The History of Shenfield

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Shenfield certainly has roots in history. The old village, by the church and Green Dragon pub, lay along the original Roman road, which has once carried legions of marching soldiers. For centuries, this was the only main road into Essex. During the Dark Ages, after the Romans left, it was lost to brambles and undergrowth. Waves of invaders came from the coast, battling their way through the forest that covered the area. The locals established small communities and a network of side lanes along which they could escape the attentions of newcomers. An important survivor of these lanes now links Shenfield's shopping area with Billericay, its ancient origins attested by the windings and twisting of the present road - originally caused by the need to avoid marshy areas, obstructions and other pitfalls.

The first commercial development in Shenfield would be seen at the Green Dragon, or a predecessor hostelry. This would be a stopping place on the re-opened Essex road in mediaeval days. Later, small improvements to the road saw the rise of coach traffic and the great days of horse transport from the late 17th to early 19th centuries. In earlier times, booths selling goods to travellers may have been set up. Later, a captive audience of travellers taking rest and refreshment would be visited by travelling salesmen and hagglers with their goods carried by horse and cart.

The railway arrived on its high bank in 1843. The building of the cutting from Brentwood was a massive work, underestimated by more than one contractor, bankrupting them and delaying the line's progress to Colchester. Much later, in 1888, the line became a junction for a new line to Southend, completed in 1889. The building of the line in the 1840s brought an army of navvies into the area, most of whom lived in shacks alongside the line; the lucky few lodged in cottages - all of them creating a demand for food and drink, tobacco and other necessities. The long-distance coaches were killed off by the railway, although local ones continued to link Shenfield with other villages and towns. Shenfield station remained a rural sport, surrounded by fields, hedges and lanes until well into the 20th century.

On the 25th October 1919, the first issue of the Brentwood Gazette carried an advert for 'Holland and Barrett, Grocers and Provision Merchants' with a branch at 'Market Place', Shenfield with a comment - "Shenfield shop recently enlarged and refitted to meet the greatly increased business". Another, in the same issue, announced the nearby 'Shenfield Garage (adjoining Ye Olde Green Dragon) - Motor Cars, cycles, lorries etc. overhauled and repaired - electric and motor engineers". Yet another proclaimed 'For Land and Houses - Glanthams Estate, Shenfield (8 minutes from station) & Hutton Place Estate (adjacent to station) - Plots from £30 Freehold, Acres to £130, tithe and land tax free'. This is an advert for Arthur J.Rippin, estate agent, the firm whose advertising boards featured prominently on the station premises. E & A.Thornton Builders also offered 'land and houses to be let or sold' in this October 1919 issue.

In the 1920s, photographs show a small fleet of taxis owned by Mr.Letch, parked outside the station. At this time, the railway frontage was small, leaving most of the earth bank behind showing. The small group of wayside buildings outside the station were made up of the Station Master's house on the right, with a much smaller and rather pokey booking office to the left of this. There were no shops here until a small one opened next to the booking office, again a tiny affair really, over which Miss Cruse presided. This is described in the 1926 directory as a tobacconist's. Beside this, below the railway on its bank above, was a small yard, housing a four-foot wheelbarrow needed to deliver parcels to Hutton Mount and the other mansions. The vehicle was trundled with great verve by Vic Cooper, a local character and a formidable whistler.

On the banking, opposite the station, was Barretts Coal & Fuel Office - a vital service in the first half of the 20th century, when nearly all houses had coal or coke burning fireplaces for house heating. That was about the limit of trading here.

Subsequently, since about 1930 and particularly post-Second World War, the bridge and station have been successively built and enlarged to the present impressive scale, whilst shops have mushroomed. The area has matured into a unique grouping of retailers and services - giving it the large village atmosphere quite different to anywhere else.

Brian Evans

The author has written a book "Brentwood, Shenfield and Warley' under the pen name Don Hewson. He also provides a book search service for out-of-print and hard-to-find books of all kinds, both fiction and non-fiction. Brian Evans may be contacted on (01277) 219892.

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