Woodham Fen

South Woodham Ferrers railway station is on the Crouch Valley Line in the East of England, serving the town of South Woodham Ferrers, Essex. It is 34 miles (55 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Battlesbridge to the west and North Fambridge to the east. The Engineer's Line Reference for the line is WIS; the station's three-letter station code is SOF. The platform has an operational length for eight-coach trains. The line and station were opened on 1 June 1889 for goods and on 1 October 1889 for passenger services by the Great Eastern Railway. The station was originally named Woodham Ferris; this was changed to Woodham Ferrers on 1 October 1913, and to South Woodham Ferrers on 20 May 2007. The station had two platforms connected by a footbridge; a goods yard; and a 36-lever signal box. The goods yard closed in 1964. The south platform, goods loop, footbridge and signal box were decommissioned on 21 January 1967. The level crossing immediately to the east of the station was converted to automatic-opening on 9 March 1986 and to automatic half-barriers on 4 April 1993. Electrification of the Wickford to Southminster line using 25 kV overhead line electrification (OLE) was completed on 12 May 1986. Today the station is managed by Greater Anglia, which also operates all trains serving it. The typical off-peak service is of one westbound train every 40 minutes to Wickford and one eastbound train every 40 minutes to Southminster, with additional services at peak times. Some peak services continue to or from Shenfield and/or London Liverpool Street via the Great Eastern Main Line. South Woodham Ferrers was also once a junction for a former branch line to Maldon West, which closed in 1953. The branch to Maldon left the Southminster branch at 34 miles 11 chains (54.94 km) (from Liverpool Street) and ran to 42 miles 40 chains (68.40 km). The Engineer's Line Reference for the former Maldon Branch is WFM (Woodham Ferrers-Maldon). When the station was opened in 1889 by the Great Eastern Railway it was intended to serve the nearby village of Woodham Ferrers, despite being located a few miles to the south. However, with subsequent development of the surrounding area into the new, and much larger, town of South Woodham Ferrers, the station now serves both.

Fenn Washland is a 4.9 hectare Local Nature Reserve in South Woodham Ferrers in Essex, England. It is owned by Essex County Council and managed by the Council as a part of the nearby Marsh Farm Country Park.The site is undeveloped wetland in a valley surrounded by housing. It has grassland, swamp, scrub, ponds and reedbed, providing diverse habitats for wildlife.There is access to a footpath round the site from Inchbonnie Road, but no formal paths within the site itself.

South Woodham Ferrers is a town and civil parish in the borough of Chelmsford, in the English county of Essex. It is approximately 35 miles (56 km) east of London and 8 miles (13 km) south-east of the city of Chelmsford, and had a population of 16,453 at the 2011 Census, a decrease from 16,629 at the 2001 Census.The town is situated east of Fenn Creek, near to where it meets the River Crouch. South Woodham Ferrers is part of the Maldon constituency represented by John Whittingdale MP.

William de Ferrers School is a co-educational British secondary school in the town of South Woodham Ferrers, in the English county of Essex. It is an academy school and has 1,520 pupils on roll, aged between 11 and 18. It has been awarded specialist sports, maths and computing college status. In 2011, it won the BBC Essex best sports school award.

Woodham Ferrers is a small village and former civil parish about 7.5 miles (12 km) southeast of Chelmsford, located between South Woodham Ferrers and Bicknacre, now in the civil parish of Woodham Ferrers and Bicknacre in the county of Essex, England. The village is often shortened to Woodham by those in the area. The village is also sometimes referred to as North Woodham due to its geographical relationship with South Woodham Ferrers. In 2018 it had an estimated population of 617. In 1961 the parish had a population of 2215.

Kendal Park or Hullbridge Foreshore is a 2.8 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Hullbridge in Essex. It is owned by Rochford District Council and managed by Hullbridge Parish Council.The site has a wildflower meadow, coppiced woodland, grassland and a pond. Flowers in the meadow include hoary cress, charlock and ox-eye daisy, and there are many species of butterflies. The woodland has birds such as dunnock and song thrushes.There is access from Ferry Road.

RHS Garden Hyde Hall is a public display garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in the English county of Essex. It is one of five public gardens run by the society, alongside Wisley in Surrey, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire, Rosemoor in Devon, and Bridgewater in Greater Manchester. The 360-acre Hyde Hall site encompasses a range of garden styles, from the Dry Garden with drought resistant plants, to the Hilltop Garden with roses and herbaceous borders. Hyde Hall has had a lot of investment in recent years with the opening of a new Global Growth Vegetable Garden (in 2017) showing vegetables from around the world, a new Winter Garden (in 2018) hosting an RHS Trial of Cornus, a new Welcome building (in 2017), and Hilltop Complex (in 2018) featuring a new restaurant and activity centre. There is a reference library, located in the old farmhouse. It provides a substantial collection of books on practical gardening, garden design, botanical art, garden history, wildlife gardening, plant hunting and much more.Robert Brett is the current curator after taking over from Ian Le Gros who became Head of Site.

Woodham Ferrers and Bicknacre is a civil parish in the Chelmsford district in Essex, England. The parish includes the villages of Bicknacre and Woodham Ferrers. In 2011 the civil parish had a population of 2,889.

Brandy Hole is the name of a large area of saltmarsh and saltings on the River Crouch in Rochford District in the County of Essex, England. It is located on the south bank of the River Crouch between Brandy Hole and Stow Creek. It has an area of about 130 hectares, about 320 acres (1.3 km2) and it is mostly in Hullbridge Parish (previously in Hockley Parish). A small part of it is in Ashingdon Parish. In past centuries, it had been used for producing marine salt and for the cultivation of shellfish, mainly Native Oysters ostrea edulis which were abundant in the area. It is part of the Crouch and Roach Estuary SSSI and it is an extensive spawning area and habitat for a large variety of fish species including Bass, Cod, Whiting and many flatfish. It is a habitat and feeding ground for a large variety of marine birds and it is also frequently visited by seals. For centuries until the 1800s and early 1900s, it was also an area known for the smuggling of contraband goods, mainly wine, brandy and even tea, hence the name "Brandy Hole". Beside the Brandy Hole saltings there are two yachting centres with boatyards, slipways, moorings and a yacht club. Nearby, there are caravan parks and a residential area or hamlet known as "Brandy Hole" even though it is within the parish boundaries of the large village of Hullbridge.

Hullbridge is a village and civil parish in the Rochford district of Essex in England. Bordered to the north by the River Crouch, as well a distance from Hockley and Rayleigh. Hullbridge had a population of 6,527 at the Census 2011.Prehistoric relics, such as Mesolithic flint axes, have been found in the parish. In the History of Rochford Hundred by Phillip Benton 1857 page 287 Hullbridge is listed as being Whoulnebregg 1375 Ct, Wolvebrigg 1377 Cl, Whulbridge 1492, t Eliza EAS (NS) iii, (OS)i, -bredg 1559 Ct, Hul(l)brigge 1480 Will, -bridge 1540 Ct, 1545 LP, Hulbredge 1544 FF, Hollbridge 1492 EAS (NS) iii, -brigge 1494 ib. "The bridge over the Huolne or Wholve, an old name of the Crouch supra 6. Folklore has it that a Roman Bridge existed here but there is no documented evidence to support a Roman bridge. Essex Record Office however has records relating to a bridge, and to its upkeep and indeed an accident on or from the bridge. Maps of Essex from 16th Century onwards until the mid 18th Century do show the bridge. Benton's book discusses a document that discloses the existence in the reign of Elizabeth I of a bridge here. The OED defines "wholve" as a "short arched or covered drain under a path." The word appears to be local to this part of Essex. This definition may cast doubt on it being the old name for the Crouch but may suggest this is the form of the bridge Along the river bank there are remains of evaporation pans where salt was made in Bronze Age times. As captured by well renowned Countryside historian Oliver Rackham in his publication "History of Countryside" The field structures in and around Hullbridge and South Woodham Ferrers were formed during the Iron Age so an ancient settlement in or around Hullbridge is highly likely especially given the Saxon Burial ground finds in Rawreth when the Park school was being built. Before the coming of the railways to Rayleigh, Hullbridge's wharf's were important for the distribution of various commodities especially, coal and shale. It was from here that Rayleigh received such goods. One of the wharfs was later to be used for a Brickworks. The current village of Hullbridge was around until 1929 two communities in the parish of Hockley. One named Hullbridge, the other High Elms. In 1929 the owners of High Elms farm sold most of the land for development, so like its neighbour across the river South Woodham Ferrers it became a "Plotland" ripe for holiday homes. So began the growth of the village The village includes Riverside Primary School (opened September 2010, following the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools), a post office, a library and two pubs, The Anchor and The Smugglers Den (members only). Both overlook the river and have external drinking facilities. It also has three shopping facilities, One Stop, and two iterations of The Co-operative Food (one being operated by Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society), a Chinese and fish and chip takeaway service and an Indian restaurant. A frequent bus service to Southend via Rayleigh, gives a rail link with London and Southend.

Battlesbridge is a village in Essex, England. It straddles the River Crouch which is tidal and navigable up to this point. It is approximately 14 miles (23 km) south-southeast of Chelmsford and 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Rayleigh. The north bank of the river is in the civil parish of Rettendon, while the south bank is in Rawreth. It is a suburb of the town of Wickford and falls under the postal codes used in Wickford. Today it is home to a number of antiques centres, one of which is in a former mill.Battlesbridge is a conservation area which was jointly designated by Chelmsford Borough Council (north side of the river) and Rochford District Council (south side of the river) in February 1992 and March 1992 respectively.The village is served by Battlesbridge railway station on the Crouch Valley Line. Classic Car and Motorbike shows are held here each year.For some years, the Battlesbridge Rural Theatre staged outdoor shows with proceeds going to local charities.

Battlesbridge railway station is on the Crouch Valley Line in the East of England, serving the village of Battlesbridge, Essex. It is 31 miles 40 chains (50.7 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Wickford to the west and South Woodham Ferrers to the east. The Engineer's Line Reference for the line is WIS; the station's three-letter station code is BLB. The line and station were opened on 1 June 1889 for goods and on 1 October 1889 for passenger services by the Great Eastern Railway. The station had a single platform with a station building, a goods shed, a goods yard including cattle pens, and a 34-lever signal box. The freight service was withdrawn on 4 October 1965; the goods loop and signal box were closed on 7 December 1966. All the station buildings were demolished in 1968. Electrification of the Wickford to Southminster line using 25 kV overhead line electrification (OLE) was completed on 12 May 1986. Battlesbridge station is currently managed by Greater Anglia, which also operates all trains serving it. The typical off-peak service is of one westbound train every 40 minutes to Wickford (with some peak-hour services continuing to Shenfield and/or London Liverpool Street) and one eastbound train every 40 minutes to Southminster. Since the platform is only long enough to accommodate eight carriages, any peak-hour trains formed of 12 coaches do not call at Battlesbridge.