Kelvedon Hatch

Kelvedon Hatch is a village in civil parish of Kelvedon Hatch, in the Borough of Brentwood in south Essex, England. It is situated just north of Pilgrims Hatch, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) to the north of Brentwood and is surrounded by Metropolitan Green Belt. The village today is no longer a rural backwater with a large proportion of its population commuting to work elsewhere. It has a population of 2,563,[2] reducing to 2,541 at the 2011 Census.[1]

Not to be confused with Kelvedon, another village in Essex.

Kelvedon Hatch

St Nicholas, Kelvedon Hatch
Kelvedon Hatch
Location within Essex
Population2,563 (2001 Census)
2,541 (2011 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTQ576986
Civil parish
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBRENTWOOD
Postcode districtCM15
Dialling code01277
PoliceEssex
FireEssex
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament

It is home to the Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker, the largest and deepest cold war bunker open to the public in South East England. The Coppice, Kelvedon Hatch, is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest.

History

The name is recorded variously as Kelenduna, Kalenduna and Kelvenduna in the Domesday Book with the latter meaning Speckled Hill. From its early days in the Mediaeval period until the mid-20th century the main activity in Kelvedon Hatch was agriculture. Records from 1871 show 82 households of which showed only 3 'white collar' households and 4 landowners or of independent means, with the majority of the rest engaged in a local agricultural economy. During the Victorian years, however, many younger people gravitated towards the main towns, encouraged by railway links at Ongar and Brentwood and the decline in the local 'agriconomy' has its roots in that exodus.

Kelvedon Hall and other mansions

First mentioned in the Domesday Book, the main estate building of the village was Kelvedon Hall. The manor was sold to Sir John Wright, a yeoman from South Weald, in 1538 and it remained in the family until the early 20th century; the manor house was rebuilt in the 18th century by the seventh John Wright. In 1937 the property was bought by Sir Henry 'Chips' and Lady Honor Channon who restored the house and built the entrance gateway and lodges. In World War II it was used as a Red Cross convalescent home. [3]

Other mansions in the area of Kelvedon Hatch are Brizes, originally built in the late 15th century with the current building on the site dating back to the 1720s; and Great Myles, named for Miles de Muntenay, dating back to the Domesday Book but was largely demolished in 1837 although a few subsidiary buildings remain today.

To the west of Kelvedon Hatch, at Kelvedon Common, lies Dudbrook Hall, once owned by the Waldegrave family and which dates back to 1602. During World War II it was used to billet RAF officers based at Stapleford[4] and Weald aerodromes. It is now a care home for the elderly.[5] 51.663547°N 0.248603°E / 51.663547; 0.248603

The medieval parish church of St Nicholas was replaced by a Victorian one in 1895.

Notable people
  • Sarah Kane, playwright, referred to the village in the pseudonym "Marie Kelvedon", under which her fourth play, Crave, was initially published.
  • Sir Henry Channon, often known as Chips Channon, American-born Conservative politician, author and diarist.
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References
  1. "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  2. Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Brentwood Retrieved 2009-11-24
  3. "Kelvedon Hatch: Manors Pages 65-68 A History of the County of Essex: Volume 4, Ongar Hundred. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1956". British History Online.
  4. "The third shall be the first". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  5. "Dudbrook Hall". Archived from the original on 13 December 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
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