Stow Maries
Encyclopedia
Stow Maries is a village and civil parish
in the English
county of Essex
. It is located on the western (inland) end of the Dengie peninsula
and forms part of the Purleigh
ward in the Maldon district
.
. By 1919 the need for airfields lessened and Stow Maries was closed. The site was considered for development as an airfield during the Second World War but considered unsuitable due to the clay soil. Even though not opened it played a role nonetheless, being bombed by the Luftwaffe
. and used as an emergency landing site by a damaged Hurricane fighter plane. The airfield buildings are still mostly intact, with the original windows still in place. The buildings were used to store grain and farm vehicles until 2008. The airfield has subsequently been purchased by Steve Wilson
and Russell Savory and is being restored to a state in which it would have been found in 1919.
Stow Maries was a halt on the South Woodham Ferrers to Maldon branch line. The track has been removed and it is now used by the Essex Wildlife Trust
.
The Trust own the halt and a four acre meadow. That is an area of six acres.
The halt can be reached from Church Lane. Ordnance Survey
grid reference .
, The Prince of Wales (www.prince-stowmaries.co.uk). There is a table tennis team, which trains in the Smythe Hall, many footpaths and the old railway line, part of which is used as a cycle route.
The local parish church is the Church of St. Mary and St. Margaret in the Maldon and Dengie Deanery, part of the Diocese of Chelmsford
.
The church has a 14th century chancel and a 15th century nave that was extended in the 16th century.
Some refurbishment took place in 1870.
The north vestry was added in 1912 and rebuilt in 1950.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the English
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...
county 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...
. It is located on the western (inland) end of the Dengie peninsula
Dengie peninsula
Dengie is a peninsula in Essex, England, that once formed a hundred of the same name .The peninsula is formed by the River Crouch to the south, the Blackwater to the north, both of which are tidal, and the North Sea to the east...
and forms part of the Purleigh
Purleigh
Purleigh is a village on the Dengie peninsula about south of Maldon in the English county of Essex. The village is part of the Purleigh ward of the Maldon district.-History:...
ward in the Maldon district
Maldon (district)
Maldon is a local government district in Essex, England. Its council is based in the town of Maldon, and the next largest centre of population is Burnham-on-Crouch. The district covers the Dengie peninsula as well as an area to the north of the Blackwater Estuary, a total area of...
.
Stow Maries Airfield
An airfield .was established at Stow Maries in September 1916, during the First World War for the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. By 1919 the need for airfields lessened and Stow Maries was closed. The site was considered for development as an airfield during the Second World War but considered unsuitable due to the clay soil. Even though not opened it played a role nonetheless, being bombed by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. and used as an emergency landing site by a damaged Hurricane fighter plane. The airfield buildings are still mostly intact, with the original windows still in place. The buildings were used to store grain and farm vehicles until 2008. The airfield has subsequently been purchased by Steve Wilson
Steve Wilson
Steve Wilson may refer to:* Steve Wilson , baseball player* Steve Wilson , former NFL player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers* Steve Wilson , former NFL player for the Denver Broncos...
and Russell Savory and is being restored to a state in which it would have been found in 1919.
Stow Maries Halt
Stow Maries was a halt on the South Woodham Ferrers to Maldon branch line. The track has been removed and it is now used by 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....
.
The Trust own the halt and a four acre meadow. That is an area of six acres.
The halt can be reached from Church Lane. Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
grid reference .
Local amenities
Stow Maries has one public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, The Prince of Wales (www.prince-stowmaries.co.uk). There is a table tennis team, which trains in the Smythe Hall, many footpaths and the old railway line, part of which is used as a cycle route.
Religious sites
Diocese of Chelmsford
The Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England diocese, part of the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers Essex and the five East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, and Waltham Forest, and is co-terminous with the boundaries of the Catholic Diocese of...
.
The church has a 14th century chancel and a 15th century nave that was extended in the 16th century.
Some refurbishment took place in 1870.
The north vestry was added in 1912 and rebuilt in 1950.