 Address:
Althorne Parish Council ALTHORNE PARISH COUNCILServing the residents of Althorne
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Welcome to the official Web Site of Althorne Parish Council The rural village of Althorne is a civil parish in the County of Essex, England. It is located about 17 miles (by road) east-southeast from the Essex County town of Chelmsford. Althorne is in the district of Maldon, in the parliamentary constituency of Maldon & East Chelmsford, and in the European Parliamentary constituency of East Of England
Parish Boundary Map The parish nestles close to the River Crouch and is one of the parishes that form part of what was, in Saxon times, the Dengie hundred. It is now referred to as the Dengie Peninsula, because it is the peninsula of land that lies between the Blackwater Estuary to the north and River Crouch to the south and the North Sea to the east. The river Crouch has its source in Little Burstead, south of Billericay. It becomes tidal to the west of Battlesbridge and forms part of the estuary with the river Roach. The North Benfleet Brook is a major tributary and joins the main river at its tidal limit. In
medieval England an hundred was the division of a shire for administrative, military and
judicial purposes under common law. Originally, when introduced by the
Saxons between 613 and 1017, a hundred had enough land to sustain approximately
one hundred households headed by an hundred-man or hundred elder. The
village is situated around the junction of the B1010 and the B1018. Being
a rural coastal village there are some beautiful country and coastal walks. The
area along the river coast has been designated as an SSSI and, therefore, is subject of
stricter planning control. Historically the
village has been a farming district with a small population. The largest
percentage of land in the village is still devoted to farming, but with
mechanisation the numbers employed on the land has steadily declined. Despite
this, the population of the village has been increasing with most of the working
population commuting out of the district to work. Statistics from the 2001
census indicate that the average distance travelled to work by the working population
(16 to 74 age group) was 24.88 miles. A fast rail service from
Althorne Station to London has been a major contributor to the population
growth. In 1811 the population of the village was just 300. By the time of the 2001
census the population had increased to 1104. A
small part of Bridgemarsh Island
comes within the Althorne Parish boundary and the other, larger part, is within
the Parish of Latchingdon. Bridgemarsh Island was farmed until it was flooded in
1928 killing all the livestock and forcing the farmer, Stan Clarke, to move onto
the mainland. Since then the sea has further eroded the island, which has caused
considerable silting in the River Crouch. To see more of the Dengie, visit the Dengi Food and Leisure Trail
Our MissionThis web site has been created in order to provide greater openness by giving easier access to minutes, documents and decisions made by the council on behalf of the residents by whom the council is elected. Included in the web site is some of the village history, which will be expanded as further knowledge becomes available. In addition some useful web links to other service providers has been included which, hopefully, will be of use to visitors and those moving into the area. Hit Count
Contact InformationFor matters relating to the council please contact the Parish Clerk. For web site questions or comments please contact the web master at the e-mail address given at the bottom of the page.
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Send mail to
philip.j.davies@btinternet.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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