Alresford ( or ) Note , not . is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England. It is centred southeast of Colchester and is northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. It has a primary school, pre-school and church. Alresford won the Essex Village of the year competition in 2012 and tied for first place (in its class) for another Essex Village of the Year award in 2019. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 2,462.
Geography The village, southeast of Colchester, lies above Alresford Creek, a tributary to the River Colne.
The village's railway station usually sees one service per hour to Walton-on-the-Naze and Colchester. There are also some peak-time services to Clacton-on-Sea and London, operated by Greater Anglia.
The village is on the 62 and 98 bus routes. Services are provided by First Essex.
History and culture Some prehistoric finds have been found in Alresford. These include cropmark sites[(EHCR nos 2361 and 2589-2591)] and the discovery of a Bronze Age cinerary urn at Alresford Grange[(EHCR no 2606)] in 1942 by school-girl Anne Pilkington in the remains of a barrow.[Hull, M.R., "Five Bronze Age Beakers from North-East Essex," in Antiquaries Journal, volume 26, Jan-April 1946] Shards of a potential Early Bronze Age urn made from coarse flint-tempered fabric were found in a gully at Blue Gates Farm Quarry[Transactions of the Essex Archeology & History Society Index vol 19 p 240-1 ] There were also 52 Middle Iron Age pottery shards (600-500 BC), 87 flints (one Mesolithic, the others Neolithic and Bronze Age tools) and two barbed arrow-heads at Broomfield Plantation.[Essex Archaeology & History 17. 1986], Retrieved January 2021
The earliest recorded building in Alresford was a Roman winged-corridor villa, and possibly a bathhouse, that was found in a field 300 yards South-East of Alresford Lodge Farm near to the Creek (TM 0609 1993), excavated in 1885 by H. Laver.https://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=385970#aRt Retrieved January 2021 The walls had been robbed out but the remaining tesselated corridors and hypocaust showed the villa was 162 1/2 feet long and 10 feet wide. It turned south at a right-angle at both ends. Coins from Faustona and Commodus (161-192 AD) as well as Samian-ware pottery shards are now preserved in Colchester Castle Museum. Plate glass was also found.[The Essex notebook and Suffolk gleaner - Page 124 1884] During the 1920s, ploughing in this field uncovered a large marble basin.[The Colchester Archaeologist Issue No.11 1998, p.31] Roman bricks can be seen in the ruins of St Peter's and were also found in the foundations of Stable Cottage, Alresford Hall.[Colchester Archaeological Group Annual Bulletin Vol. 35 1993 p.19-20], Retrieved January 2021 At Marsh Farm pit five sherds of Late pre-Roman Iron Age/early Romano-British pottery and four struck flint flakes were recovered.[Transactions of the Essex Archeology & History Society Index vol 12 p 56-7 ]
A double-ditched Romano-British enclosure (60x80m) was found with second century samian pottery shards between the Quarters and Plumptons Farm.[Priddy (1984/5) 'Excavations in Essex 1983-4', Essex Archaeology and History 16, 123-25], Retrieved January 2021 There were also several ring-ditches containing graves in land quarried at Broomfield Plantation overlooking Alresford Creek.[Priddy (1984/5) 'Excavations in Essex', Essex Archaeology and History 17] Retrieved January 2021 A Saxon ironhead and 4th century axe were found in the area of the Roman Villa excavation.
From 886 East Anglia was under Danelaw, ruled by Guthrum. This lasted until the sieges of nearby Colchester and Maldon in 917 which were won by the Wessex King Edward.[The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle translated by Anne Savage (1984) Papermac, London p.118] Ælfar had estates on both side of the Colne. On his death around 951 these were willed to his daughter, Ælfflæd, and her husband Byrhtnoth. Byrhnoth became Ealdorman of Essex in 956. The Vikings raided periodically from 980 until Olaf Tryggvason returned in 991 with 93 ships. They landed and destroyed Folkestone, Sandwich and Ipswich before heading to Maldon. Here Ealdorman Byrhtnoth and the Essex forces were defeated at the Battle of Maldon. Ælfflæd, his widow willed Ælesforda, consisting of 2 hides and 50 acres, in 1000x1002 to her lord the king.Whitelock, 1930; Kemble, 2007 quoted in the Place-names of Alresford Kemble, 2011, Retrieved January 2021. "..In Essex the Domesday hide usually comprised four virgates, each of 30 acres, making a total of 120 acres. On royal manors, however, or at least on some of them, the hide was abnormally large…"[Domesday Book and Feudal Topography by W .R. Powell in Essex Archaeology and History 21 (1990), 48], Retrieved January 2021 So the estate could have been between 290 and 1000 acres. This land is the location of the current Alresford Hall.
In 1086, recorded in separate four Little Folios of the Domesday Book, Alresford was in the ancient hundred of Tendring.Open Domesday Online: Alresford, Retrieved January 2021 There were nineteen households (2 villagers, 13 smallholders, 4 slaves), 2 plough-teams, 60 sheep and 100 pigs owned by four tenants-in-chief. Nominally these were the Bishop of London (St Paul's), Bishop Odo of Bayeux, Eustace II, Count of Boulogne (formerly the King's land valued at £3) and Richard son of Count Gilbert but were let to separate tenants. The land was only valued at about half of its 1066 value and three of the four tenants had changed. No church was mentioned. Within a year, Count Eustace was dead and succeeded by his son Eustace III, Count of Boulogne. In 1088, Bishop Odo and Count Eustace III rebelled against the King, William II, were defeated at Rochester and forced into exile.["The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles" translated by Anne Savage (1984) p.228, Papermac, London]
The manor in 1211 was held by Geoffrey de Fercles for three knight's fees of the Honour of Boulogne.[(Morant, 1768) quoted in the Place-names of Alresford by Kemble, J.(2011)] Retrieved January 2021. The assessed value of the lands was 20s 9dThe parish and manor of Alresford p3, from By 1300 the manor was owned by Philip de Thundersley. Andrew de Thunderley (died 1311) held of the king 120 acres of arable and 140 acres of wood. The Manor was then valued at 17s 2d, a race of ginger and a stalk of clove gillyflower.The parish and manor of Alresford p1, from The Manor was then inherited by Anfrid de Staunton in 1312 until 1337[ERO T/P 195/8; Morant 1768, I, 452 ] and his son Humphrey, then sister Margaret who married Sir John Coggeshall, MP for Essex (UK Parliament constituency) six times between 1334 and 1358, of Codham Hall and Coggeshall, Essex.[PROCAT C 143/91/1 6 Edward II (c1312) quoted in http://www.disnorge.no/slektsforum/viewtopic.php?t=23044], Retrieved January 2021
Indications of medieval life and 87 pottery shards from the thirteenth to seventeenth century were also found in 1994 and 2001 during field-walking and test trenches in three hectares of land surveyed, at Church Farm north-west of the medieval church by the Essex Archaeological Trust.and report 0162 Retrieved January 2021 Agriculture and fishing remained the main form of employment. During Edward I's reign a disagreement about fishing rights led to a fight with men from neighbouring villages and three men drowned.
In 1279, the Manor of Cockaynes was held by Sir John de Sutton of Wivenhoe valued at 19s.[The parish and manor of Alresford p2] Retrieved January 2021
The oldest existent building in Alresford is Brook Farm house dating from the late 15th or 16th century, about three-quarters of a mile East-North-East of the church, on the modern Thorrington Road.
During the Tudor era, a number of wills detailed charity for the poor. A yearly rent-charge of 12s. 8d. on the Milch Pightle field (of the Heath Farm) was left in 1508 by Edmund Porter for the relief of the poor.[Kellys Directory 1933] In 1588, Edmund Porter left Knapps and lands of 31 acres to John Porter and his heirs. In return, Porter was expected to give the poor every Sunday from Whitsun to Michaelmas the milk of two cows; 3s/4d on Good Friday and Christmas Day. This milk tribute was later commuted into a distribution of bread.[ Food History Almanac: Over 1,300 Years of World Culinary History, Culture, and Social Influence (Rowman & Littlefield Studies in Food and Gastronomy (2013) by Janet Clarkson ] In 1571, yeoman Richard Boller refers to his almshouse at Alresford.Essex Wills (England) Vol 3 1571-1577 Emmison, F.G., New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston (1986)
Alresford Lodge, once the manor of Cockaynes, was held by Mrs Kinnaston of London in 1764.(Morant, 1768) quoted in the Place-names of Alresford by Kemble, J.(2011), Retrieved January 2021. The current Edwardian mansion was built in 1910/11 by Alderman Wilson Marriage JP, The Portreeve of Colchester.Alresford Grange Retrieved January 2021 From at least 1914,[ Kelly's Directory of Essex, Hertfordshire, and Middlesex, 1914] until his death in 1932, Until his death in 1932, Alresford Grange was the home of Wilson Marriage, owner of the successful corn milling company at East Mill Colchester which produced over 2500 bags of flour per week.E. Marriage & Sons Ltd. Annals of 100 Years of Flour Milling, 26-31, 49-55; Inds. of E. Counties, 188; E.R.O., SA 0391, 0677-9. He served as the mayor of Colchester four times and helped to establish several schools and a comprehensive school was named after him.
Alresford Hall, as well as the Manors of Alresford and Cockaynes were purchased in Autumn 1721 by Captain Matthew Martin, owner of Wivenhoe House. He was the Captain of the East India Company's "Marlborough" a 480-ton merchant ship with 32 guns. In 1712, the Marlborough was attacked by three French ships but he managed to avoid capture. He received a reward of £1000 and a gold medallion with 24 diamonds for this action.Wivenhoe House p.3, Retrieved January 2021 Martin went onto become MP for Colchester twice and Mayor in 1726.and https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol9/pp156-169 Essex history, Retrieved January 2021 By 1738, the Martin family had moved to Alresford Hall and had built a vault in St Peter's Church. The remodelling of the house was completed by his granddaughter Mary Martin Rebow and her husband Isaac Martin Rebow of Wivenhoe House, who was MP for Colchester between 1755 and 1781.https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/rebow-isaac-martin-1731-81 Retrieved January 2021 At one stage the old hall was not water-tight, as recorded in a letter by his cousin Mary Martin in August 1778 ".. begs you will speak to Mr. Ennew and have the Old Building kept up as tight as possible till the new one is erected.." Richard Woods designed improvements to the grounds and house, but these were not completed before Isaac Martin Rebow's death in 1781.Wivenhoe House p.7, wivenhoehistory.org.uk Retrieved January 2021 An indenture of 1786 left the Hall, the Quarters, eight farms and the Ship House in trust for his daughters.About the Falcon Inn wivenhoehistory.org.uk Retrieved January 2021
Around this time, many of the brick farms, lodges and other buildings were under construction along Church Lane and Wivenhoe Road; including the Pointer Inn (deeds from 1780), Ship House (Indenture of 1786) and Bay Tree Cottage[Alresford Neighbourhood Plan Draft 2b p.50 para a] The main crops harvested in 1788 were peas, carrots, rye and wheat.Search results Retrieved January 2021 The population though was 201 at the 1801 CensusTotal population visionofbritain.org.uk Retrieved January 2021 and the main road was from Wivenhoe across the Creek to Brightlingsea.[Cary's New and Correct English Atlas, 1798]