Basildon
“I came from a small town and at school in one class there was me, a member from Depeche Mode and someone who went on to join The Cure. That was all in one class of 30 kids.”
Alison Moyet MBE, born in Billericay and grew up in Basildon, half of the pop duo Yazoo and a solo artist, winner of two Brit awards.
There is history of people living in the area we now know as Basildon going back to the neolithic period and variations of the names of the towns within the borough going back through recorded history. Probably the most famous historical associations in the area are the Battle of Norsey Wood in 1381, the final battle of the Peasant’s Revolt, and that many people who sailed on the Mayflower to America lived and planned their trip in Billericay.
Basildon as we know it today, however, is a borough named after a new town designed and planned after World War II as an East London overflow. The District was created in 1974, merging Basildon Urban District with the section of Thurrock Urban District that was within the New Town. The council made an application for borough status in February 2010 and was given approval in the same year.
Wat Tyler Country Park
“There should be equality among all people save only the king. There should be no serfdom and all men should be free and of one condition. We will be free forever, our heirs and our lands.”
Wat Tyler
125 acres in size and declared an SSSI due to the wildlife present with Hawthorn scrub, meadow and saltmarsh habitats. Attractions include a miniature railway, sculpture trail, visitor centre, refreshment facilities, birdwatching hides and an adventure playground for the children.
May 2022
Mill Meadows Nature Reserve
Mill Meadows is a 90-acre Local Nature Reserve and one of the finest ancient meadow systems in Essex. The site is owned and managed by Basildon Borough Council.
Centuries of grazing have created the ideal conditions for a wonderful diversity of wild flowers, fungi, insects and invertebrates, many of which are rare. It contains an area of 16.63 acres (6.73 ha) declared as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its unimproved neutral grassland.
The windmills that once stood on the site are used in the badges of both the Mill Meadows Society and the local secondary school, “The Billericay School”.The Mill Meadows Society Website is here.
It is important to note that there is no parking available for this site
December 2022
May 2022
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