Daws Heath
Encyclopedia
Daws Heath contains a large area of woodland in Eastern Thundersley
, a region of Essex
in England
. It is transversed by the Daws Heath Road and St Michael's Road, Daws Heath provides a semi rural escape for local towns and villages and their residents as they drive out of Castle Point, as Daws Heath Road has fields and woodland on both sides of the road with a small scattering of houses. Driving down Daws Heath Road it is not uncommon to see rare bread cattle , sheep and horses, Daws Heath is surrounded by Greenbelt and Woodland which are a buffer to stop the local villages merging by development.
West Woods nearly 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of mixed woodland has been purchased from the Church of England in 2009 securing continued public access to these woods, public support in the Daws Heath area is very strong especially on green belt and woodland preservation.
The area has established neighbourhood watch schemes,Church Groups and Greenbelt Protection Groups.
Daws Heath contains The Deanes School (a Sports College) Secondary School and is linked to a local Sixth Form College in Thundersley (SEEVIC).
Daws Heath extends from the north side of Hadleigh
towards the A127
London-Southend arterial road.
Daws Heath was described in books as a "wild and lawless place: both travellers and local inhabitants had to endure thieves and highwaymen." ('Thundersley -A Pictorial History' by Terry Babbington) and "a hotbed of lawlessness right down to living memory." ('Southend-on-Sea & District' by J.W.Burrows dated 1909) Burrows continued......"The settlement of this...district is attributed to some discharged soldiers who served in the Peninsular War. Upon the heath land they built themselves small huts, and by some means or another managed to obtain a precarious livelihood. Here possibly smuggled goods were concealed until a favourable opportunity enabled the owners to dispatch them to London or through the bye roads into the centre of England." Charcoal burning was an important industry here in the 16th century, supplying gunpowder factories. This probably included the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills
which produced gunpowder from 1660. More recently the Essex Wildlife Trust
has revived charcoal burning in Pound Wood. The Wildlife Trust has done much work in Pound Wood and Tile Wood/Starvelarks Wood (next to Little Haven Children's Hospice), making them more accessible to visitors.
The nearest pub is The Woodman's Arms on the Rayleigh Road (A129) junction with Daws Heath Road.
Thundersley
Thundersley is a district in the north west of the Castle Point Borough, in south east Essex, England, about 35 miles east of London.-Toponymy:...
, a region of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is transversed by the Daws Heath Road and St Michael's Road, Daws Heath provides a semi rural escape for local towns and villages and their residents as they drive out of Castle Point, as Daws Heath Road has fields and woodland on both sides of the road with a small scattering of houses. Driving down Daws Heath Road it is not uncommon to see rare bread cattle , sheep and horses, Daws Heath is surrounded by Greenbelt and Woodland which are a buffer to stop the local villages merging by development.
West Woods nearly 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) of mixed woodland has been purchased from the Church of England in 2009 securing continued public access to these woods, public support in the Daws Heath area is very strong especially on green belt and woodland preservation.
The area has established neighbourhood watch schemes,Church Groups and Greenbelt Protection Groups.
Daws Heath contains The Deanes School (a Sports College) Secondary School and is linked to a local Sixth Form College in Thundersley (SEEVIC).
Daws Heath extends from the north side of Hadleigh
Hadleigh, Essex
Hadleigh is a town in southeast Essex, England, on the A13 between Benfleet and Leigh-on-Sea with a population of about 18,300.-History:Hadleigh is known for its castle, and the country park that surrounds it. The castle has been a romantic ruin for a few hundred years, but parts of two towers are...
towards the A127
A127 road
The A127, also known as the Southend Arterial Road, is one of the trunk roads in England linking London with Southend-on-Sea, the other being the A13. It is a dual carriageway for its entire length, rare on a trunk road since the only others are the A14 and the A282, and is known as the Southend...
London-Southend arterial road.
Daws Heath was described in books as a "wild and lawless place: both travellers and local inhabitants had to endure thieves and highwaymen." ('Thundersley -A Pictorial History' by Terry Babbington) and "a hotbed of lawlessness right down to living memory." ('Southend-on-Sea & District' by J.W.Burrows dated 1909) Burrows continued......"The settlement of this...district is attributed to some discharged soldiers who served in the Peninsular War. Upon the heath land they built themselves small huts, and by some means or another managed to obtain a precarious livelihood. Here possibly smuggled goods were concealed until a favourable opportunity enabled the owners to dispatch them to London or through the bye roads into the centre of England." Charcoal burning was an important industry here in the 16th century, supplying gunpowder factories. This probably included the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills
Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills
The Royal Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey, an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage, , set in of parkland and containing 21 buildings of major historical importance, mixes history, science, and attractive surroundings...
which produced gunpowder from 1660. More recently the Essex Wildlife Trust
Essex Wildlife Trust
The Essex Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Essex and part of Greater London , England. It is headquartered at Abbotts Hall Farm, Colchester....
has revived charcoal burning in Pound Wood. The Wildlife Trust has done much work in Pound Wood and Tile Wood/Starvelarks Wood (next to Little Haven Children's Hospice), making them more accessible to visitors.
The nearest pub is The Woodman's Arms on the Rayleigh Road (A129) junction with Daws Heath Road.