Woodham Walter is a village about three miles west of Maldon in the English county of Essex. The village is part of the Wickham Bishops and Woodham ward of the Maldon district.[2]
| Woodham Walter | |
|---|---|
 St Michael's, Woodham Walter | |
  Woodham Walter Location within Essex | |
| Population | 532 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TL808070 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Maldon |
| Postcode district | CM9 |
| Dialling code | 01245 & 01621 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
History
editThe village was first recorded as "Wudeham" in c. 875.[citation needed] The name, which means "village in the wood"[3] is derived from the Old English words wudu (wood in modern English)[4] and ham (home, or homestead).[citation needed] The modern name may derive from the Fitzwalter family who owned Woodham Walter Hall, a moated manor house in the village for many generations. The house was demolished in the 17th century by William Fytch.[5]
There is evidence of earlier settlement. A hoard of silver coins was found in the village, dated to c. 700.[6] At Oak Farm in 1991 three gold and bronze torcs were discovered; they have been dated to c. 1000 BC.
The Domesday Book entry for Woodham Walter lists a population of 18.[citation needed]
Local amenities
edit
There are three public houses, the Bell Inn, the Queen Victoria and The Cats.
Education
editThere is one school in the village, Woodham Walter Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School. There are c. 75 students.[7]
Religious sites
editThomas, Earl of Sussex, obtained a licence from Elizabeth I on 26 June 1562 to build the new parish church of St Michael the Archangel. It was largely completed (of red brick) in 1563 and consecrated on 30 April 1564, making it probably England's first new post-Reformation Church of England place of worship.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Parish population 2015". Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ Maldon District Council entry for Woodham Walter
- ^ Reaney, P.H. & Wilson, R.M. (1958). A Dictionary of English Surnames. Routledge. p. 3480. ISBN 0-415-05737-X. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
- ^ Jones, Graham & Langton, John. "Woodland Terns in Place Names". St John's College Research Centre, University of Oxford. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
- ^ Unlocking Essex Ruins of Old Woodham Walter Hall
- ^ British Museum: Silver pennies from the Woodham Walter hoard
- ^ Schoolsnet entry for Woodham Walter Primary School
- ^ St. Michael the Archangel, Woodham Walter.
External links
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Media related to Woodham Walter at Wikimedia Commons