Essex

I

Introduction

Essex, county, eastern England, bordered on the north by the counties of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, on the east by the North Sea, on the south by the Thames estuary, on the south-west by Greater London, and on the west by Hertfordshire. A small part of the south-western corner was incorporated into Greater London in 1965. The land area is 3,674 sq km (1,419 sq mi). Chelmsford is the seat of local government.

Historically the land of the East Saxons, and today an important gateway to Europe through its ports of Harwich and Tilbury, and airports at Stansted and Southend, Essex occupies a unique position between London and East Anglia. It is a county of contrasts: from the bustling activity of the docks at Tilbury, to the holiday resorts along the coast, and inland vast areas of forest, farmland, unspoilt villages, and tranquil waterways. There are excellent road and rail links with all parts of Great Britain.

II

Land and Resources

Geologically, Essex forms part of the downwarp known as the London Basin, covered largely with deposits of London Clay and glacial drift material, yielding a variety of rich soils. Apart from the chalk uplands of the north-west, the county is generally low-lying and flat. Much of the former marshland towards the coast has been reclaimed. Primeval forests once stretched over the whole region, from the River Thames to The Wash. In Norman times and for many centuries afterwards they were favourite hunting grounds of the English kings. Today, Epping Forest, noted for its magnificent hornbeam trees and located on the north-eastern edge of Greater London, and Hatfield Forest a little farther north, are the main survivors. Fallow deer once roamed in Epping Forest, but have now virtually died out. Essex is well drained, principally by the rivers Stour, Colne, Blackwater, and Crouch flowing into the North Sea, and by the rivers Lee and Roding flowing into the Thames.

Timber has traditionally been the principal building material. The county still has many timber-framed houses, plastered and often colour-washed in a distinctive pinky-red. Weatherboarding is also typical. The original Saxon churches were all built of wood. Bricks have been made from local clay since the Middle Ages, and local flint and thatch are much used.

Essex enjoys a moderate temperate climate. The average annual rainfall is under 635 mm (25 in) on the coast and 635-760 mm (25-30 in) inland. Because of the flat nature of the terrain, gales may sweep across the region at any time of year. The drying action of sun and wind combine to make the Essex estuaries very salty, giving rise to the flourishing salt industry centred around Maldon, which has existed for many centuries.

III

Population and Administration

The population of Essex is 1,310,922 (2001). The major towns are Chelmsford (2001, 157,053), the seat of county government; Basildon (2001, 165,661); Clacton-on-Sea (1991, 45,065); Colchester (2001, 155,794); Harlow (2001, 78,899); Harwich (1991, 18,436); Southend-on-Sea (2001, 160,257); and Tibury (1991, 11,658). Harwich and Tilbury are the main sea ports, Clacton-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea the principal seaside resorts. A large number of workers commute daily to London.

Chelmsford became a diocese and its parish church a cathedral only in 1914. Harlow and Basildon, designated as new towns in 1947 and 1949 respectively, were planned to take a vast overspill of population from London. South-west Essex is today a dormitory suburb of the metropolis, enjoying excellent road, rail, and underground communications with the capital. The Dartford-Purfleet tunnel, opened in 1963, facilitates road traffic between Essex and Kent; since 1991 the Queen Elizabeth II bridge has taken southbound traffic into Kent.

Local government in Essex is administered by Essex County Council and has 12 district councils: Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon, Rochford, Tendring, and Uttlesford. On April 1, 1998, following the recommendations of the Local Government Commission, the borough councils of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea, which were previously administered in conjunction with Essex County Council, were each created a unitary authority (administrative bodies separate from the county). The headquarters of the Essex Police is at Springfield, Chelmsford. Crown Courts sit at Chelmsford and Southend. Under an 1878 Act of Parliament, Epping Forest is administered by the Corporation of London.

IV

Education and Culture

The University of Essex, at Colchester, was founded in 1961. Also, in 1992, a former polytechnic was granted university status in the county: Anglia Polytechnic University, with campuses at Benfleet and Chelmsford.

The home ground of Essex County Cricket Club is at Chelmsford, and the county is home to two professional football teams—Southend United and Colchester United.

Gastronomically, Essex is renowned for its shellfish. Oysters have been farmed since Roman times, and those from the Colne estuary, known as “Colchester natives”, have always been much prized. Leigh-on-Sea, near Southend, is famous for its cockles and whelks. Whitebait is a speciality of Southend. Traditional bacon products include Essex Ham Cake and Old Epping Sausage. At one time the saffron crocus was grown around Saffron Walden, giving rise to the local Saffron Cake; nowadays saffron is imported. Sea spinach and samphire (“poor man’s asparagus”) grow wild along the coast and are often eaten with seafood.

Essex is rich in superstition and ghosts. Ancient ley lines are said to cross the county. Borley Rectory, possibly the most celebrated haunted house in England, was haunted for centuries by a phantom nun and coach; the rectory burned down in 1939, but the nun and coach are still seen. Other sightings include a huntsman who rides through Epping Forest in search of human prey; the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin, riding down Traps Hill; a Roman centurion marching across Mersea Island, and many more.

There is an unusual custom held at the village of Great Dunmow every four years on Whit Monday, the origin of which is unknown. It is called the Dunmow Flitch Trials, when a flitch, or gammon, of bacon is given to any couple who can swear a year and a day after their marriage that during this time they have never quarrelled or wished themselves single again.

The county has a wealth of cultural associations. British novelist John Fowles was born in the coastal town of Leigh-on-Sea. Nineteenth-century designer and poet William Morris grew up in Walthamstow, then in rural Essex but now part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The surrounding area is said to have been the inspiration for much of his work. Actress Dame Maggie Smith was born in Ilford, which is also the birthplace of television and film director Michael Apted. A number of prominent sporting figures, including footballers Sir Alf Ramsey and Bobby Moore, athlete Sally Gunnell, and boxer Nigel Benn, were born in Essex.