| Rayleigh | |
|---|---|
 Rayleigh High Street, as seen from the top of Holy Trinity Church | |
  Rayleigh Location withinEssex | |
| Population | 32,150 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TQ805907 |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | RAYLEIGH |
| Postcode district | SS6 |
| Dialling code | 01268 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°35′11″N0°36′18″E / 51.5864°N 0.6049°E /51.5864; 0.6049 | |
Rayleigh/ˈreɪliː/ is a market town andcivil parish in theRochford District ofEssex, England, betweenChelmsford andSouthend-on-Sea, 32 miles (51 km) east of centralLondon. It had a population of 32,150 at the 2011 census.[1]
The nameRayleigh isOld English in origin deriving fromrǣge ('female roe-deer or she-goat') andlēah ('clearing'). Therefore, the name means overall 'wood or clearing of the wild she-goats or roe-deer".[3][4]
There has been a scattering of stray finds around the town from Prehistoric and Roman times, including some Roman roof andhypocaust tiles found within the fabric of Rayleigh Church. This suggests that there was a Roman habitation site within the area. However, there is little evidence of any density of population here during this period.[5]
One significant archaeological find was in the early 2000s at the western edge of Rayleigh, at the site of the former Park School in Rawreth Lane. An early Saxon cemetery site was discovered here, with 144 cremation burials and evidence of just one high-status female inhumation burial.[6]
By the end of the Saxon period, there was definitely a village here, as it is recorded in theDomesday Book of 1086 when it was held by Swein of Essex, the son ofRobert FitzWimarc.[7]
The most significant historic monument in Rayleigh is the great medieval mound ofRayleigh Castle. This was an early Normanmotte and bailey castle, of which only the motte and its surrounding embankments remain. Despite the loss of its timber superstructure and later stone buildings, its height and bulk mean that it still dominates the town centre.[8]
Acourthouse was erected in Rayleigh in 1338. This was apparently resented by the townspeople, who turned out in force to destroy it, with 20ringleaders later arrested and tried.[9]
The forests around Rayleigh were royal hunting grounds. It is recorded thatKing Henry III hunted here in 1222, and three King Edwards also visited.[10]
One of the oldest secular buildings in Rayleigh is 91 High Street which houses Pizza Express downstairs andRayleigh Town Museum upstairs. The Regal Room in the museum is dated circa 1350. It is suspected that some of Rayleigh's older brick built buildings may contain portions older than this.[11]
Rayleigh Castle gradually fell into disuse, and in 1394King Richard II gave permission for the townspeople of Rayleigh to use the foundations as a source of stone. By this time, the site was in royal ownership and used for pasture:
Records indicate that the church was rich in plate, vestments andstained glass, but these were disposed of:
DuringHenry VIII's reign, deer were constantly taken from here to replenish the herds inGreenwich Park.[15]
During the 1990s many new housing estates appeared on formerly greenfield areas of the town, with theEast of England region currently pushing for even more homes to be built in the area. This has caused some controversy locally, with residents of Rayleigh feeling that the areas surrounding the town should be preserved with more care.[16]
There are three tiers of local government covering Rayleigh, atparish (town),district andcounty level: Rayleigh Town Council,Rochford District Council, andEssex County Council.
Rayleigh was anancient parish. When elected parish and district councils were created in 1894, it was given a parish council and included in theRochford Rural District. In 1929 Rayleigh and neighbouringRawreth were removed from the Rochford Rural District and merged to become the Rayleigh Urban District, which was abolished in 1974 when the area became part of the District of Rochford.[17]
The constituency ofRayleigh and Wickford is represented in theHouse of Commons by the Member of ParliamentMark Francois of theConservative Party.[18]
Rayleigh Town Council's responsibilities include:
Rochford District Council's civic suite is located on Hockley Road.[20] The Citizens Advice Bureau and Registrar's Office are also located here.[21] The Civic Suite is a 19th century mansion house known as "Barringtons" which was converted for municipal use in 1953 and extended in 1964.[22]
Rayleigh railway station is a stop on theShenfield-Southend line.Greater Anglia operates services betweenSouthend Victoria andLondon Liverpool Street. Three trains per hour run during the day in each direction; on Sundays, there are typically two trains per hour.[23]
Bus services are operated predominately byArriva Southend andFirst Essex. Arriva's services focus on local routes, whereas First Essex services generally travel further afield. Services connect the town with Basildon,Chelmsford, Southend, Rochford, Hockley andStansted Airport.[24]
Rayleigh has two secondary schools:The Sweyne Park School, formed by the amalgamation of the Sweyne and Park schools, andFitzWimarc School. It also has seven primary schools – Down Hall, Edward Francis, Grove Wood, Our Lady of Ransom (Catholic), Rayleigh Primary and Wyburns. The seventh, Glebe Primary School with UHI, was created in September 2014 through the amalgamationof Glebe Infant and Nursery School and Glebe Junior School.[25] In addition, St Nicholas C of E Primary School, a long-established school for the adjoining village of Rawreth, moved in 2006 to a new building just on the Rayleigh side of the parish boundary.[26]
There are also two cadet units based in Rayleigh - Rayleigh Detachment EssexACF and 1476 (Rayleigh) SquadronRAFAC.
Rayleigh has a golf club on the outskirts of the town; Rayleigh Club (previously Lords Golf & Country Club) is situated on Hullbridge Road to the north of the town. This was originally opened in 1991 asHanover Golf Club on the site of Hanover Farm and was designed by Reg Plumbridge.[27][28]
Rayleigh has a number of parks and playing fields.
The playing field is located next to Bull Lane, Hockley Road and Websters Way.[29]
It contains a snack bar and pavilion, as well as aTeen shelter
Its two grass football pitches are used by Rayleigh FC, Chronicles FC and Ralee FC. It also has a skate park[30] and a children's playground, containing a variety of play equipment. The park is also home to Rayleigh Bowls Club, who lease the use of the pavilion.
Rayleigh Lions holds an annual fireworks display on the playing field.[31]
Sweyne Park is controlled by Rochford District Council. It is situated north of Sweyne Park School and can be accessed in several ways. The entrance in Downhall Park Way has a small car park and there is a play area. It has another smaller entrance in Downhall Park Way, adjacent to Canterbury Close; it can also be accessed from Victoria Avenue. In 2008, an entrance was established from Priory Chase. The park has a pond.[32] It has abridleway running round its perimeter of about 2 km (1.2 mi).
Kingley Wood stands on a steep hill slope beside the A127 and is visible when approaching Rayleigh from London. The small wood is the only surviving ancient wood in Rayleigh, but it has rich and variedwildlife and a well-documented history.[33][34]
This is a 64-acre (26 ha) broadleaved wood established in the late 1990s.The wood was designed and planted by a partnership of Local people and theWoodland Trust.There is a car park at the Grange Community Centre in Little Wheatley Chase and access to the wood is across the playing fields.[35]
At least twogreyhound racing tracks existed in the town. The main venue was theRayleigh Weir Stadium which also hostedspeedway and traded from 1948-1974.[36]
A smaller short lived track at O'Tooles Meadow, Wickford Road, off the Down Hall Road also hosted greyhound racing and dirt track speedway. The racing was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body theNational Greyhound Racing Club) and was known as a flapping track, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.[37] The track opened in 1932, but the date of closure is not known;[38] it is possible that it may have been the same venue known as the Rayleigh Sports Stadium, although it is also possible that the Rayleigh Sports Stadium may have been a third separate venue.[39]
There is a small outdoor market on Wednesdays. Until 2011 it was located next to Rayleigh Civic Suite and Information Centre, opposite Holy Trinity Church. In 2011 it moved to the taxi rank in the town's High Street (outside Boots).The market dates back to before 1181 when it was inscribed in the Exchequer Records of Henry II.[40]
TheDutch Cottage, the smallest and oldest council house in the United Kingdom, can be visited on Wednesdays by prior appointment.[41]
Rayleigh Windmill has been renovated, including a structural renovation of the 19th century brick built building has now been completed. The basic external brickwork has been repaired and the interior has been transformed to provide four storeys of modern display facilities which has turned the windmill into a major tourist and educational attraction in the county. The changes to the windmill allow the public to view the interior and to exploit this local historic amenity for cultural, educational and tourism use.[42]
Rayleigh Mount, a National Trust property adjacent to Rayleigh Windmill, is the site of a Domesday castle erected by Sweyn of Essex with distinctivemotte-and-bailey defences. Edward Belcham Francis gave the Mount to the National Trust in 1923.[43] From its summit it offers sweeping views across the Crouch Valley.[44]
Rayleigh Town Museum occupies the 1st floor at 91 High Street and contains many artefacts telling the history of Rayleigh.[45]
TheChurch of England parish church of theHoly Trinity is at the top of the High Street.[46] A church existed on the site in Saxon times and the present building has aNormanchancel. Thebell tower was built in the 15th century and includes stone taken from the castle when that fell into disuse. The church has an impressiveTudor brick porch. TheGothic Revival architectC.C. Rolfe restored the chancel in 1873.[47]
The parish church ofSaint Michael and All Angels is in Sir Walter Raleigh Drive near Sweyne School. It was built in the 1950s when Rayleigh expanded considerably. It has a multi-purpose building which is used by other local groups as well as the church.[48]
Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church is on London Hill.[49]
The United Reformed Church is on Crown Hill.[50]
The Baptist Church is in the High Street. The building opened for worship on 25 March 1799, shortly before the first Pastor, Rev James Pilkington, was inducted in June 1799. In June 1979, work started on a church extension. This added significantly more seating and completed some much needed repairs.[51]
The Methodist Church is on Eastwood Road. (Moved from the High Street in 1934).[52]
Grange Free Church is on London Road, at the junction with Langdon Road.[53]
The Salvation Army are located on the corner of the High Street and Love Lane. The building was the original 1884 Methodist Church, which was sold to the Salvation Army in 1934 when the Methodist Church moved to a larger site in Eastwood Road.[54]
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