Prittlewell
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Template:Infobox England place with map UA
Prittlewell is an area of Southend-on-Sea in Essex. Historically, Prittlewell is the original town, Southend being the south end of Prittlewell.
Originally a Saxon village, Prittlewell is centred on St. Mary's Church, at the joining of its three main roads, East Street, West Street and Victoria Avenue (which was built over North Street in the late 1800s) which is the main Southend Arterial road. Along this road lies Southend's main administration centres, however Prittlewell is mainly a residential area.
History
People first settled by the Prittle Brook around ten thousand years ago during the stone-age. Little appears to have affected life in Prittlewell as its population gradually evolved from their original character as hunter-gatherers to a more settled existence during the bronze and iron ages. The Roman occupation began to influence the area with the construction of a Roman-style dwelling, probably a farmhouse or villa close to the brook in what is now Priory Park. The introduction of new ideas, new skills and social structures under this Roman influence would have brought significant change to the area. The discovery of Roman burial sites during road and rail construction in the 1920's and 1930's indicated that the settlement was well developed and of some significance, although no prominent buildings were preserved. Following the withdrawal of the Roman army, the area came under the influence of Saxon raiders, over time becoming established as part of the kingdom of the East Saxons. During this time,(largely the 5th and 6th century) the historic Saxon name of Prittleuuella came into being.
The construction works of 1923 and 1930 that revealed Roman burials also unearthed evidence of numerous Anglo-Saxon burials, a significant number of which were high-status or warrior burials containing weapons, imported goods, gold jewellery and decorative beads. The status of the area during the Anglo-Saxon period was confirmed by the discovery of a substantial and undisturbed chamber-tomb in 2003. The unusually rich contents and their condition have excited archaelogists, being described as "unique" by the Museum of London. A fuller description of the excavation and the artifacts can be seen at a dedicated Museum of London website "Treasures of a Saxon King of Essex". The story of the excavation was also thought so significant as to be the subject of a special UK television documentary as part of the "Time Team" series (title -"the King of Bling").
Unfortunately, although the burial site is of archaeological importance, it is also earmarked as the route of a highly controversial road building project championed by Southend Borough Council in the face of very substantial local opposition. When funds become available, it is probable that the burial site and a significant part of the adjacent Priory Park will be consumed by a widening and staightening of a road constructed in 1923. It is ironic that the building of that original road led to the earlier discovery of Roman and Anglo-Saxon burial sites at Prittlewell.
In the 7th century, the return of Christianity to the East Saxons may have led to the building of a church on the hill to the south of the brook and spring. Within the current St. Mary's Church, a small arch in the north-east wall of the chancel is thought by some to be all that remains of the earliest stone building. However, there is opinion that the arch is of later construction, with that part of the current chancel dating from the early decades of the 11th century, having been built using materials from earlier constructions in the wider area of Prittlewell. Early clay tiles forming the top of the arch are thought to be of Roman origin, but the feature has not been formally dated. Saxon rule continued until the Danes invaded in the 10th century. A Dane called Sweyne acquired large areas of land in the area and remained during the Saxon restoration.
After the Norman invasion of 1066, Sweyne switched allegiances to William and increased his power. Under the feudal system he became Lord of the Manor.
Around 1110, a Sweyne's successor, Robert Fitzsweyne, also known as Robert d'Essex, divided his manor in two, the part to the west being Earl's Hall and the rest, consisting of 30 acres (120,000 m²) of land, the church at Prittlewell, and also the chapels at Sutton and Eastwood, being given to the Cluniac Priory of St Pancras of Lewes for the purpose of setting up a Priory.
At this time the lands of the Priory, extended to right down to the seafront. Due to this, when a fishing settlement was set up two miles south of the priory in the 14th Century, it was still regarded as part of Prittlewell and as such was named Stratende, Sowthende or South-End. From this settlement the modern town of Southend-on-Sea grew.
Over a period of around two hundred years, St. Mary's Church was substantially enlarged, reaching its present size with the addition of its tower in the mid-fifteenth century.
At the time of Henry VIII's disolution of the monastaries, the Priory, which had, by this time, developed into a sprawling complex, was closed and the lands seized by the crown.
Southend was developed as a bathing resort in the 18th century and by the 19th, Prittlewell was regarded by visitors to Southend as "an attractive village in the hinterland".
Links between Prittlewell and the rest of the world were improved in 1889 a road was built between the village crossroads by the church to Southend, named Victoria Avenue, and in 1892, when a station was built on the Great Eastern Railway linking Southend and London
Also in 1892 was the foundation of Southend-on-Sea as a Borough, which took over responsibility for Prittlewell from an earlier parish council.
Modern day Prittlewell
Much of historical Prittlewell remains standing; the ruins of the Priory remain visible in Priory Park as well as the Manor House built there after the reformation; St. Mary's Church, containing architecture from saxon times; A building recently restored following fire damage, thought to have been the village market hall, though more recently a bakery, now an estate agent appropriately named Tudor Estates; as well as a number of public houses.
Modern day Prittlewell stretches from the crossroads by the St Mary's Church to the airport on the boundary between Southend and Rochford.
The old priory and its grounds, which form Priory Park, were donated to the town of Southend by a prominent local benefactor, R.A. Jones, for use by the residents 'in perpituity'. However, a part of this park, together with the adjoining Saxon burial site mentioned above,is currently (as of January 2006) under threat of development from a road widening scheme. A 'protest camp' has been established in opposition to this plan [1].
Prittlewell is also home to Southend United football club in their Roots Hall ground.