Wickford
Encyclopedia
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 (50 km) east of London
, it falls within the District of Basildon
along with Basildon
, Billericay
, Laindon
and Pitsea
.
It has become a commuter town
, serving the City of London through its direct connection to Liverpool Street
through the Southend Victoria line
, where a train to London takes approximately 40 minutes. The town can also be easily reached via the road network by the A127
from London and Southend-on-Sea
or the A130
from Chelmsford
.
Wickford is a fairly small town with a main high street. It includes shops such as Clarks
, New Look, Choice, The Cooperative
, W H Smith
, Adrians, 99p Stores
, a bakery, a coffee lounge and others. There is also a swimming pool, a library, an open-air market and a community centre within the vicinity of the town centre.
and Saxon
times. The name Wickford is of Saxon origin, Wic meaning a village, habitation, castle or dairy farm and Ford being a shallow river crossing.
Wickford was in the Middle Ages
known under the names of Wiceford, Wikford, Wygeford, Wicfort and Wincfort, as referenced by the Domesday Book
in the year 1086. Before the 20th century Wickford was an agricultural
village
.
At the time of the Domesday Survey, AD 1085, 6 land-holders were recorded. Historically there have been only two considerable estates in Wickford, The Manor of Wickford Hall and The Manor of Stilemans.
in Washington County
, Rhode Island
, USA was named after this town, the English birthplace of Elizabeth Reade, step-daughter of Hugh Peters
and wife of John Winthrop, Governor of Connecticut.
in the United Kingdom
. In 1922 the English Gymnosophist Society was formed and had its home in the town.
the edge of town was hit by one of the German
doodlebug
s, and on December 6th. 1944 a V2 rocket fell in Branksome Ave. about a mile west of the town centre. Around the town, in amongst the hedgerows and fields, there are numerous pillboxes
constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations
.
, which made national news headlines. The most striking image of the flood was a double decker bus, left stranded at Halls Corner overnight, partly submerged by the floodwater. A second bad flood in 1960 meant changes to the course of the River Crouch were made. This included turning the river into a concrete channel through the centre of the town, although this may be removed in the coming years, depending on the scale of the Wickford Masterplan (see below).
For the most part Wickford is flat and 10 metres above sea level
. The highest point, on the outskirts of the town, is 74 metres above sea level. The River Crouch
flows through the town, from the west to the east. The River Wick flows into the River Crouch from the South.
Adjacent to the River Crouch, a number of high quality residential developments promoted as the "Town Centre Riverside Living" complex would revitalise the riverside as a public asset and promotion of new eating and drinking opportunities. In addition, a new residential development to the west of Market Avenue will be constructed.
Promoting the station entrances on both sides of the railway line as key gateways to Wickford are also key areas of the plan, which would enhance transport interchange facilities and bring forward the car park site on Station Road for development as a new multi-storey car park
and mixed-use development. As of present only the northern side of the station facing The Broadway is easily accessible, with the southern London-bound track only accessible from the outside though a small out-of-way footpath from Market Avenue as a courteous entrance for wheelchair-using passengers.
Public and health services would be improved under the scheme, with the re-organisation of existing health, library and community services into a new ‘iconic’ building to the east of Market Avenue as an integrated community service facility.
The Eastern Extension would create a better presence and new linkages to the east of the town centre by redeveloping the car park into a multi-storey development with residential and live-work uses and a new housing scheme to the east of Wickford Bypass. The Southern Gateway area, which surrounds London Road and the southern end of the High Street, are also planned to undergo a transition with a strong leisure and recreational theme, building on existing eating and drinking facilities and incorporating compatible residential uses.
Overall 650 apartments are planned to be built as part of the Masterplan as officially stated by councillor
Tony Ball, although other sources opposed to the project claim this figure is closer to 735.
There have also been criticism over the number of developments being constructed, which some say threaten to overdevelop and cause environmental and aesthetic damage to the town centre whilst providing minimal improvements to public services; one such group is the Wickford Action Group who has campaigned against many of the revisions made prior to the public approval of the plan.
As of April 2010, the whole of the Masterplan project is facing serious delays and construction has halted due to the global financial crisis. In May 2009 the construction company Bradgate Developments released a statement assuring residents the project was still on track.
, land near the Runwell Hospital mental institute
would be redeveloped into a prison
capable of accommodating up to 1,500 inmates which is scheduled to open as early as 2013, with possible plans for an American-style Supermax
jail with a capacity of 2,500.
Basildon Borough Council
leader Malcolm Buckley has pledged to fight the proposals, even though the jail would be built on land under the administration of the neighbouring Chelmsford Borough Council
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the south of 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...
, with a population of more than 32,500. Located approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of 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...
, it falls within the District of Basildon
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...
along with 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...
, Billericay
Billericay
Billericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
, Laindon
Laindon
Laindon is a town in the west of the Basildon district of Essex, England.It is north of Laindon railway station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway. South of the railway station and line is Langdon Hills. Laindon and Langdon Hills are part of the Basildon post town.Until its abolition in...
and Pitsea
Pitsea
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 , Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. Vange is located to the west of Pitsea, Bowers Gifford and North Benfleet to the east and Nevendon...
.
It has become a commuter town
Commuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
, serving the City of London through its direct connection to Liverpool Street
Liverpool Street station
Liverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
through the Southend Victoria line
Shenfield to Southend Line
The Shenfield to Southend Line is a railway line from Southend-on-Sea to Shenfield in Essex. Almost all trains continue through to London Liverpool Street along the Great Eastern Main Line...
, where a train to London takes approximately 40 minutes. The town can also be easily reached via the road network by 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...
from London and Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
or the A130
A130 road
The A130 is a major road in England linking Little Waltham, near Chelmsford, the county town of Essex, with Canvey Island in the south of that county. It is a primary route for most of its length, only losing that status south of the A13 junction at Sadlers Farm "magic" roundabout as it nears its...
from 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...
.
Wickford is a fairly small town with a main high street. It includes shops such as Clarks
C&J Clark
C. and J. Clark International Ltd, trading as Clarks, is a British, international shoe manufacturer and retailer based in Street, Somerset, England...
, New Look, Choice, The Cooperative
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
, W H Smith
W H Smith
WHSmith plc is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is best known for its chain of high street, railway station, airport, hospital and motorway service station shops selling books, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and entertainment products...
, Adrians, 99p Stores
99p Stores
99p Stores Ltd is a family run business founded in January 2001 by entrepreneur Nadir Lalani, who opened the first store in the chain in Holloway, London, with a further three stores opening later that year...
, a bakery, a coffee lounge and others. There is also a swimming pool, a library, an open-air market and a community centre within the vicinity of the town centre.
History
The town has existed since before 975. There is evidence that the area itself was inhabited in prehistoric probably by a tribe of Britons called Trinobantes, RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
times. The name Wickford is of Saxon origin, Wic meaning a village, habitation, castle or dairy farm and Ford being a shallow river crossing.
Wickford was in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
known under the names of Wiceford, Wikford, Wygeford, Wicfort and Wincfort, as referenced by the Domesday Book
Domesday 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...
in the year 1086. Before the 20th century Wickford was an agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
.
At the time of the Domesday Survey, AD 1085, 6 land-holders were recorded. Historically there have been only two considerable estates in Wickford, The Manor of Wickford Hall and The Manor of Stilemans.
American relations
It is believed that the WickfordWickford, Rhode Island
Wickford is a small village in the town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, which is named after Wickford in Essex, England. Wickford is located on the west side of Narragansett Bay, just about a 20 minute drive across two bridges from Newport, Rhode Island...
in Washington County
Washington County, Rhode Island
Washington County, commonly known colloquially as South County, is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Washington County borders Kent County to the north, New London County in Connecticut to the west, Suffolk County in New York to the southwest, the Atlantic...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, USA was named after this town, the English birthplace of Elizabeth Reade, step-daughter of Hugh Peters
Hugh Peters
Hugh Peters [or Peter] was an English preacher.-Early life:He was baptized on 29 June 1598 in Fowey, and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge....
and wife of John Winthrop, Governor of Connecticut.
Naked Britain
Wickford became the birthplace of NaturismBritish Naturism
British Naturism is recognised by the International Naturist Federation as the official national naturist society in the United Kingdom.-History:...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 1922 the English Gymnosophist Society was formed and had its home in the town.
The Second World War
During the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the edge of town was hit by one of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
doodlebug
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
s, and on December 6th. 1944 a V2 rocket fell in Branksome Ave. about a mile west of the town centre. Around the town, in amongst the hedgerows and fields, there are numerous pillboxes
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
constructed as a part of British anti-invasion preparations
British anti-invasion preparations of World War II
British anti-invasion preparations of the Second World War entailed a large-scale division of military and civilian mobilisation in response to the threat of invasion by German armed forces in 1940 and 1941. The British army needed to recover from the defeat of the British Expeditionary Force in...
.
The flood of '58
In 1958 Wickford town centre was hit by a floodFlood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
, which made national news headlines. The most striking image of the flood was a double decker bus, left stranded at Halls Corner overnight, partly submerged by the floodwater. A second bad flood in 1960 meant changes to the course of the River Crouch were made. This included turning the river into a concrete channel through the centre of the town, although this may be removed in the coming years, depending on the scale of the Wickford Masterplan (see below).
Geography
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The highest point, on the outskirts of the town, is 74 metres above sea level. The River Crouch
River Crouch
The River Crouch is a 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.-Route:...
flows through the town, from the west to the east. The River Wick flows into the River Crouch from the South.
Wick Country Park
The Wick Country Park comprises 50 acres (202,343 m²) of former agricultural land, with over 2 km of easy access trails around the site. The trails leads visitors past old hedgerows, the 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) lake, ponds, World War II pillboxes and recent woodland plantings, with bridges and boardwalks that allow the trails to continue over the North Benfleet brook.Neighbouring towns and villages
- South HanningfieldSouth HanningfieldSouth Hanningfield is a small village and civil parish in south Essex, England. It is located approximately south-southeast of the county town of Chelmsford, and approximately 5 km South Hanningfield is a small village and civil parish in south Essex, England. It is located approximately ...
- West HanningfieldWest HanningfieldWest Hanningfield is a small village and civil parish in south Essex, England. It is located approximately south-southeast of the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the borough of Chelmsford and in the parliamentary constituency of Rayleigh....
- RettendonRettendonRettendon is a small village in the Borough of Chelmsford in Essex, England about south east of the county town Chelmsford. Situated near the River Crouch the village was once owned by the Bishop of Ely. The A130 formerly passed through the village...
- RunwellRunwellRunwell is a suburb of Wickford and a civil parish on the A132 road, in the Chelmsford District, in the English county of Essex.- Amenities :Runwell has a primary school, a church, St Mary's and a hospital ....
- BattlesbridgeBattlesbridgeBattlesbridge is a village in Essex, England, through which the River Crouch flows.The bridge over the tidal River Crouch was kept in repair from the earliest days by the Bataille family, hence the name of the hamlet...
- RawrethRawrethRawreth is situated between Wickford and Rayleigh.The area is mainly agricultural, sparsely populated and with a small amount of industry.Historically, most of the farmhouses in Rawreth were moated manors, many of which survive today....
- Crays HillCrays HillCrays Hill is a village in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. The local school is Crays Hill Primary School. The River Crouch passes under Church Lane....
- Ramsden BellhouseRamsden BellhouseRamsden Bellhouse is a village in Essex, England. The village is in the district of Basildon and in the parliamentary constituency of Billericay.The River Crouch flows through Ramsden Bellhouse, flowing under Church Road....
- Ramsden HeathRamsden HeathRamsden Heath is a village in Essex, England. It is located approximately south of the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the borough of Chelmsford and in the parliamentary constituency of Maldon. Ramsden Heath is part of the South Hanningfield Parish Council...
- DownhamDownham, EssexDownham is a small village in Essex, England. It is located approximately south of the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the borough of Chelmsford and in the parliamentary constituency of Rayleigh...
- ShotgateShotgateShotgate is a civil parish and village in Essex, England. On 1 April 2007, Shotgate became the first area of Wickford to have a Parish Council.-A Bried History of Shotgate:...
- South Woodham FerrersSouth Woodham FerrersSouth Woodham Ferrers is a town and civil parish in the borough of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It is approximately from London and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 16,629. The town is located east of Fenn Creek, and near where it meets the River Crouch...
- BillericayBillericayBillericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
- BasildonBasildonBasildon 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...
- RayleighRayleigh, EssexRayleigh is a market town and civil parish in the District of Rochford in Essex, England, located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea. It lies to the east of central London. It has a population of 30,196, having expanded rapidly in the 1960s.-Toponymy:...
The Master Plan
The Wickford Masterplan was first unveiled at the Wickford Community Centre in December 2004 and published in November 2005 by DTZ Pieda Consulting, at a budget of £125 million, and many of the developments are currently in progress. At the heart of the proposals is the redevelopment of the High Street, which will be redesigned to be the town's permier meeting place. The Masterplan would create new public spaces, enhance the retail environment through the renewal of retail floor space and bring the market into the street scene, promoting urban living above shops and on the existing market site.Adjacent to the River Crouch, a number of high quality residential developments promoted as the "Town Centre Riverside Living" complex would revitalise the riverside as a public asset and promotion of new eating and drinking opportunities. In addition, a new residential development to the west of Market Avenue will be constructed.
Promoting the station entrances on both sides of the railway line as key gateways to Wickford are also key areas of the plan, which would enhance transport interchange facilities and bring forward the car park site on Station Road for development as a new multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
and mixed-use development. As of present only the northern side of the station facing The Broadway is easily accessible, with the southern London-bound track only accessible from the outside though a small out-of-way footpath from Market Avenue as a courteous entrance for wheelchair-using passengers.
Public and health services would be improved under the scheme, with the re-organisation of existing health, library and community services into a new ‘iconic’ building to the east of Market Avenue as an integrated community service facility.
The Eastern Extension would create a better presence and new linkages to the east of the town centre by redeveloping the car park into a multi-storey development with residential and live-work uses and a new housing scheme to the east of Wickford Bypass. The Southern Gateway area, which surrounds London Road and the southern end of the High Street, are also planned to undergo a transition with a strong leisure and recreational theme, building on existing eating and drinking facilities and incorporating compatible residential uses.
Overall 650 apartments are planned to be built as part of the Masterplan as officially stated by councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Tony Ball, although other sources opposed to the project claim this figure is closer to 735.
Opposition
The Masterplan has met with resistance with many residents of Wickford, mainly due to overall cost, and also the fear from some older residents that raising the level of the river could see repeats of the floods in 1958 and 1960.There have also been criticism over the number of developments being constructed, which some say threaten to overdevelop and cause environmental and aesthetic damage to the town centre whilst providing minimal improvements to public services; one such group is the Wickford Action Group who has campaigned against many of the revisions made prior to the public approval of the plan.
Progress
Construction began in earnest in February 2007, which saw the demolition of many of the buildings in Lower Southend Road to make way for a new residential area. As of December 2009 this development has been partially completed (Riverside Place phase 1 + Riverside Court), however the compulsory purchase order of the post sorting office has been withdrawn leaving the fate of Riverside Place Phase 2 in doubt.As of April 2010, the whole of the Masterplan project is facing serious delays and construction has halted due to the global financial crisis. In May 2009 the construction company Bradgate Developments released a statement assuring residents the project was still on track.
New prison development
Under plans by the Labour government's Justice Minister Jack StrawJack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
, land near the Runwell Hospital mental institute
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
would be redeveloped into a prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
capable of accommodating up to 1,500 inmates which is scheduled to open as early as 2013, with possible plans for an American-style Supermax
Supermax
Supermax is the name used to describe "control-unit" prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in the prison systems of certain countries...
jail with a capacity of 2,500.
Basildon Borough Council
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...
leader Malcolm Buckley has pledged to fight the proposals, even though the jail would be built on land under the administration of the neighbouring Chelmsford Borough Council
Chelmsford (borough)
Chelmsford is a local government district and borough in Essex, England. It is named after its main settlement, Chelmsford, which is also the county town of Essex.-History:...
.
Notable people
- Robert WikefordRobert WikefordRobert Wikeford was a distinguished English diplomat who went on to become Lord Chancellor of Ireland and Archbishop of Dublin.- Early career :...
or de Wickford, ( 1330-1390 ) Archbishop of DublinArchbishop of DublinThe Archbishop of Dublin may refer to:* Archbishop of Dublin – an article which lists of pre- and post-Reformation archbishops.* Archbishop of Dublin – the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin....
, was born in Wickford, where his family are thought to have been Lords of the Manor of Wickford Hall. - Alvin StardustAlvin StardustAlvin Stardust is an English pop singer and stage actor.-Career:...
's mother used to own and run a caféCaféA café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
just outside of Wickford railway station (a common misconception is that it was indeed Billy OceanBilly OceanBilly Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
's mother who used to own and run the caféCaféA café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
, but this is false). Alvin, himself, worked on a building site in Wickford before he was famous. - Chantelle HoughtonChantelle HoughtonChantelle Vivien Houghton is an English glamour model and television personality. She was the first 'non-celebrity' to feature in the Channel 4 reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother in 2006....
, winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2006 lives in Wickford. - Capital RadioCapital RadioCapital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
Afternoon DJ Chris BrooksChris BrooksChris Brooks may refer to:*Chris Brooks , Australian guitarist*Chris Brooks , American football wide receiver...
lives in Wickford. - Southend UnitedSouthend 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...
's previous manager Steve TilsonSteve TilsonStephen Brian "Steve" Tilson is an English football manager and former player. He is best known for his time in charge of Southend United...
. - Comedy Actors/writers Rhys ThomasRhys Thomas (comedian)Rhys Thomas is an English comedian and actor.-Career:His breakthrough came while working as a runner on Shooting Stars, when he showed Charlie Higson and Bob Mortimer some sketches he had performed in college...
and Tony WayTony WayTony Way is an English actor, comedian, and writer, who is best known for playing various characters, in the hit BBC sketch comedy TV series Tittybangbang and playing the character Dave in the hit comedy movie, Ali G Indahouse....
are both from Wickford - Richard Wise one of the executors of Captain Cook's will owned property in Wickford from about 1760 until his death in 1783.
- Adam Ward, vocalist for UK classic rock band Valve Rider is from Wickford. Adam's father, Ken Ward (1922-2010), who lived in Wickford for most of his life, was a Normandy D-Day veteran in World War II.
- Ashley Banjo, lead choreographer of the dance group Diversity lives in Wickford.
- On 20th June 2011 a 19-year-old boy named as Ryan Cleary was arrested at a residential address in Wickford on suspicion of being the "mastermind behind the notorious international computer hacking group" LulzSec.