139-580: The River Crouch is a small river that flows entirely through the English county of Essex . The distance of the Navigation between Holliwell Point which is north of Foulness Island and Battlesbridge is 17.5 Miles, i.e. 15.21 Nautical Miles . The Crouch rises in 'The Wilderness' on the Burstead Golf course at Little Burstead . The Wilderness consists of several small ponds surrounded by
278-404: A 23-mile (37 km) long distance footpath joins the south bank, while on the north bank, Bridgemarsh Creek and Althorne Creek separate Bridgemarsh Island from the mainland. Bridgemarsh Island was protected by a sea wall built in 1736, and could be reached from Althorne by a causeway which was accessible at low tide. Clay on the island was used to make bricks, and there was a tramway to transport
417-518: A ceremonial county, or be a district tier within a shire county , be a royal or metropolitan borough , have borough or city status , or be a unitary authority . At the community level, much of England is divided into civil parishes with their own councils ; in Greater London only one such parish, Queen's Park , exists as of 2014 after they were abolished in 1965 until legislation allowed their recreation in 2007. From 1994 until
556-424: A draught of 21 feet (6.5 m), and all vessels over 160 feet (50 m) must use the services of a pilot while moving on the river. A passenger ferry operates between Essex Marina and Burnham town quay every day except Wednesdays during the summer months. The crossing takes about ten minutes, and the boat operates when requested. Wallasea Island was created from five smaller islands by building sea defences, and
695-664: A further 8 million tonnes of soil, but the RSPB were unable to source this, and so a revised scheme was implemented, where sea water was admitted to shallow lagoons through an existing sluice in the sea wall. The river continues eastwards, and is joined by the River Roach at the eastern end of Wallsea Island. It flows into the North Sea between Holliwell Point ( grid reference TR026963 ) and Foulness Point ( TR048954 ) on its north and south banks respectively. High water at Burnham
834-602: A generally easterly course. To the west of Crays Hill it is crossed by the A129 Southend Road, and another stream, flowing northwards from springs and lakes in Gloucester Park Basildon joins it. The river valley skirts the northern edge of Crays Hill and the southern edge of Ramsden Bellhouse , before the Crouch reaches Wickford , close to Wickford railway station . A public footpath runs along
973-512: A geographical frame of reference. Of these, 38 developed gradually since the Middle Ages ; these were reformed to 51 in 1974 and to their current number in 1996. Each has a Lord Lieutenant and High Sheriff ; these posts are used to represent the British monarch locally. Some counties, such as Herefordshire , are only divided further into civil parishes. The royal county of Berkshire and
1112-401: A house, a stabbling coach house and a granary together with an extensive coal wharf and brick yard with dry kilns. Impounded water from the tides drove a breastshot wheel which was 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. Lighters could enter the mill leat through a set of gates at every tide. There was a granary below the bridge, which could be accessed more easily, without
1251-469: A licence to Edward Building of Moulsham on 3 March 1766 to allow its construction, but because it was necessary to place stakes, piles and boards on the north bank of the river as part of the dam, some negotiation was required with Thomas Finch, and the miller had to pay Finch £5 four times a year. The land on which the building stood was purchased from the college, while the mill building was complete by February 1767, or possibly earlier. It had four storeys and
1390-420: A military firing range. There was a proposal in 1825 to extend navigation onwards from Battlesbridge to Purfleet with a branch to Billericay . The route to Billericay would have been around 7.5 miles (12.1 km) long, and 29 locks were proposed, in order to negotiate the difference in height of 181 feet (55 m). Because the river is still tidal at Battlesbridge, a sea lock would have provided access from
1529-561: A mill was recorded in 1593. It was said to be near Kemps Brook, and the miller at the time was John Crouch. A mill was also recorded at Ramsden Bellhouse in 1086 as part of the Domesday survey . The most significant of the mills was a tide mill at Battlesbridge. Local people from the parish of Rettendon petitioned the Lord of the Manor, Thomas Fitch of Danbury, for permission to build a mill on
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#17327905684361668-473: A new frontage in the 18th century, and has two storeys with attics. On the east gable was a large clock with the figures made from blackened bones, but these have largely been replaced by wooden figures. Although the Wilderness is now owned by the golf course, a covenant prevents them from make any changes to it. The ponds are at an elevation of 230 feet (70 m) and after flowing briefly to the north east,
1807-399: A new water wheel to drive an electrical generator. The tidal gates were replaced again in 2008. The new gates, weighing 19 tonnes, were constructed using pine beams and metal sluices. The design and working drawings for the project were prepared by Roy Hart, the owner of the site, and the work was carried out by Hart and his son Justin. Keeble Brothers of Woodham Ferrers assisted with some of
1946-457: A number of farmstead scattered along the north bank of the river, while the area to the south was unenclosed marshland. A tide mill was built around 1771, although it is not known whether there was an earlier mill at the site. Marshes to the south of the river were protected from flooding around 1812, so that they could be used for grazing sheep, and the river had been embanked by 1876. The 1838 tithe maps show that cottages and shops had been built on
2085-660: A profound and permanent effect on the English language. Subsequently, the House of Plantagenet from Anjou inherited the English throne under Henry II , adding England to the budding Angevin Empire of fiefs the family had inherited in France including Aquitaine . They reigned for three centuries, some noted monarchs being Richard I , Edward I , Edward III and Henry V . The period saw changes in trade and legislation, including
2224-603: A replacement A130 road between Chelmsford and the A127 road. The bridge has a span of 119 feet (36.4 m) with two intermediate piers, and provides 10 feet (3 m) of headroom above normal high tide levels. This superseded the Battlesbridge Bypass bridge, which is 1,066 feet (325 m) further downstream, and is now classified as the A1245. There has been a bridge at Battlesbridge since at least 1372. A new bridge
2363-419: A set of pointed gates, which closed as the tide began to fall. The impounded water drove a breastshot wheel which was 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. Lighters could enter the mill leat through a set of gates at every tide. There was a granary below the bridge, which could be accessed more easily, without the need for boats to lower their masts. Under the ownership of William Meeson,
2502-589: A sluice gate. Once the railway was electrified, the reservoir was no longer needed, and it is now part of a car park. Another tributary joins from the south. It starts at springs in Northlands Park, Basildon , and is also fed by water from a large lake, which was constructed in the 1970s to collect floodwater from developments at Fryerns and Chalvedon. After passing under the A127 Southend Arterial Road at Burnt Mills and flowing along
2641-450: A struggle for hegemony between Northumbria and Mercia, which in the 8th century gave way to Mercian preeminence. In the early 9th century Mercia was displaced as the foremost kingdom by Wessex. Later in that century escalating attacks by the Danes culminated in the conquest of the north and east of England, overthrowing the kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia. Wessex under Alfred
2780-404: A tiny area of ancient woodland . The ponds date from around 1250, when they were used for the farming of fish for Stockwell Hall, and also served as a defensive moat for the hall. In the mid 16th century, the hall was moved to a new site, some 250 yards (230 m) to the west, and the original building was dismantled and reassembled to form the rear of the new hall. The new Stockwell Hall received
2919-588: A unified state in the 10th century and has had extensive cultural and legal impact on the wider world since the Age of Discovery , which began during the 15th century. The Kingdom of England , which included Wales after 1535, ceased to be a separate sovereign state on 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union brought into effect a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland that created the Kingdom of Great Britain . England
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#17327905684363058-512: A water wheel. The building is now used as a warehouse and offices. Just upstream of it is a former granary and drying kiln, built of red brick and dating from the early 19th century. It was associated with the tide mill, but has since been converted into a house. Battlesbridge now contains a number of antique shops. The river is navigable from below the bridge for 17.5 miles (28.2 km) to the sea. The upper reaches are quite narrow and wind between sandbanks. There are high sea walls on both sides of
3197-542: A whole. The earliest known evidence of human presence in the area now known as England was that of Homo antecessor , dating to about 780,000 years ago. The oldest proto-human bones discovered in England date from 500,000 years ago. Modern humans are known to have inhabited the area during the Upper Paleolithic period, though permanent settlements were only established within the last 6,000 years. After
3336-412: A year. The land on which the building stood was bought from the college, while the mill was complete by February 1767, and possibly earlier. It had four storeys and was powered by two water wheels, driving four pairs of French stones. There was also a house for the miller and an outhouse. The mill was sold in 1837 after John Deely the miller became bankrupt. For the sale, it was described as a tide mill with
3475-647: Is a country that is part of the United Kingdom . It is located on the island of Great Britain , of which it covers about 62%, and more than 100 smaller adjacent islands . It has land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west, and is otherwise surrounded by the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south, the Celtic Sea to the south-west, and the Irish Sea to
3614-415: Is a dam constructed across the river, which was part of the tide mill situated on the south bank of the river. The present mill building dates from the late 18th century, and is built of bricks with a red tiled roof. There is an opening in the dam, containing a pair of V-gates, which allowed the incoming tide to pass through them, but as the tide fell, the gates closed, and the impounded water was used to drive
3753-504: Is a non-departmental public body, established in 1995 and sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with responsibilities relating to the protection and enhancement of the environment in England. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the minister responsible for environmental protection, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in England. Battlesbridge Battlesbridge
3892-666: 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
4031-583: Is crossed by the Crouch Valley railway . There is a sewage works on the right bank immeditately below the bridge, and the bridge is the highest point on the river to which tides normally flow. As it approaches Battlesbridge , the river is crossed by three bridges, all of which have been part of the A130 road. The first is the Mayrose Bridge, constructed in the early 2000s as part of a scheme to build
4170-492: Is damp relatively frequently and is changeable. The coldest months are January and February, the latter particularly on the English coast , while July is normally the warmest month. Months with mild to warm weather are May, June, September and October. Rainfall is spread fairly evenly throughout the year. Important influences on the climate of England are its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean , its northern latitude and
4309-641: Is governed directly by the Parliament of the United Kingdom , although other countries of the United Kingdom have devolved governments. There has been debate about how to counterbalance this in England. Originally it was planned that various regions of England would be devolved, but following the proposal's rejection by the North East in a 2004 referendum , this has not been carried out. In 2024, an England-only intergovernmental body, known as
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4448-669: Is high moorland in upland areas, indented by fertile valleys of the region's rivers. They contain two national parks , the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District . In the West Country , Dartmoor and Exmoor of the Southwest Peninsula include upland moorland supported by granite. The English Lowlands are in the central and southern regions of the country, consisting of green rolling hills, including
4587-563: Is home to the two oldest universities in the English-speaking world: the University of Oxford , founded in 1096, and the University of Cambridge , founded in 1209. Both universities are ranked among the most prestigious in the world. England's terrain chiefly consists of low hills and plains , especially in the centre and south . Upland and mountainous terrain is mostly found in the north and west, including Dartmoor ,
4726-604: 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,
4865-780: Is known as the lost colony after it was found abandoned on the return of the late-arriving supply ship. With the East India Company , England also competed with the Dutch and French in the East. During the Elizabethan period, England was at war with Spain. An armada sailed from Spain in 1588 as part of a wider plan to invade England and re-establish a Catholic monarchy. The plan was thwarted by bad coordination, stormy weather and successful harrying attacks by an English fleet under Lord Howard of Effingham . This failure did not end
5004-423: Is located slightly further upstream, and was built of red brick in the early 19th century. The single storey west range has a red pantiled roof, the two storey central range has a grey slate roof, and the kiln is at the east end, with its tall pyramidal roof and timber wind cowl. This building has been converted into a house, and is also grade II listed. The owner of the mill restored the tide gates in 1989 and used
5143-585: Is now the German state of Schleswig-Holstein . The earliest recorded use of the term, as " Engla londe ", is in the late-ninth-century translation into Old English of Bede 's Ecclesiastical History of the English People . The term was then used to mean "the land inhabited by the English", and it included English people in what is now south-east Scotland but was then part of the English kingdom of Northumbria . The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded that
5282-493: Is on the Quay at Burnham on Crouch. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of the river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares
5421-590: Is one hour and ten minutes later than high water at Dover , with a tidal range of 16 feet (5 m) at spring tides and 10 feet (3.2 m) at neap tides. Approaching the river from the North Sea requires care, as the Whitaker Channel and Ray Sand Channel are separated by a large sandbank known as Buxey Sand, and to the south of the Whitaker Channel, the Foulness Sands are a danger area, used as
5560-458: Is part of the United Kingdom, a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system . There has not been a government of England since 1707, when the Acts of Union 1707 , putting into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union , joined England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain . Before the union England was ruled by its monarch and the Parliament of England . Today England
5699-472: Is similar to that of other areas in the British Isles with a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate life in a diverse range of habitats. National nature reserves in England are designated by Natural England as key places for wildlife and natural features in England. They were established to protect the most significant areas of habitat and of geological formations. NNRs are managed on behalf of
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5838-494: Is the origin of the English language , the English legal system (which served as the basis for the common law systems of many other countries), association football , and the Anglican branch of Christianity; its parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England
5977-519: The 1535–1542 acts . There were internal religious conflicts during the reigns of Henry's daughters, Mary I and Elizabeth I . The former took the country back to Catholicism while the latter broke from it again, forcefully asserting the supremacy of Anglicanism . The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor age of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I ("the Virgin Queen"). Historians often depict it as
6116-595: The Age of Discovery . Henry VIII broke from communion with the Catholic Church, over issues relating to his divorce, under the Acts of Supremacy in 1534 which proclaimed the monarch head of the Church of England . In contrast with much of European Protestantism , the roots of the split were more political than theological. He also legally incorporated his ancestral land Wales into the Kingdom of England with
6255-590: The Battle of Trafalgar confirmed the naval supremacy Britain had established during the course of the eighteenth century. The Napoleonic Wars fostered a concept of Britishness and a united national British people , shared with the English, Scots and Welsh. London became the largest and most populous metropolitan area in the world during the Victorian era , and trade within the British Empire – as well as
6394-536: The Battle of Watling Street . The author of one study of Roman Britain suggested that from 43 AD to 84 AD, the Roman invaders killed somewhere between 100,000 and 250,000 people from a population of perhaps 2,000,000. This era saw a Greco-Roman culture prevail with the introduction of Roman law , Roman architecture , aqueducts , sewers , many agricultural items and silk. In the 3rd century, Emperor Septimius Severus died at Eboracum (now York ), where Constantine
6533-676: The British Isles , but also from the Commonwealth , particularly the Indian subcontinent . Since the 1970s there has been a large move away from manufacturing and an increasing emphasis on the service industry . As part of the United Kingdom, the area joined a common market initiative called the European Economic Community which became the European Union . Since the late 20th century the administration of
6672-610: The Cotswold Hills , Chiltern Hills , North and South Downs ; where they meet the sea they form white rock exposures such as the cliffs of Dover . This also includes relatively flat plains such as the Salisbury Plain , Somerset Levels , South Coast Plain and The Fens . England has a temperate maritime climate : it is mild with temperatures not much lower than 0 °C (32 °F) in winter and not much higher than 32 °C (90 °F) in summer. The weather
6811-744: The Court of Appeal , the High Court of Justice for civil cases, and the Crown Court for criminal cases. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the highest court for criminal and civil cases in England and Wales . It was created in 2009 after constitutional changes, taking over the judicial functions of the House of Lords . A decision of the Supreme Court is binding on every other court in
6950-583: The Courts of England and Wales continued, under the Treaty of Union , as a separate legal system from the one used in Scotland . The general essence of English law is that it is made by judges sitting in courts, applying their common sense and knowledge of legal precedent – stare decisis – to the facts before them. The court system is headed by the Senior Courts of England and Wales, consisting of
7089-701: The Domesday Book of 1086 covered the whole of England, meaning the English kingdom, but a few years later the Chronicle stated that King Malcolm III went "out of Scotlande into Lothian in Englaland", thus using it in the more ancient sense. The earliest attested reference to the Angles occurs in the 1st-century work by Tacitus , Germania , in which the Latin word Anglii is used. The etymology of
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#17327905684367228-736: The French Revolution , under George III and William Pitt the Younger . The regency of George IV is noted for its elegance and achievements in the fine arts and architecture. During the Napoleonic Wars , Napoleon planned to invade from the south-east ; however, this failed to manifest and the Napoleonic forces were defeated by the British: at sea by Horatio Nelson , and on land by Arthur Wellesley . The major victory at
7367-418: The Labour Party , 116 from the Conservative Party , 65 from the Liberal Democrats , five for Reform UK and four for the Green Party of England and Wales . The English law legal system, developed over the centuries, is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States (except Louisiana ). Despite now being part of the United Kingdom, the legal system of
7506-415: The Lake District , the Pennines , and the Shropshire Hills . The country's capital is London , the metropolitan area of which has a population of 14.2 million as of 2021, representing the United Kingdom's largest metropolitan area. England's population of 56.3 million comprises 84% of the population of the United Kingdom, largely concentrated around London, the South East , and conurbations in
7645-424: The Mayoral Council for England , was established to bring together ministers from the UK Government , the Mayor of London and the leaders of combined authorities . In the House of Commons which is the lower house of the British Parliament based at the Palace of Westminster , there are 543 members of parliament (MPs) for constituencies in England, out of the 650 total. England is represented by 347 MPs from
7784-406: The Midlands , the North West , the North East , and Yorkshire , which each developed as major industrial regions during the 19th century. The name "England" is derived from the Old English name Englaland , which means "land of the Angles ". The Angles were one of the Germanic tribes that settled in Great Britain during the Early Middle Ages . They came from the Angeln region of what
7923-438: The Ministry of Justice , manages most prisons, housing 81,309 prisoners in England and Wales as of September 2022 . The subdivisions of England consist of up to four levels of subnational division , controlled through a variety of types of administrative entities created for the purposes of local government . Outside the London region, England's highest tier is the 48 ceremonial counties . These are used primarily as
8062-417: The Ordnance Survey mark the northern stream as the Crouch, the Environment Agency water quality data for the Upper Crouch is measured for this southern stream. The combined flow turns to the north east, and is soon joined by a third stream flowing northwards from Steeple View, by which time its elevation has dropped to 82 feet (25 m). It passes under the A176 road at Noak Bridge, after which it follows
8201-518: The Severn is the longest river flowing through England. It empties into the Bristol Channel and is notable for its Severn Bore (a tidal bore ), which can reach 2 metres (6.6 ft) in height. However, the longest river entirely in England is the Thames, which is 215 miles (346 km) in length. There are many lakes in England ; the largest is Windermere , within the aptly named Lake District . Most of England's landscape consists of low hills and plains, with upland and mountainous terrain in
8340-479: The State Opening of Parliament by the British monarch when the doors of the House of Commons are slammed in the face of the monarch's messenger, symbolising the rights of Parliament and its independence from the monarch. With the founding of the Royal Society in 1660, science was greatly encouraged. In 1666 the Great Fire of London gutted the city of London, but it was rebuilt shortly afterward with many significant buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren . By
8479-451: The Stuart dynasty England expanded in trade, finance and prosperity. The Royal Navy developed Europe's largest merchant fleet. After the parliaments of England and Scotland agreed, the two countries joined in political union , to create the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. To accommodate the union, institutions such as the law and national churches of each remained separate. Under the newly formed Kingdom of Great Britain, output from
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#17327905684368618-433: The Trinovantes . The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD during the reign of Emperor Claudius , subsequently conquering much of Britain , and the area was incorporated into the Roman Empire as Britannia province . The best-known of the native tribes who attempted to resist were the Catuvellauni led by Caratacus . Later, an uprising led by Boudica , Queen of the Iceni , ended with Boudica's suicide following her defeat at
8757-470: The canal age in Britain . In 1825 the world's first permanent steam locomotive-hauled passenger railway – the Stockton and Darlington Railway – opened to the public. During the Industrial Revolution , many workers moved from England's countryside to new and expanding urban industrial areas to work in factories, for instance at Birmingham and Manchester , with the latter the world's first industrial city. England maintained relative stability throughout
8896-435: The decline of the Roman Empire , Britain was left exposed by the end of Roman rule in Britain and the withdrawal of Roman army units, to defend the frontiers in continental Europe and partake in civil wars. Celtic Christian monastic and missionary movements flourished. This period of Christianity was influenced by ancient Celtic culture in its sensibilities, polity, practices and theology. Local "congregations" were centred in
9035-434: The golden age in English history that represented the apogee of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of great art, drama, poetry, music and literature. England during this period had a centralised, well-organised, and effective government. Competing with Spain , the first English colony in the Americas was founded in 1585 by explorer Walter Raleigh in Virginia and named Roanoke . The Roanoke colony failed and
9174-473: The jet engine led to wider air travel . Residential patterns were altered in England by private motoring, and by the creation of the National Health Service in 1948, providing publicly funded health care to all permanent residents free at the point of need. Combined, these prompted the reform of local government in England in the mid-20th century. Since the 20th century, there has been significant population movement to England, mostly from other parts of
9313-404: The last ice age only large mammals such as mammoths , bison and woolly rhinoceros remained. Roughly 11,000 years ago, when the ice sheets began to recede, humans repopulated the area; genetic research suggests they came from the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula . The sea level was lower than the present day and Britain was connected by land bridge to Ireland and Eurasia . As
9452-426: The 32 London Boroughs and the 25 Wards of the City of London . Geographically, England includes the central and southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain, plus such offshore islands as the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly . It is bordered by two other countries of the United Kingdom: to the north by Scotland and to the west by Wales. England is closer than any other part of mainland Britain to
9591-516: The 6th century. Contemporary texts describing this period are extremely scarce, giving rise to its description as a Dark Age . Details of the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain are consequently subject to considerable disagreement; the emerging consensus is that it occurred on a large scale in the south and east but was less substantial to the north and west, where Celtic languages continued to be spoken even in areas under Anglo-Saxon control. Roman-dominated Christianity had, in general, been replaced in
9730-436: The Battlesbridge Rural Theatre staged outdoor shows with proceeds going to local charities. There are several suggestions as to how Battlesbridge got its name, but none are definitive. Philip Benton, writing in the 1860s, suggested that it could have been linked to the Battle of Assandune , fought between the Saxons and the Danes, or possibly some other battle. There is a reference to Batailesbregge in 1351, in connection with
9869-416: The European continent. It is separated from France ( Hauts-de-France ) by a 21-mile (34 km) sea gap, though the two countries are connected by the Channel Tunnel near Folkestone . England also has shores on the Irish Sea , North Sea and Atlantic Ocean. The ports of London, Liverpool , and Newcastle lie on the tidal rivers Thames , Mersey and Tyne respectively. At 220 miles (350 km),
10008-509: The Great was left as the only surviving English kingdom, and under his successors, it steadily expanded at the expense of the kingdoms of the Danelaw . This brought about the political unification of England, first accomplished under Æthelstan in 927 and definitively established after further conflicts by Eadred in 953. A fresh wave of Scandinavian attacks from the late 10th century ended with
10147-602: The North, and the successful Norman Conquest in October 1066, accomplished by an army led by Duke William of Normandy invading at Hastings late September 1066. The Normans themselves originated from Scandinavia and had settled in Normandy in the late 9th and early 10th centuries. This conquest led to the almost total dispossession of the English elite and its replacement by a new French-speaking aristocracy, whose speech had
10286-682: The Pope. During the 14th century, the Plantagenets and the House of Valois claimed to be legitimate claimants to the House of Capet and of France; the two powers clashed in the Hundred Years' War . The Black Death epidemic hit England ; starting in 1348, it eventually killed up to half of England's inhabitants . Between 1453 and 1487, a civil war known as the War of the Roses waged between
10425-727: The Rivers Crouch and Roach, extending some distance into the Thames Estuary, and controls both pleasure and commercial use of the rivers. The authority, created via the Crouch Harbour Act 1974, is run not-for profit and funded by dues levied on vessels kept on the river. Its tasks include passing and enforcing bylaws that regulate use of the river, providing pilotage and buoying/marking the navigable channels. They also provide weather forecasts, tide tables and other important sailing information. The Harbourmaster's Office
10564-999: The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club, the Royal Burnham Yacht Club and the Crouch Yacht Club. Boaters benefit from the Burnham inshore lifeboat run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution , which is housed in a floating boathouse within the yacht harbour. On the opposite bank is Baltic Wharf and Essex Marina, at the western end of Wallasea Island . Baltic Wharf is a commercial port, where timber and steel are imported, some of it from Riga in Latvia , with two vessels regularly plying that route. The port can accommodate vessels up to 390 feet (120 m) long with
10703-1015: The Royal Society and other English initiatives combined with the Scottish Enlightenment to create innovations in science and engineering, while the enormous growth in British overseas trade protected by the Royal Navy paved the way for the establishment of the British Empire . Domestically it drove the Industrial Revolution , a period of profound change in the socioeconomic and cultural conditions of England, resulting in industrialised agriculture, manufacture, engineering and mining, as well as new and pioneering road, rail and water networks to facilitate their expansion and development. The opening of Northwest England's Bridgewater Canal in 1761 ushered in
10842-619: The Saxon tribe gave their name to the word for England ( Sasunn ); similarly, the Welsh name for the English language is Saesneg . A romantic name for England is Loegria , related to the Welsh word for England, Lloegr , and made popular by its use in Arthurian legend . Albion is also applied to England in a more poetic capacity, though its original meaning is the island of Britain as
10981-432: The United Kingdom has moved towards devolved governance in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England and Wales continues to exist as a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. Devolution has stimulated a greater emphasis on a more English-specific identity and patriotism. There is no devolved English government, but an attempt to create a similar system on a sub-regional basis was rejected by referendum . England
11120-607: The United Kingdom as part of the Allies . Two decades later, in World War II , the United Kingdom was again one of the Allies . Developments in warfare technology saw many cities damaged by air-raids during the Blitz . Following the war, the British Empire experienced rapid decolonisation , and there was a speeding-up of technological innovations; automobiles became the primary means of transport and Frank Whittle 's development of
11259-557: The Willows , Treasure Island and The Importance of Being Earnest . Richards departed in 2007, to tour the world, but the eccentric productions continued for some years, with the last advertised production being Opera & Proms by the Lake in June 2012. From the 1960s onwards, Battlesbridge became a centre for antiques and collectibles. Around a dozen buildings on the north bank of
11398-438: The amount of trade likely to use the canal could never have justified the expense of so many locks, and no more was heard of the scheme. The Crouch runs through a relatively flat landscape and is therefore not ideal for powering water mills. Nevertheless, there are at least five sites where mills are known to have existed, based on documentary records. The furthest upstream was at Great Burstead, possibly near to Noak Bridge, where
11537-577: The area, the Beaker culture people made bronze , and later iron from iron ores. The development of iron smelting allowed the construction of better ploughs , advancing agriculture (for instance, with Celtic fields ), as well as the production of more effective weapons. During the Iron Age , Celtic culture , deriving from the Hallstatt and La Tène cultures , arrived from Central Europe. Brythonic
11676-767: The auspices of James VI and I the Authorised King James Version of the Holy Bible was published in 1611. It was the standard version of the Bible read by most Protestant Christians for four hundred years until modern revisions were produced in the 20th century. Based on conflicting political, religious and social positions, the English Civil War was fought between the supporters of Parliament and those of King Charles I , known colloquially as Roundheads and Cavaliers respectively. This
11815-525: The bricks to Thames barges for onward distribution. However, the sea wall was breached by the North Sea flood of 1953 and the island was abandoned to wildlife. It is now owned by the Wildlife Habitat Trust. Boats with a draught of less than 3.5 feet (1.1 m) can with care navigate right round the island along Althorne Creek and Bridgemarsh Creek at spring tides. The island is about 2.5 miles (4 km) long. Passing along Cliff Reach,
11954-419: The business prospered, and he built a new mill house in 1857. Around 1896, a steam mill was built on the north bank of the river just below the bridge, and a second mill on the south bank was constructed soon afterwards. A leat was partially constructed from the old mill to the new, but power was provided by oil engines. Despite this, records stated that water and steam power were in use in 1886 and 1926. Much of
12093-571: The channel. The river flows through Long Reach, after which it reaches Hullbridge on the south bank. A little further back from the river on the north bank is South Woodham Ferrers . Its western boundary is defined by Fenn Creek, which begins as a stream called Rettendon Brook rising near Hanningfield Reservoir and is tidal below the point where it is crossed by the A132 road. There are footpaths along both river banks at this location, with Marsh Farm Country Park situated between South Woodham Ferrers and
12232-615: The concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations, is rated good or fail. Parts of the Crouch are designated as "heavily modified", which means that the channels have been altered by human activity, and the criteria for this designation are defined by the Water Framework Directive . The water quality of the River Crouch was as follows in 2019. Reasons for the water quality being less than good include runoff from agricultural land, runoff from
12371-585: The conquered territories by Anglo-Saxon paganism , but was reintroduced by missionaries from Rome led by Augustine from 597. Disputes between the Roman- and Celtic-dominated forms of Christianity ended in victory for the Roman tradition at the Council of Whitby (664), which was ostensibly about tonsures (clerical haircuts) and the date of Easter, but more significantly, about the differences in Roman and Celtic forms of authority, theology, and practice. During
12510-541: The conquest of this united kingdom by Sweyn Forkbeard in 1013 and again by his son Cnut in 1016, turning it into the centre of a short-lived North Sea Empire that also included Denmark and Norway . However, the native royal dynasty was restored with the accession of Edward the Confessor in 1042. A dispute over the succession to Edward led to an unsuccessful Norwegian Invasion in September 1066 close to York in
12649-454: The course of the fifth and sixth centuries, initially in the eastern part of the country. Their advance was contained for some decades after the Britons' victory at the Battle of Mount Badon , but subsequently resumed, overrunning the fertile lowlands of Britain and reducing the area under Brittonic control to a series of separate enclaves in the more rugged country to the west by the end of
12788-516: The designs of Henry Stock . This carried all traffic for over 100 years, until it was widened on the upstream side to accommodate two lanes of traffic. The road that it carries was once the A130 road , but was declassified when the Battlesbridge Bypass was built a little further to the west. The road over the bypass bridge has since been reclassified as the A1245, when it was superseded by the Mayrose Bridge, 1,066 feet (325 m) further upstream, which
12927-637: The early 2010s England was divided for a few purposes into regions; a 1998 referendum for the London Region created the London Assembly two years later. A failed 2004 North East England devolution referendum cancelled further regional assembly devolution with the regional structure outside London abolished. Ceremonially and administratively, the region is divided between the City of London and Greater London ; these are further divided into
13066-512: The excavation of tunnels for the Crossrail project, which has been used to raise the level of parts of the island. Breaches were then made in the sea walls, to create some 1,500 acres (610 ha) of intertidal habitat. In order to deliver over 3 million tonnes of earth, Crossrail built a temporary jetty in the river, where ships arrived between August 2012 and March 2015, and the sea walls were breached on 11 July 2015. The original plans involved
13205-474: The family of Reginald Battaille, and this seems to be the most likely explanation, although Newton suggests that it cannot be completely ruled out that it derives from Botuluesbrige , linking it to St Botolph , the seventh century patron saint of wayfarers. There has been a bridge at Battlesbridge since at least 1372, and possibly a little earlier, since the Batailesbregge mentioned in 1351 suggests
13344-538: The hierarchy, which must follow its directions. The Secretary of State for Justice is the minister responsible to Parliament for the judiciary , the court system and prisons and probation in England. Crime increased between 1981 and 1995 but fell by 42% in the period 1995–2006. The prison population doubled over the same period, giving it one of the highest incarceration rates in Western Europe at 147 per 100,000. His Majesty's Prison Service , reporting to
13483-463: The left bank of the river from the bridge at Castledon Road, and forms part of a nature trail. The river turns to the south and is separated from the railway station by allotment gardens and Wickford Junior School. After passing under the A129 road, it turns to the east, and the road crosses it again as it turns to the north. There was severe flooding in this area in 1958, and as a consequence, the course of
13622-453: The metropolitan counties have different types of status to other ceremonial counties. The second tier is made up of combined authorities and the 27 county-tier shire counties . In 1974, all ceremonial counties were two-tier; and with the metropolitan county tier phased out, the 1996 reform separated the ceremonial county and the administrative county tier. England is also divided into local government districts. The district can align to
13761-707: The mid-to-late 17th century, two political factions had emerged – the Tories and Whigs . Though the Tories initially supported Catholic king James II , some of them, along with the Whigs, during the Revolution of 1688 invited the Dutch Prince William of Orange to defeat James and become the king. Some English people, especially in the north, were Jacobites and continued to support James and his sons. Under
13900-569: The monastic community and monastic leaders were more like chieftains, as peers, rather than in the more hierarchical system of the Roman-dominated church. Roman military withdrawals left Britain open to invasion by pagan, seafaring warriors from north-western continental Europe, chiefly the Saxons, Angles , Jutes and Frisians who had long raided the coasts of the Roman province. These groups then began to settle in increasing numbers over
14039-658: The more specialised milling of the timber. For a number of years, the Battlesbridge Rural Theatre put on shows, with proceeds going to local charities. The first production was in 2001, when Roy Hart, owner of the tide mill, asked Simon Richards, an actor and director based in Thorpe Bay, to stage an outdoor production. He selected the cast, organised the production, and usually played a role himself. Shows that have been staged include A Midsummer Night's Dream , Lark Rise to Candleford , The Wind in
14178-611: The nation, many by Natural England themselves, but also by non-governmental organisations, including the members of The Wildlife Trusts partnership, the National Trust , and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds . There are 221 NNRs in England covering 110,000 hectares (1,100 square kilometres). Often they contain rare species or nationally important populations of plants and animals. . The Environment Agency
14317-419: The need for boats to lower their masts. Some time after 1877, a second mill was built below the bridge, and a leat was partially constructed from the old mill to the new, but power was provided by oil engines. Despite this, records stated that water and steam power were in use in 1886 and 1926. The owner of the mill restored the tide gates in 1989 and used a new water wheel to drive an electrical generator. There
14456-668: The north and west of the country. The northern uplands include the Pennines , a chain of uplands dividing east and west, the Lake District mountains in Cumbria, and the Cheviot Hills , straddling the border between England and Scotland. The highest point in England, at 978 metres (3,209 ft), is Scafell Pike in the Lake District. The Shropshire Hills are near Wales while Dartmoor and Exmoor are two upland areas in
14595-434: The north bank of the river in 1765. When it was built, the mill was situated on the south bank, and was therefore in the parish of Rawreth , where the Lord of the Manor was St John College, Cambridge. They issued a licence to Edward Bilding of Moulsham on 3 March 1766. Some negotiation was required with Thomas Finch, in order to place stakes, piles and boards on the north bank of the river, for which £5 had to be paid four times
14734-409: The north bank, with many of the cottages having gardens. There were also kilns, a second mill on the south bank, and more cottages to the east. By the late 19th century, there were mills, farms, coal yards, lime kilns and maltings. Wharves on both sides of the river enabled boats to be loaded with flour and hay for animal bedding, with incoming cargoes of coal. Malt, lime and chalk were also traded, while
14873-485: The presence of a bridge there. In 1571, the bridge was described as 'ruinous and in great decay' at the Quarter Sessions. A new timber bridge was constructed in 1769 and the roadway was managed by a Turnpike Trust between 1794 and 1820. Another new bridge was erected in 1845, but collapsed when a steam traction engine attempted to cross it. A replacement bridge was erected around 1872, at a cost of £3,500, to
15012-406: The river are used for this purpose, with the largest being the former mill. The village has two pubs. The Barge Inn is near to the bridge, and occupies a grade II listed timber-framed and weatherboarded building dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The Hawk is a large country pub, located on Hawk Hill opposite the entrance to the railway station. There is a place of worship on Hawk Hill, within
15151-585: The river arrives at Creeksea and Burnham-on-Crouch on the north bank, where Burnham Yacht Harbour provides facilities for visiting boats. The grade II* listed clubhouse for the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club was designed by the architect Joseph Emberton in 1930, and was awarded a bronze medal and diploma by the Royal Institute of British Architects . The town has hosted the Burnham Week Regatta since 1893, with organisation shared between
15290-566: The river provided good catches of fish. Communication was improved by the opening of the Crouch Valley line by the Great Eastern Railway , with Battlesbridge railway station opening for passengers on 1 July 1889. Trains ran to Wickford to the west, where the line joined the Shenfield–Southend line , and to Burnham-on-Crouch and Southminster to the east. The line was electrified in 1986. A significant feature of
15429-407: The river was re-engineered, and runs in a concrete channel with a wider concrete overflow apron. A reservoir for the Great Eastern Railway was constructed in 1907, close to where the railway crosses the river, and was formally opened by Reverend Francis Dormer Pierce, the rector of St Catherine’s Church. It covered an area of just over 2 acres (0.8 ha), and water from the river entered it through
15568-404: The river, with five locks soon afterwards. A further seven locks would have been constructed along the route, with a flight of 16 locks to raise the canal by 100 feet (30 m) in the final 1.25 miles (2.0 km). The engineer Alexander Clark prepared the proposal, with help from surveyors J & H Clayton. The statutory documents were submitted to Essex County Council on 30 November 1825, but
15707-542: The river. On the south bank is the hamlet of Brandy Hole, and the river flows through stretches called Brandy Hole and Brandy Hole Reach. Clementsgreen Creek then forms the eastern boundary of South Woodham Ferrers, and there is a network of tidal creeks on the south bank. On the north bank, Stow Creek provides access to Fambridge Yacht Haven, after which the river passes between the villages of North Fambridge and South Fambridge . The next sections are called Shortpole Reach, Raypole Reach and Easter Reach. The Roach Valley Way,
15846-468: The seas rose, it was separated from Ireland 10,000 years ago and from Eurasia two millennia later. The Beaker culture arrived around 2,500 BC, introducing drinking and food vessels constructed from clay, as well as vessels used as reduction pots to smelt copper ores. It was during this time that major Neolithic monuments such as Stonehenge (phase III) and Avebury were constructed. By heating together tin and copper, which were in abundance in
15985-450: The settlement period the lands ruled by the incomers seem to have been fragmented into numerous tribal territories, but by the 7th century, when substantial evidence of the situation again becomes available, these had coalesced into roughly a dozen kingdoms including Northumbria , Mercia , Wessex , East Anglia , Essex , Kent and Sussex . Over the following centuries, this process of political consolidation continued. The 7th century saw
16124-477: The signing of Magna Carta , an English legal charter used to limit the sovereign's powers by law and protect the privileges of freemen. Catholic monasticism flourished, providing philosophers, and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge were founded with royal patronage. The Principality of Wales became a Plantagenet fief during the 13th century and the Lordship of Ireland was given to the English monarchy by
16263-636: The south-west of the country. The approximate dividing line between terrain types is often indicated by the Tees–Exe line . The Pennines, known as the "backbone of England", are the oldest range of mountains in the country, originating from the end of the Paleozoic Era around 300 million years ago. Their geological composition includes, among others, sandstone and limestone , and also coal. There are karst landscapes in calcite areas such as parts of Yorkshire and Derbyshire . The Pennine landscape
16402-547: The standing of the British military and navy – was prestigious. Technologically, this era saw many innovations that proved key to the United Kingdom's power and prosperity. Political agitation at home from radicals such as the Chartists and the suffragettes enabled legislative reform and universal suffrage . Power shifts in east-central Europe led to World War I; hundreds of thousands of English soldiers died fighting for
16541-487: The stream follows a more southerly direction, running parallel to the A176 Noak Hill Road for approximately 1.3 miles (2.1 km). It is then joined by another stream, rising to the west of Dunton Wayletts, which passes around a hill, taking it close to the junction of the A127 and B148 roads, before it resumes its course to the north of Dunton Road, to join the stream flowing south from the Wilderness. While
16680-491: The threat: Spain launched two further armadas, in 1596 and 1597 , but both were driven back by storms. The political structure of the island changed in 1603, when the King of Scots , James VI , a kingdom which had been a long-time rival to English interests, inherited the throne of England as James I, thereby creating a personal union . He styled himself King of Great Britain , although this had no basis in English law. Under
16819-436: The tide mill complex was demolished in 1902–03, but some remains, as does the drying kiln and granary. The grade II listed building that remains is built of bricks and dates from the late 18th century. It has a red tiled roof with a weatherboarded lucam and gable, and contains three storeys and a loft. It is used as a warehouse with attached offices. The dam is built of red bricks with stone copings. The granary and drying kiln
16958-534: The transport infrastructure, and discharge from sewage treatment works. Like many rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and mercury compounds, neither of which had previously been included in the assessment. England – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the United Kingdom (green) England
17097-826: The tribal name itself is disputed by scholars; it has been suggested that it derives from the shape of the Angeln peninsula, an angular shape. How and why a term derived from the name of a tribe that was less significant than others, such as the Saxons , came to be used for the entire country is not known, but it seems this is related to the custom of calling the Germanic people in Britain Angli Saxones or English Saxons to distinguish them from continental Saxons (Eald-Seaxe) of Old Saxony in Germany. In Scottish Gaelic ,
17236-803: The two branches of the royal family, the Yorkists and Lancastrians . Eventually it led to the Yorkists losing the throne entirely to a Welsh noble family the Tudors , a branch of the Lancastrians headed by Henry Tudor who invaded with Welsh and Breton mercenaries, gaining victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field where the Yorkist king Richard III was killed. During the Tudor period , England began to develop naval skills , and exploration intensified in
17375-427: The village is the dam across the river which was part of a tide mill. In 1765, local people from the parish of Rettendon petitioned the Lord of the Manor, Thomas Fitch of Danbury, for permission to build a mill on the north bank of the river. When it was built, the mill was situated on the south bank, and was therefore in the parish of Rawreth, where St John College, Cambridge acted as Lord of the Manor. The college issued
17514-603: The warming of the sea by the Gulf Stream . Rainfall is higher in the west, and parts of the Lake District receive more rain than anywhere else in the country. Since weather records began, the highest temperature recorded was 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) on 19 July 2022 at Coningsby , Lincolnshire , while the lowest was −26.1 °C (−15.0 °F) on 10 January 1982 in Edgmond , Shropshire. The fauna of England
17653-406: The west. Continental Europe lies to the south-east, and Ireland to the west. At the 2021 census , the population was 56,490,048. London is both the largest city and the capital . The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Paleolithic . It takes its name from the Angles , a Germanic tribe who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became
17792-444: The western edge of Nevendon, it runs parallel to the A132 road. It discharges into the Crouch after passing through a culvert beneath the roundabout where the A129 and A132 meet. Downstream of the railway bridge, the Crouch is crossed by Lower Southend Road, where the concrete channel ends and the river becomes more natural again. It continues to the south of Runwell and forms the northern border of Wickford Memorial Park, after which it
17931-438: Was also a tide mill at the head of Stow Creek in the 16th and 17th centuries. A number of millers were recorded during this period, and the miller was responsible for maintenance of a stile in the churchyard in 1682. This is the last known reference to millers at Stow Maries . A mill at Burnham was also mentioned in 1086, and as it was said to be in salt water, it may also have been a tide mill. The River Crouch Conservation Trust
18070-453: Was an interwoven part of the wider multifaceted Wars of the Three Kingdoms , involving Scotland and Ireland . The Parliamentarians were victorious, Charles I was executed and the kingdom replaced by the Commonwealth . Leader of the Parliament forces, Oliver Cromwell declared himself Lord Protector in 1653; a period of personal rule followed. After Cromwell's death and the resignation of his son Richard as Lord Protector, Charles II
18209-409: Was built as part of a project to construct a replacement A130 road between Chelmsford and the A127 Southend Arterial Road. The bridge has a span of 119 feet (36.4 m) with two intermediate piers, and provides 10 feet (3 m) of headroom above normal high tide levels in the river. Battlesbridge was a small port by the late medieval period, and continued to expand subsequently. By 1777, there were
18348-409: Was erected in 1845, but collapsed when a steam traction engine attempted to cross it. A replacement bridge was erected around 1872, at a cost of £3,500, and was sufficient for all traffic for over 100 years, until it was widened to accommodate two lanes of traffic. This is the third bridge, but the road it carries was declassified when the bypass bridge opened. On the upstream side of the final bridge
18487-401: Was established with the Bill of Rights in 1689. Among the statutes set down were that the law could only be made by Parliament and could not be suspended by the King, also that the King could not impose taxes or raise an army without the prior approval of Parliament. Also since that time, no British monarch has entered the House of Commons when it is sitting, which is annually commemorated at
18626-399: Was invited to return as monarch in 1660, in a move called the Restoration . With the reopening of theatres, fine arts, literature and performing arts flourished throughout the Restoration of the "Merry Monarch" Charles II. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, it was constitutionally established that King and Parliament should rule together, though Parliament would have the real power. This
18765-438: Was largely used for grazing sheep until the 1930s, when it was drained to provide arable land. In 2006, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) created 284 acres (115 ha) of new saltmarsh and intertidal mud flats. Since 2008, a project managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to transform more of the island back to intertidal coastal marshland has been ongoing, helped by spoil from
18904-419: Was powered by two water wheels, driving four pairs of French stones. The complex also included a house for the miller and an outhouse. John Deely the miller became bankrupt in 1837, and the mill was sold. The sale documents described it as a tide mill with a house, a stabling coach house and a granary together with an extensive coal wharf and brick yard with dry kilns. Water from the incoming tide flowed through
19043-443: Was set up in July 2009 by a group of concerned local people, mainly fisherman, after a stretch of the river around Memorial Park, Wickford was badly polluted. Its aim is to clear the river of rubbish and to bring the river back to a quality which will benefit all forms of wildlife, from water voles, fish to invertebrates and for the benefit of the public. The Crouch Harbour Authority is the statutory harbour and navigation authority for
19182-568: Was subsequently proclaimed emperor a century later. There is debate about when Christianity was first introduced; it was no later than the 4th century, probably much earlier. According to Bede , missionaries were sent from Rome by Eleutherius at the request of the chieftain Lucius of Britain in 180 AD, to settle differences as to Eastern and Western ceremonials, which were disturbing the church. There are traditions linked to Glastonbury claiming an introduction through Joseph of Arimathea , while others claim through Lucius of Britain. By 410, during
19321-401: Was the spoken language during this time. Society was tribal; according to Ptolemy 's Geographia there were around 20 tribes in the area. Like other regions on the edge of the Empire, Britain had long enjoyed trading links with the Romans. Julius Caesar of the Roman Republic attempted to invade twice in 55 BC; although largely unsuccessful, he managed to set up a client king from
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