Pitsea
Encyclopedia
Pitsea is a small town in the east of the Basildon
district of south Essex
, England
. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood (Previously known as Felmores), Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. Vange is located to the west of Pitsea, Bowers Gifford
and North Benfleet
to the east and Nevendon to the north. Many of the residents from these surrounding areas use facilities in Pitsea, such as the local market, schools, and the first Tesco
Extra store to open in the country.
During the creation of the new town of Basildon in the late 1940s and early 1950s, "Pitsea" and "Vange" were considered as for the name for the new town. Because Basildon village was central to the district, the town was named "Basildon". Before the new town regeneration, Pitsea and Vange were run down little hamlets in dire need of investment. Basildon, on the other hand, was a quaint little village with a church (which still stands today as Holy Cross church) and a few cottages.
. This however has changed over the years to many different names including: Pichesey(e), Pikeseye, Pithesey, Petchesey(e), Pisseye, Pitchesey, Pytsay, Pittessey, Pytchey and finally to what it is now Pitsea. It is thought however that all the names are derived from the meaning of Pics' Island, which refers to the area now known as Pitsea Mount.
Chalvedon, which is part of Pitsea has also been known under different guises. In its earliest form it was known as Chauendona meaning Calves Hill this was first recorded in 1119. Other names include: Chaluedona, Chaluedene, Calueden and Callwedone before it ended up being Chalvedon.
During the building of the new town Chalvedon became a housing estate in the west of Pitsea and the local secondary school has taken that name, whereas Pitsea got swallowed up by Basildon New Town, although many residents of Pitsea still refer to it as a town in its own right.
The most prominent landmark is that of the 13th century church of St. Michael, situated on Pitsea Mount. The church fell into ruin and only the main tower now survives. The dominant position of the building over the local area has seen the church used as a station for a mobile telephone aerial. The church is colloquially known as the Church on the Hill, Pitsea Mount, and even Snob Hill.
. In 1934 it became part of the Billericay Urban District and in 1937 the parish was abolished and absorbed into a larger parish of Billericay. The district, consisting only of the Billericay parish, was renamed Basildon Urban District
in 1955. In 1974, the district was replaced by the Basildon parliamentary constituency
. Since the 2010 general election Pitsea is represented as part of the South Basildon and East Thurrock parliamentary constituency
, the MP being Stephen Metcalfe of the Conservative Party.
Extra superstore as well as the building of pubs and bars to introduce a nightlife to the centre of Pitsea, this could be a saviour of the Pitsea landmark of the Railway Hotel public house, which could follow the fate of another local pub (The Fortune of War) in being pulled down and homes being built on the site, this could all depend on the plans for the redevelopment of the centre. The move of the market would see the much visited feature of Pitsea life returned to its original site, after it moved from Station Lane to the infamous 'Pitsea Domes' and then onto its current placement in the Pitsea Centre, this again could see the market given a new lease of life after a recent decline has seen a lot of stall-holders up and leave.
Most of the current Pitsea Centre is now beginning to look old and in dire need of a makeover. The centre which was completed in the late 1970s is a main focal point for local people, however a recent decline has seen a number of businesses leave, and on days when the market is not in the centre it is left looking somewhat of a ghost town. The market was leased by Charfleets from its owners in the mid 1990s and they introduced the Sunday market to a grand opening with both Essex FM and comedian Bobby Davro entertaining the happy shoppers. However recent events regarding its owners has left the market facing a perilous future and this could again hinge around the redevelopment of the centre. It is thought that among the development more homes would be built within the centre, along with more larger shops.
In the Basildon Echo dated Wednesday 17 September 2008, the lead article was about proposed plans to build blocks of flats, one as high as nine storeys on land between the Pitsea flyover and Pitsea Broadway in Station Lane, the plans are described as being the "Gateway" to Pitsea. The scheme will feature five shops, 121 flats, and parking for 126 cars and 109 bikes, whether this scheme will go ahead remains to be seen as it is has yet to go before Basildon council.
They play at Crown Avenue, or to give its proper name the Len Salmon Stadium. The club has never played any higher than its current level. The club play every year in the FA Vase
and have even competed in the FA Cup
albeit only at the very early rounds. It was in the FA Vase that Bowers & Pitsea F.C. achieved their highest ever attendance of 1,800 against a Billericay Town side which featured ex-West Ham United and Charlton Athletic
forward Steve Jones. The club first competed in the FA Cup in season 1994/95 when they lost 4-1 at home to Barking in the Preliminary round, they have never progressed beyond the first qualifying round, and have suffered some quite heavy defeats along the way. The club has also had some well known faces play for them including current Southend United
manager Steve Tilson
, ex-Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace
forward Paul Williams
and were even managed by ex-Millwall
keeper Brian Horne
, Bowers & Pitsea also have many youth teams playing in and around the local area.
There are few sporting clubs in Pitsea other than Eversley Park Cricket Club, Basildon & Pitsea Cricket Club, Chalvedon Boys Football Club, Chalvedon Boys Amateur Boxing Club, Pitsea Running Club and numerous Sunday League junior and men's football teams, most of these teams can be found playing locally on a Sunday at various points across Pitsea including Eversley Recreation Ground, Trenham Avenue and Pitsea School.
It is rumoured that in 2007-2008 Chalvedon and Bartable schools will close in their current guise and re-open as an academy for sport and business, it is thought that the venture is sponsored by an American businessman. It has been said that all 11-14 year olds will attend the Barstable school site, whilst all 15-19 year olds will attend the Chalvedon school site, this has been met with a lot of opposition from parents, pupils and teachers at both Chalvedon and Barstable schools. which led to a days strike by teachers at Chalvedon School, this was brought to the attention of local media and union leaders were featured at the school speaking to local TV news reporters.
Also located in Burnt Mills Road is the Basildon Information and Technology Education Centre. The centre provides both day and night courses in computer IT and design and technology for both school leavers and adults. It was once an infant and junior school for the local area called Nevendon Infant and Junior School, but due to other schools opening in the area pupil numbers declined and the school eventually closed and eventually the school playing field was built on.
There is a library located in Pitsea Centre, as part of the Leisure Centre complex. While it does not have as good a selection of books as Basildon
library, the library has a perfectly adequate selection of books and DVDs. It also offers an internet service free of charge, and also offers people the chance to browse the Essex
County Council's library catalogue to order books not on offer at Pitsea Library.
There are a few schools in Vange as well including Ryedene Infant & Junior School, Vange Infant & Junior School, Swan Mead Infant & Junior School and Bardfield Infant & Junior School. Swan Mead is in fact the oldest of the 'new-town' schools.
The Railway Public House ("The Railway") in Pitsea Broadway was a well known landmark, but it was closed in September 2006. It had been featured on the Sky One
television programme Britain's Toughest Pubs. It still stands, but is boarded up and ready for redevelopment in to flats as part of the regeneration plans for Pitsea. The Chalvedon Hall closed in late 2008, but reopened in 2010. This is a protected building which dates back many centuries; it had been suggested that it be turned into a museum to house local artefacts, which are currently sent to a museum in Southend.
The Gun also reopened in 2010.
Upon completion it included many shops including The Co-Op, a fruit and veg shop, a butcher (which it still is today), Tower Radio, AW Rusts, Martin McColl, Able Jacks and Sainsbury's. All of these shops have now gone, and the old Sainsbury's store has in fact been turned into three separate shops Poundland, Aldi
and Castaways, which is a fish and chip restaurant which offers live entertainment as well. The same block also has many offices as part of the Pembroke House development, but many of these units are reportedly empty. In the early 1980s more shops were added at the bottom end of Northlands Pavement next to Lloyds Bank
, initially they were a chemist, a shoe repairer, and the Woolwich
Building Society. With the Woolwich
closing in June 2007 none of the original shops remain, with the chemist taken over by a newsagent (Smokers Paradise) in the mid-1980s and a card shop taking over from the shoe-repairer, and Pridmore's Bookmaker taking over the Woolwich
unit. In the summer of 2008 the AW Rust shop was taken over by a local pizzeria named Topps Pizza, this leaves just one unit empty now in the Pitsea Centre which is where Martin McColl once was.
Pitsea's shopping area nowadays is dominated by one shop, Tesco
Extra. Most things can be found in the shop, and at one point was the second biggest Tesco
in England. Pitsea also boasts many fast-food outlets which get busy during the lunchtime break at the local secondary school at Chalvedon School and on a Saturday when shoppers flock to the market. Pitsea Town Centre in recent years has declined significantly with Sainsbury's, local tool specialist Beech Brothers, Leisure Sports, Hickley's, Pitsea Electrics, Simply Grooves, Pitsea Video, Blockbuster Video and Martin McColl, all leaving, add to this well known local trader A.W. Rust, it leaves one wondering what is going to be next.
On 29 June 2007 the Woolwich
closed its doors across the UK, with all of its customers being moved to Barclays Bank, the shop has since been taken over by bookmaker Pridmores.
Pitsea features many High Street names including Aldi
, Lidl
, Tesco
, Homebase
, KFC
, McDonalds, Corals, Ladbrokes
, Abbey National
, Barclays Bank, Lloyds TSB
, Subway
, Thresher and Timpson
.
The Homebase store on Hazelmere in Pitsea closed February 2009 with many of the staff at the store being relocated to other stores at Vange and Basildon. The vacant unit will be replaced in the summer of 2009 by a new camping orientated shop called GO Outdoors. The shop will also sell items for caravanning, cycling, fishing, horse riding, climbing and other outdoor pursuits equipment. The store which opens in July 2009 is said to be employing 70 staff.
In the spring of 2009 yet another shop was vacated in Pitsea High Road when Blockbuster Video vacated its premises on the corner of High Road and Station Lane, Blockbuster took over from the previous owners Pitsea Video in the late 1980s, its reason for leaving has never been revealed but the shop itself was often vandalised with the windows on the front of the shop regularly being broken, it leaves locals having to visit the nearest branch of Blockbuster on the Pipps Hill Retail Park.
Tower Radio and another Homebase
are in Vange.
Pitsea has many more smaller independent shops including a jeweller, fancy dress, florists, estate agentcy, newsagent, travel agent, fast-food outlets, a shoe repairer and dry cleaner.
In September 1997 part of the mock Tudor buildings that were built by Mr Howard in the 1930s burnt down, there was a lot of local mystery surrounding the fire as there were talks about redeveloping the site even then, business were lost including a fishing tackle shop, a pet shop and insurance company.
In June 2006 part of the Pitsea retail park burnt down, three shops were subsequently demolished. Pets At Home
, BeWise and Farmfoods
were all destroyed in the fire, all animals from Pets At Home were saved by residents who kept them safe in the nearby McDonalds restaurant until they were checked over by vets and Pets At Home staff and transferred to other Pets At Home stores, the site has now been completely rebuilt in exactly the same manner as before and both Pets At Home
and Farmfoods
have since re-opened, and a new company called Store 21 has opened where BeWise was, this particular shop was given a special opening ceremony and it was Callum Best who announced the shop open.
There are also many useful local shopping areas as well, these are located in Rectory Road, Felmore Shopping Centre, Chalvedon Square in Mill Green, as well as odd shops in London Road and Burnt Mills Road. There are also some local shopping areas in Vange including The Riverview Centre, Clay Hill Road, Paynters Hill and Stacey's Corner. There is also an electrical shop called Tower Radio located just after the Two Bridges in the High Road.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s Pitsea boasted a third supermarket in the shape of Co-Op which was located in the market place where the amusement arcade, clothes shop, catalogue clearance shop, and hair dressers are. When Sainsbury's moved into Pitsea in 1980, the Co-Op duly closed and the site remained empty for many years. Various owners have come and gone since in both the upstairs site, and downstairs site. Upstairs has boasted a snooker club, which when open proved very popular, and a Health and Fitness Club called the Feline Centre, whilst downstairs even boasted a nightclub called 'The Playground' which only lasted a very short period of time before closing. The downstairs was eventually turned into the current shops we have now, whilst the upstairs remains empty and looking vandalised. There we rumours recently of it re-opening as a snooker club, but those rumours have since faded away.
Pitsea Market originally started out life in Station Lane Pitsea with many stalls and it quickly became popular with local residents. Many stall holders would come from far and wide to work the market, and one of the originals The Cohen Brothers would serve the market well for many decades. However as Basildon became a new town and the area became developed, it was decided it was time to move the market to a more suitable location, and the infamous Pitsea Domes were built on what is now a KFC
. Many of the stalls here were inside and many spilt out onto the car-park, the Domes were a dominant landmark for many years until the development of the Pitsea Centre in the late 1970s where it was decided to move the market to compete alongside the new shops being built, where the market stands today. In this time the market became extremely popular and would get extremely busy on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
It was in the mid-1990s that the market was taken over and given a whole new lease of life. It was taken over by the owners of the successful Charfleets Market that was on Canvey Island
.
Upon taking over they introduced two more market days with a Sunday market which spilt into the car park and a second hand market which began on a Thursday before being moved to Fridays, also during the early 2000s the market also began introducing car-boot sales to the Sunday market, they have also introduced lock up cabins for many stall holders making it easier to open and close their stalls, they also demolished some buildings as well, which included a toilet block, market office and a couple of stalls. but by doing this it enabled them to make the aisles wider and more maneuverable.
However things have slowly gone down hill for the market, on most market days many of the stalls seem to be empty with supposedly increased rent prices driving stall holders away to car boot sales and many of the older and well liked stall holders have also gone out of business, one in particular being the Cohen Brothers from Southend, they were known for selling near enough anything that a household could need ranging from ironing boards to kids toys, it was all done in the style of Only Fools and Horses
Del Boy
and it became very popular with punters and he was very busy at Christmas time.
The boot sales now on a Sunday have become somewhat disappointing with only a handful of stall holders bothering to turn up.
Recently the Friday second hand market was featured as part of the sales pitch in an episode of the BBC
's Car Booty
, but as with most stall holders on a Friday the sellers did not do well only making in the region of £100.
With the regeneration in sight it can only be a matter of time before this well renowned and much loved market finally calls it a day.
on the c2c
line from London
to Southend.
Local bus services are the 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 21, and 22, that operate from Pitsea Broadway to the nearby towns of Basildon, Canvey, Southend, and to the Lakeside Shopping Centre
in West Thurrock.
The town is served by the Pitsea bypass of the A13, which connects London
to Southend, and has a direct link to the M25
. To the east is the A130 to Canvey Island
or Chelmsford
, and also links to the A12 to London
or East Anglia
. To the north is the A127 which serves the same purpose as the A13, and to the west is the A132 which is the border which separates Pitsea from Barstable and Vange, this road links into either Basildon
town centre, the A127 and Wickford
.
, Southend or London
for employment whereas the main employer in Pitsea is probably Tesco
Extra.
Pitsea has a fair few amount of office spaces as well, which can be found in Pembroke House, which is in the main Pitsea Centre, Broadway Chambers which is located in the main Pitsea Broadway and Tudor Chambers located in Station Lane. The offices include solicitors, insurance companies, an accounting software company and an employment agency.
An office in Tudor Chambers was used a for a while by Richard Howitt
the Labour
Member of the European Parliament
for the East of England, although how often this was used is unclear.
To the north of Pitsea is the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate which has many industrial units, including freight delivery, printing, a car wreck yard and a small amount of manufacturing, also in this area is the main delivery depot for the courier T.N.T.
again they employ many people from the Pitsea area. Also in this area is the main waterworks for the area, unfortunately during the summer this can prove to be rather smelly, although Essex and Suffolk Water deny there is anything wrong with it. Also further along from there is the main local depot for the cable TV company Telewest Blueyonder which came to the area in the early 1990s under the name of United Artists
before changing its name to Telewest
and then more recently to Virgin Media
.
During the recent economic downturn Pitsea as part of the Basildon district will suffer with people becoming unemployed, during the previous recession in the 80's a large part of Pitsea's population were unemployed and claiming benefits.
Pitsea Tip also has to deal with refuse that is sent down from London and again there has been concern regarding the type of waste that is dumped there. However it is not just waste from London that is dumped there, but also from neighbouring councils. What is of even more concern that there is also talk of transforming part of the tip into a country park, whether or not this would be deemed safe is another matter.
There is ongoing talk of a possibility of transforming land beside Pitsea Flyover at Terminus Drive into a site for travellers to live on, this was greeted by a degree of dismay by local residents as it was revealed that it would be home to travellers from the infamous Dale Farm
site, the local residents of Pitsea have since handed a 5,000 signature petition in to Downing Street opposing this idea, it is thought that house values in area would suffer in the same manner as those in nearby Crays Hill, during June 2009 details have emerged that plans are to be re-submitted to the local council for a travellers site to be housed again at Terminus Drive in Pitsea, the submission being backed by the chairman of The Gypsy Board Gratton Puxon, the travellers are facing eviction from Dale Farm
and are seeking a site within the Basildon district, again it is likely to be fought with great opposition by local businesses and residents. It has also transpired that the same land next to the flyover in Terminus Drive is being sought after by Basildon United Football Club, they have been told they will have to vacate their current premises because of development plans for their current ground in Gardiners Close. Basildon United have also inquired about building a stadium in Eversley Recreation Park directly next to their local rivals Bowers & Pitsea's ground, this was dismissed after local residents opposed the idea.
Jay Stevenson (1988-) gentleman scholar and all round good guy
Basildon (district)
Basildon is a local government district in south Essex in the East of England, centred around the town of Basildon. The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 from the former area of Basildon Urban District and the part of Thurrock Urban District that was within the...
district of south 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...
, 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 comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood (Previously known as Felmores), Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. Vange is located to the west of Pitsea, Bowers Gifford
Bowers Gifford
Bowers Gifford is a village in Essex, England....
and North Benfleet
North Benfleet
North Benfleet is a village in the Basildon district of Essex, England. It forms part of the Wickford post town.The Church of All Saints, is to the north of the village, nearly 2 miles off the main road. However, it has fallen into a state of disrepair and is not currently in use....
to the east and Nevendon to the north. Many of the residents from these surrounding areas use facilities in Pitsea, such as the local market, schools, and the first Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Extra store to open in the country.
During the creation of the new town of Basildon in the late 1940s and early 1950s, "Pitsea" and "Vange" were considered as for the name for the new town. Because Basildon village was central to the district, the town was named "Basildon". Before the new town regeneration, Pitsea and Vange were run down little hamlets in dire need of investment. Basildon, on the other hand, was a quaint little village with a church (which still stands today as Holy Cross church) and a few cottages.
History
There is little known history about Pitsea but its earliest recorded name is Piceseia which was in 1086 and probably recorded as this in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. This however has changed over the years to many different names including: Pichesey(e), Pikeseye, Pithesey, Petchesey(e), Pisseye, Pitchesey, Pytsay, Pittessey, Pytchey and finally to what it is now Pitsea. It is thought however that all the names are derived from the meaning of Pics' Island, which refers to the area now known as Pitsea Mount.
Chalvedon, which is part of Pitsea has also been known under different guises. In its earliest form it was known as Chauendona meaning Calves Hill this was first recorded in 1119. Other names include: Chaluedona, Chaluedene, Calueden and Callwedone before it ended up being Chalvedon.
During the building of the new town Chalvedon became a housing estate in the west of Pitsea and the local secondary school has taken that name, whereas Pitsea got swallowed up by Basildon New Town, although many residents of Pitsea still refer to it as a town in its own right.
Landmarks
Governance
From 1894 to 1934 the Pitsea parish formed part of the Billericay Rural DistrictBillericay Rural District
Billericay Rural District was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1934.It consisted of the following parishes:*Basildon*Brentwood *Bowes Gifford*Childerditch*Downham*Dunton...
. In 1934 it became part of the Billericay Urban District and in 1937 the parish was abolished and absorbed into a larger parish of Billericay. The district, consisting only of the Billericay parish, was renamed Basildon Urban District
Basildon Urban District
Basildon Urban District was a local government district in south Essex, England from 1934 to 1974.The district was created in 1934 consisting of the following parishes :...
in 1955. In 1974, the district was replaced by the Basildon parliamentary constituency
Basildon (UK Parliament constituency)
Basildon was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
. Since the 2010 general election Pitsea is represented as part of the South Basildon and East Thurrock parliamentary constituency
South Basildon and East Thurrock (UK Parliament constituency)
South Basildon and East Thurrock is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, the MP being Stephen Metcalfe of the Conservative Party.
The 'Pitsea Regeneration'
There is talk of a 'regeneration' of Pitsea town centre which would involve the moving of Pitsea market nearer to the TescoTesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Extra superstore as well as the building of pubs and bars to introduce a nightlife to the centre of Pitsea, this could be a saviour of the Pitsea landmark of the Railway Hotel public house, which could follow the fate of another local pub (The Fortune of War) in being pulled down and homes being built on the site, this could all depend on the plans for the redevelopment of the centre. The move of the market would see the much visited feature of Pitsea life returned to its original site, after it moved from Station Lane to the infamous 'Pitsea Domes' and then onto its current placement in the Pitsea Centre, this again could see the market given a new lease of life after a recent decline has seen a lot of stall-holders up and leave.
Most of the current Pitsea Centre is now beginning to look old and in dire need of a makeover. The centre which was completed in the late 1970s is a main focal point for local people, however a recent decline has seen a number of businesses leave, and on days when the market is not in the centre it is left looking somewhat of a ghost town. The market was leased by Charfleets from its owners in the mid 1990s and they introduced the Sunday market to a grand opening with both Essex FM and comedian Bobby Davro entertaining the happy shoppers. However recent events regarding its owners has left the market facing a perilous future and this could again hinge around the redevelopment of the centre. It is thought that among the development more homes would be built within the centre, along with more larger shops.
In the Basildon Echo dated Wednesday 17 September 2008, the lead article was about proposed plans to build blocks of flats, one as high as nine storeys on land between the Pitsea flyover and Pitsea Broadway in Station Lane, the plans are described as being the "Gateway" to Pitsea. The scheme will feature five shops, 121 flats, and parking for 126 cars and 109 bikes, whether this scheme will go ahead remains to be seen as it is has yet to go before Basildon council.
Sport
Pitsea is also the home to Essex Senior League side Bowers & Pitsea F.C.Bowers & Pitsea F.C.
Bowers & Pitsea Football Club is an English football club based in Pitsea, Essex and currently plays in the Essex Senior League.-Bowers United Football Club:...
They play at Crown Avenue, or to give its proper name the Len Salmon Stadium. The club has never played any higher than its current level. The club play every year in the FA Vase
FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System...
and have even competed in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
albeit only at the very early rounds. It was in the FA Vase that Bowers & Pitsea F.C. achieved their highest ever attendance of 1,800 against a Billericay Town side which featured ex-West Ham United and Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
forward Steve Jones. The club first competed in the FA Cup in season 1994/95 when they lost 4-1 at home to Barking in the Preliminary round, they have never progressed beyond the first qualifying round, and have suffered some quite heavy defeats along the way. The club has also had some well known faces play for them including current Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
manager Steve Tilson
Steve Tilson
Stephen Brian "Steve" Tilson is an English football manager and former player. He is best known for his time in charge of Southend United...
, ex-Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
forward Paul Williams
Paul Williams (footballer born 1965)
Paul Anthony Williams is an English former professional footballer who made 300 appearances in the Football League for a variety of clubs. He was capped by England at under-21 and B international level....
and were even managed by ex-Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
keeper Brian Horne
Brian Horne
Brian Horne is a retired English footballer. He played professionally for Millwall, Middlesbrough, Stoke City, Portsmouth and Hartlepool United.-References:...
, Bowers & Pitsea also have many youth teams playing in and around the local area.
There are few sporting clubs in Pitsea other than Eversley Park Cricket Club, Basildon & Pitsea Cricket Club, Chalvedon Boys Football Club, Chalvedon Boys Amateur Boxing Club, Pitsea Running Club and numerous Sunday League junior and men's football teams, most of these teams can be found playing locally on a Sunday at various points across Pitsea including Eversley Recreation Ground, Trenham Avenue and Pitsea School.
Education
- The Basildon Academies
- Northlands Infant & Junior School
- Briscoe Infant & Junior School
- Eversley County Primary School
- Felmore Infant & Junior School
- St Margarets Church of England School
- Pitsea Infant & Junior School
- Northlands Park Children's Centre - Funded by Sure StartSure StartSure Start is a UK Government initiative applying in England, originating with HM Treasury, with the aim of "giving children the best possible start in life" through improvement of childcare, early education, health and family support, with an emphasis on outreach and community development...
It is rumoured that in 2007-2008 Chalvedon and Bartable schools will close in their current guise and re-open as an academy for sport and business, it is thought that the venture is sponsored by an American businessman. It has been said that all 11-14 year olds will attend the Barstable school site, whilst all 15-19 year olds will attend the Chalvedon school site, this has been met with a lot of opposition from parents, pupils and teachers at both Chalvedon and Barstable schools. which led to a days strike by teachers at Chalvedon School, this was brought to the attention of local media and union leaders were featured at the school speaking to local TV news reporters.
Also located in Burnt Mills Road is the Basildon Information and Technology Education Centre. The centre provides both day and night courses in computer IT and design and technology for both school leavers and adults. It was once an infant and junior school for the local area called Nevendon Infant and Junior School, but due to other schools opening in the area pupil numbers declined and the school eventually closed and eventually the school playing field was built on.
There is a library located in Pitsea Centre, as part of the Leisure Centre complex. While it does not have as good a selection of books as Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
library, the library has a perfectly adequate selection of books and DVDs. It also offers an internet service free of charge, and also offers people the chance to browse the 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...
County Council's library catalogue to order books not on offer at Pitsea Library.
There are a few schools in Vange as well including Ryedene Infant & Junior School, Vange Infant & Junior School, Swan Mead Infant & Junior School and Bardfield Infant & Junior School. Swan Mead is in fact the oldest of the 'new-town' schools.
Tourism
- Wat Tyler Country Park
Wat TylerWat TylerWalter "Wat" Tyler was a leader of the English Peasants' Revolt of 1381.-Early life:Knowledge of Tyler's early life is very limited, and derives mostly through the records of his enemies. Historians believe he was born in Essex, but are not sure why he crossed the Thames Estuary to Kent...
Country Park (previously known as Pitsea Hall Park) was originally the site of an ammunitions factory that was primarily used during the First World War. The explosives factory was established In Pitsea in 1891 by George McRoberts who had been a chemist from 1873 to 1888 at Nobel’s British Dynamite Company Limited at Ardeer. The Company was called The British Explosives Syndicate Limited and traded until 1923, company produced nitroglycerine based explosives such as gelignite, dynamite and cordite.
A couple of the old buildings still remain, other than the blast walls that surrounded the original buildings any reference of its past has long since gone. [Another feature that remains is the old narrow gauge railway which ferried ammunitions to the local marina for transporting to the war front]Incorrect' The present railway does not run on the lines of the original track installed in the 1890s. After standing derelict for many years the area was developed in the early 1980s as a country park for the local residents, and so Wat TylerWat TylerWalter "Wat" Tyler was a leader of the English Peasants' Revolt of 1381.-Early life:Knowledge of Tyler's early life is very limited, and derives mostly through the records of his enemies. Historians believe he was born in Essex, but are not sure why he crossed the Thames Estuary to Kent...
Park (named after the local man who led the Peasants Revolt) was created over a 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) area. The park is also home to a motorboat museum (now closed), various craft shops (now closed), a marina, a miniature steam railway. Some old cottages that have been moved to the park from across the south of EssexEssexEssex 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...
. There are several pill boxes, Type 22 and 28, which have fallen into disrepair. The park has considerable wildlife. Dotted all around the park are small huts that provide views across the Pitsea Marshes and give ornothologists the opportunity to spot some rare breeds of birds.
- Northlands Park (known locally as Two Lakes)
Northlands Park's main feature are its lakes. During the summer the lakes are extremely popular with local fisherman, and is a venue for local match fishing. It also has a basketball court which doubles up as a five a side pitch for football, it also has a skate park for local skateboarders. During the summer Pitsea Carnival has its main fairground there as well. Also to the south of the park you will find an enormous hill which is a challenge for runners and cyclists alike.
- Eversley Recreation Ground (known locally as The Rec)The park is a large recreation ground on which many sporting activities take place on a weekend, featuring six full-size football pitches as well as a junior pitch it gets somewhat busy on Sunday mornings as well as Saturdays with teams doing their training. It also features a cricket pitch and pavilion which again is used mainly on weekends during the summer. The park also features a small play area for children, and was used by the local primary school during the summer for their pupils to play on.
- Eversley Leisure Centre Built in the late 1980s and originally named after local sporting celebrity Terry MarshTerry Marsh (boxer)Terry Marsh is an English former professional boxer who was an undefeated world champion in the light welterweight division....
the centre is a local hub for keep fit and sport enthusiasts. Every day there are always some sort of activities going on including keep fit, karate, judo, roller hockey and five-a-side football. The centre also boasts a bar on the first floor which gives a good view over the entire park.
- Howard's Park Located on the eastern corner of Rectory Road and High Road, Howard's Park is named after local 1930s entrepreneur Reginald Howard. The park also has the local war-memorial situated to the north of the park which can be accessed via Howard's Crescent. The memorial was moved here from Station Lane opposite the Railway Pub due to the restructuring of Station Lane and the business of the High Road.
The post-box situated near the Rectory Road entrance to the park has "G R" on the box. This would date the box to pre-1952 as George VI of the United KingdomGeorge VI of the United KingdomGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
was on the throne. - Pitsea Leisure Centre Pitsea Leisure Centre, along with the local library, was built in the early 1980s as a local hub for the community.
- Gala Bingo -- Previously known as Granada Bingo, the site began life as a local cinema before the new town was built and brought with it the larger multi-screen cinemas. It was revealed in early July 2009 that Gala Bingo will close its doors, thus leaving local bingo enthusiasts without anywhere to play, local football club Bowers & Pitsea F.C. have offered some salvation to the bingo fans by announcing that they have bingo sessions.
- Pitsea Swimming Pool Opened during the late 1970s amidst the generation of Pitsea Centre the pool gets quite busy, and is often used by the local junior and secondary schools, it also offers swimming lessons as well as a solarium.
- Essex Horse Sanctuary This is a charity which helps ill-treated horses and donkeys back into recovery, the centre is funded by having open days and receiving lottery grants.
Pubs
Pitsea has a few pubs:- The Bull
- The Watermill
- The Chalvedon Square Social Club
- The British Legion
- The Vange & Pitsea Social Club
- Pitsea Leisure Centre
- Eversley Leisure Centre
- Bowers Sports & Social Club
- The Winged Horse
- The Gun Pub
The Railway Public House ("The Railway") in Pitsea Broadway was a well known landmark, but it was closed in September 2006. It had been featured on the Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
television programme Britain's Toughest Pubs. It still stands, but is boarded up and ready for redevelopment in to flats as part of the regeneration plans for Pitsea. The Chalvedon Hall closed in late 2008, but reopened in 2010. This is a protected building which dates back many centuries; it had been suggested that it be turned into a museum to house local artefacts, which are currently sent to a museum in Southend.
The Gun also reopened in 2010.
Shopping
Pitsea has always had a thriving shopping area which included shops along both sides of the old High Road which has changed beyond recognition since the development of the new town with all the shops down the southern end Station Lane and Rectory Road being demolished, but the main shopping area in the Pitsea Centre wasn't created until the late 1970s beforehand it was the main football pitch for local side Bowers United who played on a pitch behind The Railway Hotel pub.Upon completion it included many shops including The Co-Op, a fruit and veg shop, a butcher (which it still is today), Tower Radio, AW Rusts, Martin McColl, Able Jacks and Sainsbury's. All of these shops have now gone, and the old Sainsbury's store has in fact been turned into three separate shops Poundland, Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
and Castaways, which is a fish and chip restaurant which offers live entertainment as well. The same block also has many offices as part of the Pembroke House development, but many of these units are reportedly empty. In the early 1980s more shops were added at the bottom end of Northlands Pavement next to Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank Plc was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1765 until its merger into Lloyds TSB in 1995; it remains a registered company but is currently dormant. It expanded during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and took over a number of smaller banking companies...
, initially they were a chemist, a shoe repairer, and the Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
Building Society. With the Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
closing in June 2007 none of the original shops remain, with the chemist taken over by a newsagent (Smokers Paradise) in the mid-1980s and a card shop taking over from the shoe-repairer, and Pridmore's Bookmaker taking over the Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
unit. In the summer of 2008 the AW Rust shop was taken over by a local pizzeria named Topps Pizza, this leaves just one unit empty now in the Pitsea Centre which is where Martin McColl once was.
Pitsea's shopping area nowadays is dominated by one shop, Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Extra. Most things can be found in the shop, and at one point was the second biggest Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
in England. Pitsea also boasts many fast-food outlets which get busy during the lunchtime break at the local secondary school at Chalvedon School and on a Saturday when shoppers flock to the market. Pitsea Town Centre in recent years has declined significantly with Sainsbury's, local tool specialist Beech Brothers, Leisure Sports, Hickley's, Pitsea Electrics, Simply Grooves, Pitsea Video, Blockbuster Video and Martin McColl, all leaving, add to this well known local trader A.W. Rust, it leaves one wondering what is going to be next.
On 29 June 2007 the Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
closed its doors across the UK, with all of its customers being moved to Barclays Bank, the shop has since been taken over by bookmaker Pridmores.
Pitsea features many High Street names including Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
, Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
, Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
, KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
, McDonalds, Corals, Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...
, Abbey National
Abbey National
Abbey National plc was a UK-based bank and former building society, which latterly traded under the Abbey brand name. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Santander of Spain in 2004, and was rebranded as Santander in January 2010, forming Santander UK along with the savings business of the...
, Barclays Bank, Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, Thresher and Timpson
Timpson (retailer)
Timpson is primarily a shoe repair business with over 750 outlets in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Timpson also offers key cutting, engraving, jewellery and watch repair, house sign creation and assorted other services, as well as retailing shoe care products.-History:Timpson's...
.
The Homebase store on Hazelmere in Pitsea closed February 2009 with many of the staff at the store being relocated to other stores at Vange and Basildon. The vacant unit will be replaced in the summer of 2009 by a new camping orientated shop called GO Outdoors. The shop will also sell items for caravanning, cycling, fishing, horse riding, climbing and other outdoor pursuits equipment. The store which opens in July 2009 is said to be employing 70 staff.
In the spring of 2009 yet another shop was vacated in Pitsea High Road when Blockbuster Video vacated its premises on the corner of High Road and Station Lane, Blockbuster took over from the previous owners Pitsea Video in the late 1980s, its reason for leaving has never been revealed but the shop itself was often vandalised with the windows on the front of the shop regularly being broken, it leaves locals having to visit the nearest branch of Blockbuster on the Pipps Hill Retail Park.
Tower Radio and another Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
are in Vange.
Pitsea has many more smaller independent shops including a jeweller, fancy dress, florists, estate agentcy, newsagent, travel agent, fast-food outlets, a shoe repairer and dry cleaner.
In September 1997 part of the mock Tudor buildings that were built by Mr Howard in the 1930s burnt down, there was a lot of local mystery surrounding the fire as there were talks about redeveloping the site even then, business were lost including a fishing tackle shop, a pet shop and insurance company.
In June 2006 part of the Pitsea retail park burnt down, three shops were subsequently demolished. Pets At Home
Pets at Home
Pets at Home is a large pet supplies retail chain in the United Kingdom. With 300 stores nationwide, it is the largest pet supplies retail chain in the United Kingdom Pets at home currently have over 5000 employees...
, BeWise and Farmfoods
Farmfoods
Farmfoods is a Scottish supermarket chain operating throughout the United Kingdom. Farmfoods predominately sells frozen food and also grocery items.- History :...
were all destroyed in the fire, all animals from Pets At Home were saved by residents who kept them safe in the nearby McDonalds restaurant until they were checked over by vets and Pets At Home staff and transferred to other Pets At Home stores, the site has now been completely rebuilt in exactly the same manner as before and both Pets At Home
Pets at Home
Pets at Home is a large pet supplies retail chain in the United Kingdom. With 300 stores nationwide, it is the largest pet supplies retail chain in the United Kingdom Pets at home currently have over 5000 employees...
and Farmfoods
Farmfoods
Farmfoods is a Scottish supermarket chain operating throughout the United Kingdom. Farmfoods predominately sells frozen food and also grocery items.- History :...
have since re-opened, and a new company called Store 21 has opened where BeWise was, this particular shop was given a special opening ceremony and it was Callum Best who announced the shop open.
There are also many useful local shopping areas as well, these are located in Rectory Road, Felmore Shopping Centre, Chalvedon Square in Mill Green, as well as odd shops in London Road and Burnt Mills Road. There are also some local shopping areas in Vange including The Riverview Centre, Clay Hill Road, Paynters Hill and Stacey's Corner. There is also an electrical shop called Tower Radio located just after the Two Bridges in the High Road.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s Pitsea boasted a third supermarket in the shape of Co-Op which was located in the market place where the amusement arcade, clothes shop, catalogue clearance shop, and hair dressers are. When Sainsbury's moved into Pitsea in 1980, the Co-Op duly closed and the site remained empty for many years. Various owners have come and gone since in both the upstairs site, and downstairs site. Upstairs has boasted a snooker club, which when open proved very popular, and a Health and Fitness Club called the Feline Centre, whilst downstairs even boasted a nightclub called 'The Playground' which only lasted a very short period of time before closing. The downstairs was eventually turned into the current shops we have now, whilst the upstairs remains empty and looking vandalised. There we rumours recently of it re-opening as a snooker club, but those rumours have since faded away.
- Pitsea Market
Pitsea Market originally started out life in Station Lane Pitsea with many stalls and it quickly became popular with local residents. Many stall holders would come from far and wide to work the market, and one of the originals The Cohen Brothers would serve the market well for many decades. However as Basildon became a new town and the area became developed, it was decided it was time to move the market to a more suitable location, and the infamous Pitsea Domes were built on what is now a KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
. Many of the stalls here were inside and many spilt out onto the car-park, the Domes were a dominant landmark for many years until the development of the Pitsea Centre in the late 1970s where it was decided to move the market to compete alongside the new shops being built, where the market stands today. In this time the market became extremely popular and would get extremely busy on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
It was in the mid-1990s that the market was taken over and given a whole new lease of life. It was taken over by the owners of the successful Charfleets Market that was on Canvey Island
Canvey Island
Canvey Island is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks...
.
Upon taking over they introduced two more market days with a Sunday market which spilt into the car park and a second hand market which began on a Thursday before being moved to Fridays, also during the early 2000s the market also began introducing car-boot sales to the Sunday market, they have also introduced lock up cabins for many stall holders making it easier to open and close their stalls, they also demolished some buildings as well, which included a toilet block, market office and a couple of stalls. but by doing this it enabled them to make the aisles wider and more maneuverable.
However things have slowly gone down hill for the market, on most market days many of the stalls seem to be empty with supposedly increased rent prices driving stall holders away to car boot sales and many of the older and well liked stall holders have also gone out of business, one in particular being the Cohen Brothers from Southend, they were known for selling near enough anything that a household could need ranging from ironing boards to kids toys, it was all done in the style of Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
Del Boy
Del Boy
Derek Edward Trotter, better known as "Del Boy", is the fictional lead character in the popular BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses and one of the main characters of its prequel, Rock & Chips...
and it became very popular with punters and he was very busy at Christmas time.
The boot sales now on a Sunday have become somewhat disappointing with only a handful of stall holders bothering to turn up.
Recently the Friday second hand market was featured as part of the sales pitch in an episode of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Car Booty
Car Booty
Car Booty is a British television programme shown on BBC One as part of their daytime schedule, and is currently showing on Digital channel, Home....
, but as with most stall holders on a Friday the sellers did not do well only making in the region of £100.
With the regeneration in sight it can only be a matter of time before this well renowned and much loved market finally calls it a day.
Transport
Pitsea is served by Pitsea railway stationPitsea railway station
Pitsea station is a railway station located in Pitsea in Basildon, Essex, England.The station was opened on 1 July 1855 by the London Tilbury and Southend Railway The original station was replaced by another on an adjacent site on 1 June 1888. It is 26 miles distant on the main line from Fenchurch...
on the c2c
C2c
c2c is a British train operating company that is part of the National Express Group. It provides passenger rail services on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London to east London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway...
line from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Southend.
Local bus services are the 1, 2, 5, 8, 12, 21, and 22, that operate from Pitsea Broadway to the nearby towns of Basildon, Canvey, Southend, and to the Lakeside Shopping Centre
Lakeside Shopping Centre
The Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping centre located in West Thurrock, in the borough of Thurrock, Essex just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London...
in West Thurrock.
The town is served by the Pitsea bypass of the A13, which connects London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Southend, and has a direct link to the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
. To the east is the A130 to Canvey Island
Canvey Island
Canvey Island is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks...
or Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, and also links to the A12 to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
or East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. To the north is the A127 which serves the same purpose as the A13, and to the west is the A132 which is the border which separates Pitsea from Barstable and Vange, this road links into either Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
town centre, the A127 and Wickford
Wickford
Wickford is a town in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of more than 32,500. Located approximately 30 miles east of London, it falls within the District of Basildon along with Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Pitsea....
.
Employment
Most people living in Pitsea either commute to BasildonBasildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
, Southend or London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for employment whereas the main employer in Pitsea is probably Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
Extra.
Pitsea has a fair few amount of office spaces as well, which can be found in Pembroke House, which is in the main Pitsea Centre, Broadway Chambers which is located in the main Pitsea Broadway and Tudor Chambers located in Station Lane. The offices include solicitors, insurance companies, an accounting software company and an employment agency.
An office in Tudor Chambers was used a for a while by Richard Howitt
Richard Howitt
Richard Howitt is a Member of the European Parliament for the Labour Party for the East of England. He has been a member of the European Parliament since 1994.-Background:...
the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
for the East of England, although how often this was used is unclear.
To the north of Pitsea is the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate which has many industrial units, including freight delivery, printing, a car wreck yard and a small amount of manufacturing, also in this area is the main delivery depot for the courier T.N.T.
TNT N.V.
TNT N.V., more commonly known as TNT, is an international express and mail delivery services company with headquarters in Hoofddorp, Netherlands. In the Netherlands, TNT operates the national postal service under the name TNT Post. The group also offers postal services in eight other European...
again they employ many people from the Pitsea area. Also in this area is the main waterworks for the area, unfortunately during the summer this can prove to be rather smelly, although Essex and Suffolk Water deny there is anything wrong with it. Also further along from there is the main local depot for the cable TV company Telewest Blueyonder which came to the area in the early 1990s under the name of United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
before changing its name to Telewest
Telewest
Telewest, formerly Telewest Broadband and Telewest Communications was a cable Internet, broadband internet, telephone supplier and cable television provider in the United Kingdom...
and then more recently to Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
.
During the recent economic downturn Pitsea as part of the Basildon district will suffer with people becoming unemployed, during the previous recession in the 80's a large part of Pitsea's population were unemployed and claiming benefits.
Local issues
In the land between the waterworks and the Hovefields Industrial Park, there has been ongoing talks of building a large incinerator much to the town residents disagreement. This has led to local disapproval and petitions have been signed and handed in to the government over this matter. Concerns surround the fumes which would be churned out by the chimneys on the incinerator and what effect it could have on local people's health.Pitsea Tip also has to deal with refuse that is sent down from London and again there has been concern regarding the type of waste that is dumped there. However it is not just waste from London that is dumped there, but also from neighbouring councils. What is of even more concern that there is also talk of transforming part of the tip into a country park, whether or not this would be deemed safe is another matter.
There is ongoing talk of a possibility of transforming land beside Pitsea Flyover at Terminus Drive into a site for travellers to live on, this was greeted by a degree of dismay by local residents as it was revealed that it would be home to travellers from the infamous Dale Farm
Dale Farm
Dale Farm is a plot of land on Oak Lane in Crays Hill, Essex, United Kingdom.Until October 2011, it was an Irish Traveller halting site which had been established without planning permission...
site, the local residents of Pitsea have since handed a 5,000 signature petition in to Downing Street opposing this idea, it is thought that house values in area would suffer in the same manner as those in nearby Crays Hill, during June 2009 details have emerged that plans are to be re-submitted to the local council for a travellers site to be housed again at Terminus Drive in Pitsea, the submission being backed by the chairman of The Gypsy Board Gratton Puxon, the travellers are facing eviction from Dale Farm
Dale Farm
Dale Farm is a plot of land on Oak Lane in Crays Hill, Essex, United Kingdom.Until October 2011, it was an Irish Traveller halting site which had been established without planning permission...
and are seeking a site within the Basildon district, again it is likely to be fought with great opposition by local businesses and residents. It has also transpired that the same land next to the flyover in Terminus Drive is being sought after by Basildon United Football Club, they have been told they will have to vacate their current premises because of development plans for their current ground in Gardiners Close. Basildon United have also inquired about building a stadium in Eversley Recreation Park directly next to their local rivals Bowers & Pitsea's ground, this was dismissed after local residents opposed the idea.
Notable people
- Scott RobinsonScott Robinson (singer)Scott James Timothy Robinson is an English singer best known for having been a member of the boyband, Five. Scott lived in Pitsea and has two older sisters, Nicola and Hayley...
, singer with 5ive - QBoyQBoyQBoy is a UK-based rapper, producer, DJ, writer and presenter. One of the original few out rappers in hip-hop circa 2001 that became pioneers of the new sub-genre colloquially known as "homo hop"...
, UK's leading gay rapper - Carla BrownCarla BrownCarla Brown is an English glamour model known for her topless and nude modelling and softcore pornography. Carla began her modelling career in 2001 with appearances on Page 3 of The Sun, Daily Star and the Daily Sport tabloid newspapers...
, Page 3 model - Paul SmithPaul Smith (footballer born 1971)Paul William Smith is an English professional footballer.Smith was born in East Ham, London and began his career as a trainee with Southend United, turning professional in 1990...
, ex-footballer with Brentford F.C.Brentford F.C.Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, Gillingham F.C.Gillingham F.C.Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
and Southend United F.C.Southend United F.C.Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had... - Michael KightlyMichael KightlyMichael John Kightly is an English footballer who plays as a winger. He is on loan at Championship side Watford from Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers....
footballer with Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... - Marc Crumpton, TV presenter of Shake! (2001–2002), & male model
- Phil Dudley, former footballer with Southend United F.C.Southend United F.C.Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
- George Berry, musician from Figures
- George McRoberts (1840–1896), the industrialist who brought industry to Pitsea
Jay Stevenson (1988-) gentleman scholar and all round good guy