LITTLE BURSTEAD
As previously mentioned, Little Burstead Is a small, pretty historic village which lies on the fringes of Billericay, just a 3 minute (1.3 mile) drive from the High Street.
It retains a number of period properties of architectural and historical interest - there are 11 Listed Buildings in the village including a red telephone box! which helped give reason to implementation in 1983 of the villages Conservation area, which encompasses much of the present day village
Because of the conservation area, there has been very little building, and the appearance of the main part of the village has not altered much since the 1920's.
It has a typical village mix of properties including several grand houses, a farm with its' associated agricultural buildings, a 'Wealden' (medieveal) house, several cottages, a Victorian school building (closed in 1947 - now used by the church), Village Hall, a few Victorian Villas and some more modern postwar houses.
The railway came to Billericay in 1889 and as a result an area of Plotlands developed in the 'Broomhills Chase' area. This delightful part of the village has a lovely old fashioned feel with no pavements.
The local parish church of St. Mary the Virgin (a lovely church dating back to the 14th century, my Wife and I were married there), is on the outskirts of the village, overlooking the Thames Valley.
Although a Rural area, the village is just a three minute drive from Billericay High Street, 4.5 miles from Basildon and 5.5 miles from Brentwood.
Central London is roughly 30 miles distant, with Billericay town itself benefiting from a mainline railway station accessing London Liverpool Street in just 35 minutes Monday to Friday.
Little Burstead is about 70m above sea level, set in gently rolling countryside with the River Crouch running across the north eastern boundary of the conservation area.
The village also boasts its own 'Common', 'Laindon, Common', an area of approximately 28 acres set aside by the original Lord of the Manor as grazing land for commoners. Now a mixture of ancient grassland and woodland. (When I was at Billericay School we used to run 'Cross Country' there - wonder if they still do...!)
As mentioned, the village has an eclectic mix of housing with several large old Elizabethan houses in the village including the Old Rectory, which are all now privately owned. The most prominent one is Stockwell Hall, the Dour house of the Mexborough family who owned a lot of the properties in the village, farms and cottages etc. The property is now more commonly known as the Clock House, because of the large clock on the end of the house.
Up until the first half of the 20th century these larger houses along with the farms, provided employment for most of the villagers with local there also a Wheelwright, Blacksmiths, Bakers and a General store.
In summary, Little Burstead is a delightful place to live, surprisingly close to Billericay and the A127 giving quick access on to the M25 and ideal for the commuter seeking more peaceful, rural weekends.
(Tim Kirkman, 2018)
