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North Weald Bassett

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North Weald Bassett, or simply North Weald (/ˈwiːld/ WEELD), is a village and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England.[1] The village is within the North Weald Ridges and Valleys landscape area.

North Weald Bassett
A 2010 aerial view of the town
North Weald Bassett is located in Essex
North Weald Bassett
North Weald Bassett
Location within Essex
Area22.79 km2 (8.80 sq mi)
Population6,321 (2016 Estimate)
• Density277/km2 (720/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTL495045
Civil parish
  • North Weald Bassett
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townEPPING
Postcode districtCM16
Dialling code01992
PoliceEssex
FireEssex
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
Websitewww.northweald-pc.gov.uk
List of places
UK
England
Essex

51°43′09″N 0°09′46″E / 51.71930°N 0.16284°E / 51.71930; 0.16284

Map

A market is held every Saturday and Bank Holiday Monday at North Weald Airfield. The market used to be the largest open air market in the country but reduced its size over the years.[citation needed]

Geography

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North Weald Bassett in approximately 20 miles (32 km) north-east from the centre of London. The parish abuts the outskirts of the towns of Harlow to the north and Epping to the south-west, and is split between these post towns for postal addresses. The parish includes the village of North Weald and the hamlets of Foster Street, Thornwood, Thornwood Common, Tyler's Green, and Hastingwood.

It is rural, with large sections of parish land at the south-west used by North Weald Golf Course, and North Weald Airfield and (ICAO: EGSX), an operational general aviation aerodrome which was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Station RAF North Weald.

Latton Priory was a small priory of Augustinian Canons Regular, the remains of which are a Grade II* listed building.[2] Paris Hall is a 16th-century Grade II* listed house.[3]

History

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In 1086 North Weald was one of the most thickly wooded places in Essex. Peter de Valognes' manor in North Weald was said to contain woodland sufficient for 1,500 swine, showing how wooded the area was.

The 'wood of Henry of Essex' in North Weald was mentioned in 1248. In 1260 Philip Basset, Henry's successor as lord of the manor, complained that many robberies were being done in this wood near the road between Ongar and Waltham, and he secured the king's permission to assart (turn forestry into arable land) 6 acres of the wood.[4]

Norden's Map of Essex, 1594, does not show North Weald as a densely wooded parish. In 1777 there was apparently no woodland there apart from Weald Hall Coppice. This is specially interesting in view of the survival of large woods in neighbouring parishes. Weald Hall Coppice still survives, and there is also a small wood at Canes farm.[5] North Weald formed 1,739 acres of the Ongar Hundred.

The ancient manor houses were Weald Hall, near the centre of the parish, Canes, Marshalls and Paris Hall at Hastingwood. In addition to the four manor houses there were probably substantial medieval dwellings at Tylers Green, Bowlers Green, Bridge Farm (near Weald Bridge), and possibly one or two other places. The parish church, St Andrew's, which dates from the 14th century, is ½ mile east of Weald Hall.[6]

Apart from the church the oldest existing building in the parish is probably Tylers. This is a timber-framed and plastered house consisting of a central block with a gabled cross-wing at each end. It may date from the 16th century but there is some evidence that the central block was an earlier open hall with a screens passage at its south-west end. The 'King's Head' at Weald Gullet is a timber-framed building probably of the same period. It was restored about 1927. Two ancient timber-framed cottages which formerly stood on the north side of the main road near the end of Church Lane were destroyed in a German air raid in 1941.[7]

Until the 17th century the Epping-Chelmsford road was probably the most important in the parish. In 1786 a petition was presented to the Epping Highway Trust by the people of North Weald asking that the road should be taken over by the trust.[8] An Act of Parliament for this purpose was passed in the following year.[9] A toll-gate was erected at the junction of the main road and Woodside. The gate-keeper lived at first in a rented cottage but a toll-house was built about 1818.[10] This still survives: a single-story building of brick, now plastered, with a tiled roof.

In 1801 North Weald, with 620 inhabitants,[11] was one of the more densely populated parishes of the area. In the 19th century the population followed the trend normal in rural Essex until about 1861: there was an increase to 886 in 1831 and a subsequent slight decrease. But between 1861 and 1901, when the agricultural depression was depopulating most villages, the population of North Weald rose from 842 to 1,135.[4] This was clearly due to the coming of the railway in 1865. New places of worship in the 19th century were the Congregational chapel in Weald Bridge Road, built about 1830 but closed about 1874, the Chapel of Ease at Hastingwood (1864), the Iron Mission Church at Thornwood (1888), and the Wesleyan churches at Thornwood (1883) and Weald Gullet (1888).[4] The original school was relinquished in favour of a larger building and the new school was extended in about 1842 and again in 1871.

 
The airfield memorial for those who died in the two world wars and for those who worked for the airfield.

In 1865 coach travel in this area was superseded by the opening of the railway through Epping to Ongar, with a station at North Weald. This brought London within easy reach. This line was electrified in 1957 but closed to regular passenger traffic in 1994. Beyond Ongar public transport was poor until the introduction of motor buses. There are now infrequent bus services to Epping, Ongar, Brentwood.

 
The hall, rebuilt in 1967. The stage area remains from the original hall, built in 1928. It stands on ground donated by the Marconi company.

North Weald was late in getting its own post-office, probably because it was served directly from Epping. In 1883 a day mail was established at North Weald.[12] A telegraph office was set up in 1886.[13] The telephone service was introduced in 1920.[14]

The population rose very little during the first 20 years of the 20th century, and was only 1,239 in 1921 with the Post Office Radio Station established at Weald Gullet in 1921.[14] There was an increase to 1,642 in 1931 and then a burst of building lasting until the Second World War.[15] A few council houses were built before 1939. In the 1940s, the North Weald Bassett Parish was formed and North Weald was removed from the Ongar Hundred and placed, along with Thornwood, Hastingwood and various other small villages in the parish.

Since 1945 three large housing estates have been built. In 1953 the estimated population of North Weald was 3,200-an increase of almost 100 per cent. on 1931.[15] The iron mission church at Thornwood was replaced in 1923 by a brick church and in 1931 the Wesleyan church at Weald Gullet was rebuilt. In 1939, however, the Wesleyan church at Thornwood was closed owing to lack of support. A village hall was built in 1928, on the south side of the village.[16] In 1967, the village hall was rebuilt.

Governance and demography

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The parish was part of Ongar Rural District from 1894 to 1955 and Epping and Ongar Rural District from 1955 to 1974.[17] The parish is run by a parish council, with its offices in the village of North Weald.[18]

As at the 2001 census the population was 6,039 and 51.5% female, with an average age of 39. There are 2,387 households, with an average household size of 2.45.[19]

Parish Council

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The village Parish Council is based in Thornwood (as of 2024) and is responsible for maintaining allotments, local cemeteries, and public spaces (including parks, the Debt of Honour memorial, and benches), and providing first-stage planning scrutiny of developments and applications.

Since 2017, Cllr Alan Buckley has chaired the Parish Council, and the deputy Chair is Shirley Hawkins.

The Council is not elected, but rather residents apply to join and then are appointed to the body once a vacancy is published.

As of July 2024, the council has 14 members, with one vacancy. It is controlled by Independents. The Council formerly had several Conservatives elected to serve on it, however most left, leaving just one Conservative.

Party Councillor
Hastingwood
Independent Andrew P Irvine
Independent Paula A Etherington
Vacant
North Weald (Village)
Conservative Nigel H Bedford
Independent Terry F Blanks
Independent Alan J Buckley
Independent Andy C Tyler
Independent Sheila M Jackson MBE
Independent Mark J Stroud
Independent Dawn E Wood
Independent Nick Born
Independent Colin B T Kinnear
Thornwood Common
Independent Shirley Hawkins
Independent Baden Clegg
Independent Richard Spearman

Below is a list of Parish Council chairmen for North Weald Bassett since 1934. The longest consecutive serving chairman was Cyril Hawkins who served for 11 years until his death in 2017. However, Harry Waterman served 12 non-consecutive years as chairman.

Chairman Start End Chairman Start End
J.M Holt 1934 1936 R. Law 1983 1984
Frank Emberson 1936 1938 D.W Cousins 1984 1985
E.C Gilford 1938 1941 A.A Winn 1985 1986
E.V Boram 1941 1946 M. Slater 1986 1987
Leonard Davis 1946 1953 A.A Winn 1987 1989
Harry Waterman 1953 1961 D.W Cousins 1989 1995
R.H Payze 1961 1962 Ann Grigg 1995 1998
P.M Pegrum 1962 1969 Robert Wood 1998 2000
Harry Waterman 1969 1973 Peter Collins 2000 2001
R.L Davis 1973 1980 Robert Wood 2001 2006
E.B Hudspeth 1980 Cyril Hawkins 2006 2017
N.J Wicks 1980 1982 Alan Buckley 2017 Incumbent
M. Slater 1982 1983

District Council

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North Weald has voted for Conservatives at every district council election since 1968 except twice - 1973 and 2024. Until 1979, the parish was split into two district council seats - North Weald, and Thornwood and Hastingwood. Each had just one representative.

In 1979, this changed, and the entire parish and its villages were incorporated into a single two-member seat. In 2002, the boundaries were changed splitting the Parish up again into three seats. North Weald village would remain as a two-member seat and cover the entire village and Tyler's Green. Thornwood was incorporated into a new two-member Epping Lindsey and Thornwood Common seats, whilst Hastingwood, Foster Street, and Harlow Common were adopted into a new Hastingwood, Matching & Sheering Village single-member seat.

In 2024, boundary changes saw the seat reformed under the original parish boundaries with Hastingwood, Thornwood, and North Weald (and the other smaller villages) brought under a single seat, but with three members. The 2024 district council election was notable in that it produced the first Independent councillor for the village since Harry Waterman in 1973 who won the most votes by a considerable margin. This election also saw the Conservatives' worst performance since the 1960s. As a result, of the three candidates elected, the one who secured the least votes will face re-election in two years time, followed by the next lowest candidate in three years time, whilst the highest scoring candidate would have a full four-year term.

The seat is currently represented (in order of votes secured at the last election) by Cllr Tom Bromwich (Independent), Cllr Nigel Bedford (Conservative), and Cllr Leslie Burrows (Conservative).

Elections results from 1973 to 1979

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Year Candidate Independent Candidate Conservative Candidate Labour Candidate Liberal /

Lib Dem

Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
1973 Hastingwood and Thornwood
No candidate B. Greenhill 265 66.9 N/A V. Bardell 131 33.1 N/A No candidate
North Weald
H. Waterman 692 72.0 N/A R. Bednall 269 28.0 N/A No candidate No candidate
1976 Hastingwood and Thornwood
No candidate B. Greenhill 381 68.5  1.6 J. Bednall 175 31.5  1.6 No candidate
North Weald
No candidate C. Kent 678 60.2  32.2 J. Edwards 296 26.2 N/A C. Rush 153 13.6 N/A

Elections results from 1976 to 2002

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Year Candidate Conservative Candidate Labour Candidate Liberal /

Lib Dem

Candidate Independent
Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
1979 I. Abbey 1,763 64.8 N/A B. King 955 35.2 N/A No candidate
B. Greenhill 1,625 A. Vickery 839
1982 B. Greenhill 1,001 60.2  4.6 P. Vickery 482 29.0  6.2 No candidate R. Wyness 179 10.8 N/A
1983 I. Abbey 988 58.2  2.0 D. Grenville-Brown 328 19.3  9.7 No candidate R. Wyness 382 22.5  11.7
1986 E. Hudspeth Uncontested
1987 I. Abbey 1,263 67.9 N/A D. Tetlow 255 13.7 N/A J. Whitehouse 343 18.4 N/A No candidate
1990 E. Hudspeth 1,037 52.3  15.6 I. Standfast 661 33.4  19.7 S. Ward 284 14.3  4.1 No candidate
1991 D. Cousins 901 55.8  3.5 I. Standfast 417 25.8  7.6 S. Ward 297 18.4  4.1 No candidate
1994 E. Hudspeth 949 58.5  2.7 I. Standfast 674 41.5  15.7 No candidate No candidate
1995 I. Abbey 600 38.2  20.3 D. Tetlow 520 33.1  8.4 No candidate R. Wyness 249 15.8 N/A
M. May 203 12.9
1998 A. Grigg 780 64.4  26.2 J. Childs 431 35.6  2.5 No candidate No candidate
1999 D. Stallan 816 70.0  5.6 D. Clark 256 22.0  13.6 M. Richardson 93 8.0 N/A No candidate

Elections results from 2002 to 2024

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Year Candidate Conservative Candidate Labour Candidate Liberal /

Lib Dem

Candidate Independent Candidate Other
Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes %
2002 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
M. Colling 868 39.2 N/A P. Johns 304 13.7 N/A O. Dunseath 773 34.9 N/A C. Hudson 269 12.1 N/A No candidate
C. Whitbread 858 R. Jones 255 J. Hedges 773
A. Green 835 J. Rumble 739
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
T. Dewhurst 240 40.6 N/A No candidate No candidate R. Morgan 351 59.4 N/A No candidate
North Weald Bassett
D. Stallan 902 80.0 N/A No candidate R. Gill 226 20.0 N/A No candidate No candidate
A. Grigg 856 No candidate
2003 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
A. Green 731 47.7 L. Appaih 111 7.3 J. Hedges 575 37.5 No candidate T. Norris 115 7.5
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
M. Wright 193 32.5 No candidate No candidate R. Morgan 400 67.5 No candidate
North Weald Bassett
A. Grigg 677 80.0 No candidate J. Rumble 98 11.6 No candidate B. Johns 71 8.4
2004 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
C. Whitbread 1,136 61.7 No candidate I. Black 455 24.7 No candidate R. Jones 249 13.5
2006 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
M. Colling 1,060 58.6 A. Baldwin 198 10.9 J. Hedges 552 30.5 No candidate No candidate
North Weald Bassett
D. Stallan 1,032 82.4 No candidate J. Rumble 221 17.6 No candidate No candidate
2007 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
A. Green 930 48.9 No candidate I. Black 497 26.1 No candidate A. Wheeler 295 15.5
T. Frankland 181 9.5
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
Uncontested R. Morgan Uncontested
North Weald Bassett
A. Grigg 887 82.1 No candidate J. Rumble 193 17.9 No candidate No candidate
2008 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
C. Whitbread 905 50.9 S. Bullough 120 6.8 L. Collier 531 30.0 No candidate T. Bentley 132 7.4
R. Jones 87 4.9
2010 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
W. Breare-Hall 1,692 49.3 S. Bullough 341 9.8 L. Collier 1,264 37.0 No candidate B. Johns 133 3.9
North Weald Bassett
D. Stallan 1,682 71.5 No candidate G. Howard 511 21.7 No candidate N. Harries 159 6.8
2011 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
S. Packford 1,047 49.1 S. Harding 430 20.2 L. Hughes 366 17.2 No candidate M. McGough 190 8.9
J. Hart 99 4.6
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
No candidate No candidate No candidate R. Morgan 654 87.4 S. Pepper 94 12.6
North Weald Bassett
A. Grigg 1,064 76.6 No candidate I. Black 112 8.1 No candidate N. Barnecutt 213 15.3
2012 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
T. Church 957 54.3 S. Harding 486 27.5 L. Hughes 153 8.6 No candidate B. Johns 166 9.4
C. Whitbread 907 S. Lister 417 S. Hughes 112
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
No candidate L. Morter 82 13.2 No candidate R. Morgan 538 86.7 No candidate
2014 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
W. Breare-Hall 719 37.6 S. Bullough 232 12.1 I. Black 267 14.0 No candidate B. Robertson 566 29.6
W. Hartington 130 6.8
North Weald Bassett
D. Stallan 744 58.8 No candidate A. Verrall 83 6.6 No candidate P. Stevens 438 34.6
2015 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
C. Whitbread 2,182 61.7 S. Bullough 524 14.8 I. Black 558 15.7 No candidate W. Hartington 272 7.7
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
J. Share-Bernia 597 42.5 S. Jenner 160 11.3 No candidate R. Morgan 648 46.1 No candidate
North Weald Bassett
A. Grigg 1,452 59.8 No candidate A. Verrall 180 7.4 No candidate P. Stevens 620 25.5
N. Barnecutt 176 7.2
2016 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
C. Whitbread 927 54.9 S. Bullough 252 14.9 C. McCredie 388 23.0 No candidate R. Martin 121 7.2
2018 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
L. Burrows 844 43.7 S. Bullough 183 9.4 C. McCredie 811 42.0 No candidate P. Scales 92 4.7
North Weald Bassett
P. Bolton 852 79.5 No candidate A. Verrall 219 20.4 No candidate No candidate
2019 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
C. Whitbread 862 46.0 S. Bullough 116 6.2 I. Black 783 41.8 B. Johns 109 5.8 No candidate
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
R. Morgan Uncontested
North Weald Bassett
J. McIvor 470 53.5 No candidate G. Simmons 183 20.8 A. Tyler 225 25.6 No candidate
2021 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
H. Whitbread 1,316 58.6 S. Bullough 231 10.2 N. Read 698 31.0 No candidate No candidate
2022 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
L. Burrows 929 47.2 S. Bullough 190 9.6 R. Griffiths 850 43.2 No candidate No candidate
North Weald Bassett
P. Bolton 635 63.4 A. Wingfield 173 17.3 E. Barnard 194 19.4 No candidate No candidate
2023 Epping Lindsey and Thornwood
S. Jones 750 39.0 S. Bullough 120 6.2 R. Sharif 1,052 54.7 No candidate No candidate
Hastingwood, Matching and Sheering Village
R. Morgan 379 67.2 M. Gwynne 123 21.8 P. Ward 62 11.0 No candidate No candidate
North Weald Bassett
J. McIvor 507 57.9 K. Hind 221 25.2 E. Barnard 148 16.9 No candidate No candidate

Elections results since 2024

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Year Candidate Independent Candidate Conservative Candidate Labour
Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
2024 North Weald Bassett
T. Bromwich 889 47.1 N. Bedford 604 32.0 K. Hind 392 20.7
L. Burrows 540 P. Stockton 382
L. Mills 472 No candidate
2026 TBA TBA TBA

County Council

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North Weald, Tyler's Green, Hastingwood, and Foster Street all fall within the North Weald and Nazeing county council division, whilst Thornwood falls under the Epping and Theydon Bois division. Also represented in this seat are the communities of Epping Green, Epping Upland, Lower Nazeing, Bumble's Green and Roydon. The seat has been consistently Conservative. In 2025, the division boundaries will change and Thornwood will be incorporated under the North Weald and Nazeing division.

Year Candidate Conservative Candidate Labour Candidate Liberal /

Lib Dem

Candidate Independent Candidate Other
Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
1981 G. Padfield 2,793 61.8 N/A D. Grenville-Brown 1,144 25.3 N/A T. Owen 582 12.9 N/A No candidate No candidate
1985 I. Abbey 2,243 57.8  4.0 I. Bell 647 16.7  8.6 J. Carter 826 21.3  8.4 R. Wyness 167 4.3 N/A No candidate
1989 I. Abbey 2,612 70.7  12.9 D. Mills 660 17.9  1.2 S. Ward 423 11.4  9.9 No candidate No candidate
1993 I. Abbey 1,915 60.5  10.2 E. Young 637 20.1  2.2 I. Myers 615 19.4  8.0 No candidate No candidate
1997 I. Abbey 4,645 56.6  3.9 G. Smith 2,292 27.9  6.8 C. Bagnall 1,265 15.4  4.0 No candidate No candidate
2001 A. Jackson 4,111 59.3  2.7 B. Johns 1,856 26.8  1.1 M. Richardson 970 14.0  1.4 No candidate No candidate
2005 A. Jackson 5,301 58.3  1.0 K. Morris 1,654 18.2  8.0 J. Hedges 1,623 17.9  3.9 No candidate P. Goldsmith 511 5.6 N/A
2009 A. Jackson 3,119 61.0  1.7 K. Morris 419 8.2  10.0 M. Lake 524 10.2  7.7 No candidate J. Leppert 612 12.0 N/A
N. Harries 422 8.6  3.0
2013 A. Jackson 1,669 47.6  13.4 D. Mills 421 12.0  3.8 A. Verrall 83 2.4  7.8 No candidate P. Field 1,170 33.4 N/A
N. Barnecutt 164 4.7  3.9
2017 A. Jackson 3,081 78.5  30.9 S. Mullard 500 12.7  0.7 A. Verrall 346 8.8  6.4 No candidate No candidate
2021 C. Whitbread 2,884 72.6  5.9 L. Kerrigan 656 16.5  3.8 E. Thatcher 435 10.9  2.2 No candidate No candidate
2025 TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA

UK Parliament

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From 1974, the North Weald Bassett parish fell within the Harlow constituency, before boundary changes in 1997 saw North Weald and North Weald were brought under Epping Forest, whilst Hastingwood remained part of Harlow. In 2010, North Weald was adopted into Brentwood and Ongar, whilst Thornwood remained in Epping Forest. Below are the list of MPs for the majority parts of the parish.

Election Constituency Member[20][21] Party
Feb 1974 Harlow   Stan Newens Labour
1983 Jerry Hayes Conservative
1997 Epping Forest   Eleanor Laing Conservative
2010 Brentwood and Ongar   Sir Eric Pickles Conservative
2017   Alex Burghart Conservative

Since 2010, North Weald has been part of one of the most Conservative supporting seats in the UK. Consistently gaining over 60.0% of the vote, the 2024 general election saw the Conservatives fall to its worst-ever vote share in the constituency winning 36.7% of the vote to Reform UK's 24.3% and Labour's 23.0%.

According to ward estimate breakdowns, North Weald voted in the following way at the 2024 general election:

General election 2024: North Weald (Brentwood and Ongar)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alex Burghart 907 37.1 N/A
Labour Gareth Barrett 652 26.7 N/A
Reform UK Paul Godfrey 577 23.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats David Kendall 214 8.8 N/A
Green Reece Learmouth 84 3.4 N/A
English Democrat Robin Tilbrook 10 0.4 N/A
Majority 255 10.4 N/A
Turnout 2,444 N/A N/A
Registered electors N/A
Conservative hold

Geography

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The village is in the southwest highest part of the North Weald Bassett parish which rises to 300 ft.

North Weald is 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Epping, 3.5 miles (6 km) west of Chipping Ongar and 4 miles (6 km) southeast of Harlow. The county town of Chelmsford is approximately 14 miles (23 km) to the east.

There are significant patches of sensitive historic landscape at the north-eastern and western edges of the village,[according to whom?] which encompass patches of surviving pre-18th-century and 18th- 19th-century fields and a large area of ancient landscape to the south of the village. Also to the west and east of North Weald Airfield, sensitive areas of historic landscape comprise surviving pre 18th century and 18th- 19th-century fields. Much was previously used for arable farming.[citation needed]

Five areas with urban green-space character provide accessible areas for sport and recreation.

Demography

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
1801 620—    
1811656+5.8%
1821827+26.1%
1831 887+7.3%
1841886−0.1%
1861 842−5.0%
18811,002+19.0%
18911,117+11.5%
1901 1,135+1.6%
19111,146+1.0%
1921 1,239+8.1%
1931 1,642+32.5%
1951 3,127+90.4%
19613,957+26.5%
2001 4,461+12.7%
2007 4,491+0.7%
2015 estimate4,477−0.3%

[22] As of 2001 census the population was 4,461 and 51.5% female, with an average age of 39.

 
St. Andrew's Church, built in 1330AD on top of an original structure.

As of 2011 there are 1,867 households with an average household size of 2.45. Population density (people per hectare) stands at 6.80.[23]

In 2011, 98% of citizens were white-British, 1% were mixed and 1% Asian. The majority of citizens identify as Christian. The average life expectancy in North Weald is 80–82 years.[24]

In terms of housing, over 28% of residents own their home, with a further 47% still owing a mortgage. 12% of residents live in council houses. Residents of North Weald also vary in terms of their trade. In 2011, the majority of North Weald residents worked in retail (16%). 13% worked in real estate and 12% in manufacturing. Unemployment in North Weald is low (2.0% in 2011).[24]

The demographic are men between 40 and 44 who make up 9% of the total population. Women make up a similar number.[24]

There are two care homes in North Weald, Leonard Davis House and Cunningham House to accommodate for the large proportion of residents who are over 60.[25][26]

Landmarks

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One of the Allan Williams turrets
  • The Redoubt / Mobilisation Centre[27] at North Weald was built in about 1880. Part of the London Defence Positions scheme, it was one of several built to provide ammunition to protect London if war ever broke out.
  • The Allan Williams Turret is one of two built to protect a nearby radio station. The home guard were stationed here during the war to guard against sabotage and to assist in filling in bomb craters as the Luftwaffe used to try to knock out the transmitters. RAF North Weald is nearby and the control tower is viewable from the hill. Planes had to avoid hitting the masts as well. The place went through a series of changes of antenna type and redevelopments throughout the 1950s/60s and 1970s. Eventually it was shut down in the mid-1990s. Around 1997 there was fire caused by vandals, and C block was razed to the ground. Parts of some of the other blocks still exist including building E which is now used for comms to a Mobile Phone mast. The biggest attraction now is the antenna points and the redoubt over 100 years old.[citation needed]
 
The airfield museum
  • There is a Saturday open-air market based on the airfield which draws visitors from Essex and North London. It claims to be one of the largest open air markets in the UK.[citation needed] A bus service, subsidised by the company that owns the market, operates between the market and Harlow. The Market regularly attracts crowds estimated to be in excess of 10,000 on a weekly basis.[28]
  • The North Weald Airfield Museum is the people who worked at RAF North Weald in the First and Second World Wars, including both service personnel and civilians. Exhibits include photographs, personal memories, and artifacts about the airfield's history, including its role in the Battle of Britain, the American and Norwegian squadrons stationed there in the First World War, and the Royal Air Force squadrons stationed there over the years. The museum, with military vehicles and historic aircraft, is in the former RAF North Weald Station Office.[29]
  • The RAF North Weald Memorial is dedicated to all who served at North Weald. Located near the airfield's main gate and next to the museum. The memorial includes an obelisk erected in 1952 by the people of Norway in commemoration of the Norwegian airmen stationed at the airfield in World War II.
 
Latton Priory
  • The village hall was founded in 1928 with land donated by the old Marconi company. This is where North Weald residents stage outdoor events, such as 'Dog Day'. The main hall was rebuilt in 1967, with only the rear stage area remaining from the old hall. A bar lounge was added in 1987. The hall holds events including spiritualist healing clinics, bagpipe practice, dancing and jazz. It also acts as the village polling station for all elections and referendums.[30]
  • Latton Priory was a small priory of Augustinian Canons Regular, rebuilt in the 14th century using flint rubble dressed with reused Roman brick, the remains of which are a Grade II listed building. The monument includes the site of the Augustinian priory of St John the Baptist, now Latton Priory Farm, and is located to the south of Harlow, approximately 1 km to the south west of junction 7 on the M11.[31]
  • The King's Head is one of the oldest pubs in the county of Essex, with parts of the structure dating back nearly 450 years. The main building is of half wood construction which dates back to the 17th century, and was originally built using old ships' timbers.[7]
 
Weald Common. The radio aerial can be seen in the distance.
  • North Weald station on the Epping Ongar heritage line, once in a state of disrepair, has been restored to 1940s LNER condition, complete with period lamps, footbridge and signage. The original 1888 signal box and lever frame, located on Platform 1, has also been attended to and restored. An “Anglia Buffet” coach restaurant and well-stocked gift shop help attract hundreds of thousands of tourists a year.[32] Vintage buses travel out to Epping, Ongar or Shenfield.[33] North Weald sends trains from its 3 platforms to Ongar or to Epping Forest, to a few meters from Epping Underground station platforms.
  • North Weald is surrounded by numerous commons and fields such as Weald Common. These sloping fields flow down from the aerial mast and bowls club and is home to deer, rare birds and other animals

Transport

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One of the buses used by the area.

The M11 motorway cuts through the middle of the parish and has a junction with the A414 road. The southern boundary runs parallel to the heritage Epping Ongar Railway and makes a small deviation to include the whole of North Weald railway station. The nearest regularly served stations are outside the parish, with Harlow Town railway station 2 miles (3 km) to the north-west and Epping tube station 1 mile (2 km) to the south-west of the extreme edge of the parish border.

Bus

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Bus services are mostly provided by Vectare and Central Connect. Other services are provided by First Essex and Stephensons of Essex.

Local bus routes 13C, 18/18C, 420, 420A, 491, 492, 620 and Epping Ongar Railway Vintage Route 339 serve the station and North Weald village.

 
A heritage vintage bus.

Train

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Pre 1994 North Weald station when London Underground owned the line.

The nearest London Underground service to the village is Epping which is served by the Central line. The closest National Rail service is from Harlow Town, which is served by the West Anglia Main Line and is operated by Abellio Greater Anglia.

The Epping to Ongar branch was not heavily used and became increasingly unprofitable. The service was further undermined when the Greater London Council removed the running subsidy for the line because it was not within the boundary of Greater London, and no comparable subsidy was forthcoming from the local government agencies in Essex, which meant that fare levels were much higher than on the rest of the Underground network. Initially, the Sunday service was dropped, and then the Saturday service. Subsequently, the service was restricted to a rush hour service only of seven trains in each direction per day (three in the morning and four in the evening). London Transport (later London Underground Ltd) had made repeated representations to the government to close the line, but each was refused as there was no alternative mode of transport between Epping and Ongar.

A final request was made in 1994 with a proviso that the line was to be sold to a private organisation which would continue to run the services. With the promise of continued services, the government finally agreed to London Underground closing the line. The line, including North Weald station, was closed on 30 September 1994.

 
Steam locomotive, Packford Hall on platform 1. Pictured with signal box.

It was not until 2004 that a volunteer force restored a partial service as a heritage railway, although this was closed later. After officially opening in 2012 as a heritage service Because London Underground would not provide platform space at Epping, North Weald is currently the westernmost terminus of the line, though a shuttle runs further west as far as Coopersale, though there are no station facilities there. It is intended to run to a separate station facility near Epping station in the future.[32]

The station itself has been extensively restored, with all the rooms being restored to their original uses, restoring the station to British Rail colours. The original GER signalbox dating from 1888 is being restored, complete with its original lever frame, as part of the works to signal the passing loop which has been reinstated through the station. The westbound platform has been restored, with a new accessible ramp installed and an original GER latticework footbridge (formerly from Woodford) erected.

The branch once again runs locomotive-hauled trains between Ongar and North Weald, with a diesel shuttle towards Coopersale and connecting heritage buses to Epping.

 
The B181 road runs through the town from Epping.

Road

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A number of major arterial roads (B181 to Epping and A414 to London, Newmarket and, in the opposite direction, to Chelmsford) run nearby. The main road from London to Newmarket and Norwich runs through the west and that from Epping to Chelmsford through the south of the parish. A large R.A.F. station and wireless masts are prominent features of the landscape and there has recently been much domestic building. But some parts of North Weald are still rural and accessible through rural lanes.

Air

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The airfield control tower

An iconic WW2 airfield remains popular with private flyers, North Weald Airfield owned by Epping Forest District Council. It is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum. Although unlicensed, it is home to many private aircraft and historic types and is host to a wide range of events throughout the year, including the Air-Britain Classic Fly-in and smaller airshows. On occasions North Weald has 300 to 500 movements a day.

 
Spitfire over North Weald, 1942.

North Weald is home to several vintage and veteran aircraft such as the Spitfire, Mustang, Kittyhawk, Dakota, Skyraider, Seafire and Harvard,[citation needed] and also home to early ex-military jets such as the Hunter, Venom, Vampire, Gnat, Jet Provost, along with general aviation types such as the SportCruiser, Cessna 172, Piper PA28, Aero AT3 and the Cirrus SR22.[citation needed] Resident organizations include Area 51, Hangar 11 Collection, Aces High, and Kennet Aviation.

An original 1927 hangar remains, as does the former Officers Mess, a Grade 2 listed building. Some former married quarters dating from the early 1970s (and now in private ownership) can be seen in Lancaster and York Roads. A Hawker Hurricane Mk1 replica has been erected near the main gate and can be viewed on market days. The former officer's mess was granted Grade II listed status in 2005,[34] with the control tower receiving the same status in 2013.[35]

Sport

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Bantham and Ongar Bowls Club plays behind the Talbot pub.

North Weald Cricket Club was formed in 1983 and started playing in 1984. They play home matches at the Memorial Playing Field. The Saturday team play in the Herts and Essex Boarder Cricket League division 1. The club also play friendlies on Sundays.[36]

Blakes 18-hole golf course is at North Weald[37] North Weald also has a par 3 golf course on High road opposite the Airfield.

Education

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The village school is St Andrew's Christian Primary school. This school is a two-form primary school. There are two nurseries and pre-schools. The county council also runs a small library which doubles up as a meeting room for the parish council.

 
The King's Head Pub, the oldest in the area.

Notable people

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Richard Biscoe (d. 1748), a nonconformist minister who later conformed and became chaplain to George II and Boyle lecturer 1736–38, was Vicar of North Weald from 1738 to 1748.[38]

Media

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In the 1990s, the Aces High hangar was used as the home for Channel 4's TV game show The Crystal Maze, which had moved from Shepperton Studios because of lack of space.[39]

A sketch for BBC television's The Armstrong & Miller Show was filmed at the railway station.[40] The sketch depicted Miller's character attempting to commit suicide from the old station bridge. Armstrong's character, a railway guard, comes and tells Miller's character that trains aren't running but a replacement bus service is in operation. The camera cuts to the station car park with Miller's character just under some bus wheels; the bus is then ordered to drive forward with a bump being seen.

Channel Four's television show Chewing Gum filmed part of their second series (broadcast 2017)[41] down Vicarage Lane.

Boy George's team filmed on the railway for his 2013 music video "Coming Home". The shoot included both afternoon and evening filming of a train composed of stock of various arrangements from the chosen vintage period, giving backdrops for a wide range of scenes.[40]

Sacha Baron Cohen's film Grimsby (2016) was also filmed at North Weald station and around the area.[42]

In 2017, the BBC filmed an advert at North Weald station to advertise their online glossary about their coverage of Brexit.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ North Weald Bassett Parish Council
  2. ^ Historic England. "LATTON PRIORY (1111392)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  3. ^ Historic England. "PARIS HALL (1146700)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "North Weald Bassett: Introduction | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  5. ^ Chapman and André, Map of Essex,1777, sheet xi.
  6. ^ P.N. Essex, 86-87.
  7. ^ a b "History of the King's Head".
  8. ^ B. Winstone, Epping and Ongar Highway Trust, 130-1
  9. ^ B. Winstone, Epping and Ongar Highway Trust, 132
  10. ^ B. Winstone, Epping and Ongar Highway Trust, 140
  11. ^ V.C.H. Essex, ii, 350.
  12. ^ P.M.G. Mins. 1883, vol. 261, min. 15782, vol. 254, min. 10599
  13. ^ P.M.G. Mins. 1886, vol. 303, min. 43.
  14. ^ a b P.M.G. Mins. 1920, min. 6422.
  15. ^ a b Inf. from Essex County Council. At the 1951 Census the population was 3,127.
  16. ^ Inf. from Rev. B. F. Adeney.
  17. ^ "Epping and Ongar RD through time | Census tables with data for the Local Government District".
  18. ^ "Parish and Town Councils - North Weald Bassett Parish Council". 12 January 2022.
  19. ^ Epping Forest District Council, Local Development Framework
  20. ^ "Brentwood and Ongar 1974–". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  21. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 5)
  22. ^ "Census data of North Weald since 1801".
  23. ^ "2011 Census data".
  24. ^ a b c "One Epping Forest data" (PDF).
  25. ^ "Leonard Davis House in North Weald".
  26. ^ "Cunningham House run by Abbeyfield's Care".
  27. ^ "North Weald Redoubt". Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  28. ^ "North Weald Market".
  29. ^ "North Weald airfield museam".
  30. ^ "North Weald village hall".
  31. ^ Historic England. "History of Latton Priory (1017386)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  32. ^ a b "EOR: along the branch". Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  33. ^ "North Weald buses". Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  34. ^ Historic England (1 December 2005). "Norway House (former Officers' Mess) (Grade II) (1392985)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  35. ^ Historic England (19 April 2013). "Control Tower at North Weald Airfield (Grade II) (1413519)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  36. ^ northweald.play-cricket.com
  37. ^ "Golf at Blake's, North Weald".
  38. ^   This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Biscoe, Richard". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  39. ^ "The Crystal Maze". The Studio Tour. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  40. ^ a b "EOR filming". Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  41. ^ Brown, Emma (19 December 2016). "The Showrunner". Interview Magazine. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  42. ^ "North Weald filming".
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