a Saturday with the first XV competing in Essex 1. To support the club's long term ambitions and sustainability the club is building a youth ...

* Essex Spartans *Mayflower Archers *Billericay Striders Running Club

In popular culture and trivia

Billericay's local radio stations are

BBC Essex BBC Essex is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Essex. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios on New London Road in Chelmsford. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 136,000 ...

on 95.3 FM,

Heart East Heart East was a regional radio station owned and operated by Global as part of the Heart network. It broadcast to the East of England from studios in Milton Keynes. The station launched on 3 June 2019, following a merger of four Heart station ...

on 96.3 FM and

Phoenix FM Phoenix FM is a community radio station serving the areas of Brentwood and Billericay, United Kingdom on 98.0FM and online, covering an area of over 140,000 people. History The station was formed in 1996 and has been broadcasting full-time on ...

on 98 FM, a community radio station which is based in Brentwood. Local TV coverage is provided by

BBC London BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London, Surrey and parts of the surrounding areas of the Home Counties. Its output includes the daily '' BBC London'' news bulletin and w ...

and

ITV London ITV London is the on-air brand name used by ''ITV Broadcasting Limited'' for two broadcast franchises of ITV, Carlton Television (weekdays) and London Weekend Television (weekends) in the London ITV region. Its terrestrial digital signal is ...

which is received from the

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...

TV transmitter. Some areas of town can also receive

BBC East BBC East is one of BBC's English Regions covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and parts of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire (including the City of Milton Keynes). It is headquartered in The Forum ...

and

ITV Anglia ITV Anglia, previously known as Anglia Television, is the ITV franchise holder for the East of England. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional news bureaux in Cambridge and Northampton. ITV Anglia is owned and operated b ...

from the

Sudbury Sudbury may refer to: Places Australia * Sudbury Reef, Queensland Canada * Greater Sudbury, Ontario ** Sudbury (federal electoral district) ** Sudbury (provincial electoral district) ** Sudbury Airport ** Sudbury Basin, a meteorite impact cra ...

TV transmitter. The town is served by the local newspaper, Southend Echo. The town was mentioned in the

Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was an English singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s, during the punk rock, punk and new wave music, new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Kilburn ...

song " Billericay Dickie". Billericay is the setting of the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

sitcom ''

Gavin & Stacey ''Gavin & Stacey'' is a British sitcom created, written by and starring James Corden and Ruth Jones about two families: one from Billericay in Essex, and the other from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan. Mathew Horne and ...

'' as the home of Gavin Shipman (

Mathew Horne Mathew Frazer Horne (born 6 September 1978) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter, and narrator. He is best known for appearing on several BBC Sketch comedy, sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably ''Gavin & Stacey'' (as L ...

) and his parents; however, the actual filming took place in Wales. The Cater Museum, a charity, is a local history museum containing artefacts recording the lives of people in the area. It is housed in an 18th and 19th-century Grade II listed building on the High Street. The Billericay Community Archive strives to record photos, memories and history relating to the town and surrounding areas on their website. Billericay's commercial cinema "The Ritz" closed its doors in 1971. However, in 2015, the Billericay Community Cinema was established. Less than a year after it started, the not-for-profit, volunteer-based group won a national award: the "Best New Film Society" at the Cinema for All Community Cinema Awards.

Twinning

Billericay is twinned with: *

Fishers, Indiana Fishers is a city in the Fall Creek Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, Fall Creek and Delaware Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, Delaware townships in Hamilton County, Indiana, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 United Sta ...

, United States, since 1998 *

Chauvigny Chauvigny (; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''Chôvigni'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Vienne (department), Vienne Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region in western France. Chauvigny is locat ...

, France, since 2005

Notable people

Neal Asher Neal Asher (born 4 February 1961) is an English science fiction writer. He lives near Chelmsford. Career Both of Asher's parents are educators and science fiction fans. Although he began writing speculative fiction in secondary school, he di ...

, science fiction writer, born in Billericay *

Francis Thomas Bacon Francis Thomas "Tom" Bacon OBE FREng FRS (21 December 1904 – 24 May 1992) was an English engineer who in 1932 developed the first practical hydrogen–oxygen fuel cell. It is used to generate power for space capsules and satellites. Bacon ...

, engineer, born in Billericay *

Lee Barnard Lee James Barnard (born 18 July 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. Early life Born in Romford, London Borough of Havering in 1984, he attended Billericay's Mayflower County High School. Career Barnard ...

, footballer, went to school in Billericay *

Peter Bone Peter William Bone (born 19 October 1952) is a British former politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wellingborough from 2005 until his removal in 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, he had sat as an independent in the Hou ...

, politician, born in Billericay * Louise Boyce, model and writer, born in Billericay *

Nick Cater Nicholas Charles Cater (born 7 July, 1958) is a British-born Australian journalist and author who writes on culture and politics. He is a columnist for ''The Australian'' newspaper. Early life and education Cater was born in Billericay, Essex, ...

, author and journalist in Australia, born in Billericay * Daniel Corbett, TV weather forecaster, lived in Billericay as a child *

Robert Denmark Robert Neil "Rob" Denmark (born 23 November 1968) is a British former middle- and long-distance runner who won a gold medal in the 5000 metres at the 1994 Commonwealth Games, a silver medal in the 5000 metres at the 1994 European Championship ...

, middle- and long-distance athlete *

Justin Edinburgh Justin Charles Edinburgh (18 December 1969 – 8 June 2019) was an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and Association football, footballer who played as a left back. He played in the Premier League for Totten ...

, footballer, lived in Billericay, played for and managed

Billericay Town F.C. Billericay Town Football Club is a association football, football club based in Billericay, Essex, England. The club are currently members of and play at New Lodge. They are the second most successful club in FA Vase history, having won the co ...

* Lee Evans, comedian, went to school and lives in Billericay * Mark Foster, swimmer, born in Billericay *

David Gandy David James Gandy (born 19 February 1980) is an English model and creative director who began his career after winning a televised model-search competition. Widely regarded as the most successful male model of all time, Gandy is both the model ( ...

, model, born and went to school in Billericay *

Teresa Gorman Teresa Ellen Gorman (; 30 September 1931 – 28 August 2015) was a British politician. She was Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Billericay, in the county of Essex, from 1987 to 2001 when she stood down. She was a leading figure in the ...

, politician, former Member of Parliament * Lee Harrison, footballer, born in Billericay *

Chris Haywood Chris Haywood (born ) is an English-born Australian actor, writer and producer, with close to 500 screen performances to his name. Haywood has also worked as a casting director, art director, sound recordist, camera operator, gaffer, grip, lo ...

, actor/producer, born in Billericay *

David Hopwood Sir David Alan Hopwood (born 19 August 1933) is a British microbiologist and geneticist. Education Educated at Purbrook Park County High School and Lymm Grammar School, Hopwood gained his Bachelor of Arts degree from St John's College, Camb ...

, banker, born in Billericay *

Ralph Izzard Ralph William Burdick Izzard, OBE (27 August 1910 – 2 December 1992) was an English journalist, author, adventurer and, during World War II, a British Naval Intelligence officer.''The Independent''Obituary – Ralph Izzard, 14 Decembe ...

, journalist, born in Billericay *

Marshall Jefferson Marshall Julius Jefferson (born September 19, 1959) is an American musician, working in the house music subgenres of Chicago house and deep house. Biography Sometimes known as the father of house music, Jefferson was originally a record produce ...

, music producer, lived in Billericay *

Perry McCarthy Perry Edward McCarthy (born 3 March 1961) is a British racing driver, who drove for the Andrea Moda Formula, Andrea Moda team in Formula One in , though never making it into a race, before moving into Sportscar racing, sportscars, including dri ...

, racing driver *

Suzanne Maddock Suzanne Maddock (born 13 February 1976) is an English actress, singer and voice actress. Suzanne has been an industry professional since 1994, working in both TV and Film. She first appeared in the ITV police procedural drama ''The Bill'' as P ...

, actor, lives in Billericay * Christopher Martin, Mayflower pilgrim, lived in Billericay *

Alison Moyet Geneviève Alison Jane Ballard (; ; born 18 June 1961), formerly known as Alf, is an English singer. Noted for her powerful bluesy contralto voice, she came to prominence as a member of the synth-pop duo Yazoo (band), Yazoo (known as Yaz in Nor ...

, pop singer, born in Billericay *

Richard Osman Richard Osman (born 28 November 1970) is an English television presenter, producer, and novelist. He is the creator and former co-presenter of the BBC One television quiz show ''Pointless''. He has presented the BBC Two quiz shows ''Two Tribes ( ...

, TV personality ("Pointless Friend" on BBC show ''

Pointless ''Pointless'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British television quiz show produced by Banijay Entertainment subsidiary Remarkable Entertainment for the BBC and hosted by Alexander Armstrong. In each episode, four teams of two contestan ...

''), born in Billericay *

Kevin Painter Kevin Painter (born 12 July 1967) is an English former professional darts player who competes in World Seniors Darts (WSD) events. He competed in British Darts Organisation (BDO) tournaments from 1992 to 2001, before switching to the Profession ...

, darts player, born in Billericay * Paul Parker, was raised in Billericay and lived there when he became a professional footballer *

Gemma Ray Gemma Ray is a British songwriter, guitarist, singer, film composer and producer. Background Born in Basildon, Essex, England, and raised in nearby Billericay, Ray has released eight studio albums on the Bronze Rat label. She has collaborat ...

, musician, singer, composer and producer, raised in Billericay * Charlie Richardson, gangster, lived in Billericay *

Stewart Robson Stewart Ian Robson (born 6 November 1964) is an English former football player and TV and radio football pundit. He played for Arsenal, West Ham United where he was their player of the season in 1988, and Coventry City. After his footballing ...

, footballer, born in Billericay * Joseph Thornton, 19th-century Oxford-based bookseller, born in Billericay *

Russell Tovey Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is a British actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of '' The History ...

, actor, has Billericay as his hometown * Paul Walter, cricketer, born in Billericay * Patrick W. Welch, painter, born in Billericay *

Charlie Wernham Charlie David Wernham (born 3 October 1994) is a British actor and comedian from Billericay, England. After auditioning for the second series of the ITV talent show ''Britain's Got Talent'', he went on to play Robbie Roscoe in the Channel 4 s ...

, comedian and comedy actor, born and lives in Billericay *

Ben Wheatley Ben Wheatley (born 1972) is an English filmmaker, film editor, and animator. Beginning his career in advertising, Wheatley first gained recognition and acclaim for his commercials and short films, before transitioning into feature films and tele ...

, film director, born in Billericay

References

External links

The Billericay SocietyBillericay Community Archive
– Preserving Memories of an Essex Town {{authority control Towns in Essex Market towns in Essex Civil parishes in Essex Borough of Basildon