Wix, Essex

Wix
Population	755
OS grid reference	TM162284
District	Tendring
Shire county	Essex
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Dialling code	01255
Police	Essex
Fire	Essex
Ambulance	East of England

Wix is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex. It lies in a small valley about three km south of the Stour Estuary. The valley drains east towards Harwich. Formerly an important crossroads on the route to Harwich, it has now been bypassed by the A120 road.

The church, dedicated to Saint Mary, has a detached belfry which stands in the churchyard and contains one bell. In 1961 the then owner of Wix Abbey Farm, was ploughing in the church which was overgrown when he struck a large piece of dressed limestone with further investigation revealed a large stone coffin with a skeleton inside. Archaeologists were called in and dated the coffin to circa 1140, due to the decorative cross on the lid having Saxon influences.The skeleton is very likely that of Alexander de Wix, a founder of Wix Priory, which occupied the church grounds until the 12th century. This coffin is now on show, or was until recently on display in Colchester castle. A almost identical but slightly smaller coffin from the same site can be found in the bellhouse, in the churchyard.

There is one pub left open, The Waggon at Wix, it is located at the crossroads.

Nearby places

Manningtree	Wrabness	Parkeston
Bradfield	Wix	Great Oakley
Tendring	Thorpe-le-Soken	Clacton-on-Sea

External links

• Entry in Kelly's Directory of Essex, 1894
• Page on the World Wykes Web about Wix Priory and earlier spellings of the name