Didn’t Blackmore, Hook End and Wyatts Green used to be just Blackmore? Now it’s a civil parish in the Brentwood borough of Essex. It includes the ancient village of Blackmore plus Hook End and Wyatts Green.
Blackmore, Hook End and Wyatts Green was renamed on September 30 1998. Before that, it was simply Blackmore. In 2011, the census recorded a population of 3040. That’s slightly down from 3082 in 2001.
Blackmore itself has a fascinating past. Its name likely came about in the Middle Ages. People referred to it as Black Marsh or Black Swamp. Imagine how different the landscape must have looked.
The Priory Church of St Laurence stands as a testament to time. Its origins go way back to 1114. It marks the site of a former Augustinian Priory. Henry VIII dissolved it in 1525. The church is mostly original. The chancel was destroyed during the dissolution.
Look up. Notice the all-wooden steeple. It’s one of the last remaining in England. They added it around 1400. The site still shows signs of the original moat.
The village of Blackmore shifted over time. It moved closer to the Priory’s chapel. This happened from around Fingrith Hall during the medieval period.
Jericho Priory sits next to the church. It’s still within the moated area. This building dates to the 18th century. However, there was an earlier 16th-century building on the site. People believed Henry VIII used it as a country retreat. His natural son, Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, was born here in 1520.
Other old buildings add to Blackmore’s charm. The Bull Inn is a 15th or 16th-century timber-framed house. Fingreth Hall is north of the parish. Sir Walter Mildmay lived here. He was Chancellor of the Exchequer during Elizabeth’s reign.
Fingrith appears in the Domesday Book as Phingaria. This was a Latinized version of its Anglo-Saxon name. Fingreth means the stream of the people of Fin.
Blackmore is close to major roads. These include the A414, A12, M11 and M25. Brentwood is four miles away. It offers rail links to London. Buses connect Blackmore to Brentwood, Ongar and Chelmsford.
Blackmore has won awards for being Essex’s best-kept village. It won in 1982, 1984, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2003. The village green features a small pond. To the east, there’s a cottage built in 1345.
The village offers essential amenities. These include a shop, primary school, and two village halls. There’s also a sports and social club. You will find football and cricket pitches. The sports arena accommodates football, netball and hockey. Blackmore Tennis Club is also nearby.
Three pubs provide refreshment. These are The Prince Albert, The Bull and The Leather Bottle. Various clubs and societies thrive here. These cater to diverse interests.
Hook End also carries its own history. Back in the thirteenth century, the earliest mention of Hook was found in historical documents. The village of Hook did not exist then. But there were a few scattered houses and farms alongside the main road to the south-west of England.
By the eighteenth century, inns appeared to serve the travelling public. Small hamlets grew around them. A turnpike road was constructed to aid navigation of Scures Hill.
In 1883, Hook railway station opened. Houses were built for railway workers. The opening of the railway station signalled the birth of the modern village of Hook.
In 1932, the village of Hook was big enough to be formed into its own civil parish. After the Second World War, Hook was considered as a possible site for one of London’s overspill New Towns.
Blackmore, Hook End and Wyatts Green offers layers of history and community spirit. It blends ancient roots with modern life.