Basildon

For other uses, see Basildon (disambiguation).

Template:Infobox England place with map Basildon is a new town located in south Essex, England at 51°34′34″N 0°29′19″E / 51.57611°N 0.48861°E / 51.57611; 0.48861. It was designated as a new town after World War II to accommodate the London population overspill. Basildon was created from several pre-existing towns; Pitsea, Laindon & Vange. The larger Basildon district, formed in 1974 by the Local Government Act of 1972, includes Billericay and Wickford. To the north of Basildon lies Chelmsford. Southend neighbours Basildon to the east.

History

The first historical reference to Basildon is in records from 1086. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as 'Belesduna'.^[1]

It is believed that 'Basildon' is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name of 'Beorhthealh' and the Anglo-Saxon word for hill: 'dun'. In historical documents, Basildon has had various names including Berdlesdon, Batlesdon & Belesduna.

The constituency of Basildon is thought to be a barometer of public opinion in General Elections. The results of the constituency have been the same as the overall result of the General Electon since 1974.

Transport

As a significant number of residents commute to London, which is assisted by good transport links to the city by rail and by road.

The London, Tilbury & Southend line transects the south of the town. The line is operated by c2c and there are three train stations in the town: Pitsea railway station, Basildon railway station and Laindon railway station. This line connects Basildon to central London via London Fenchurch Street by rail. Less frequent services provide connections to London Liverpool Street station.

On the north side of the town, the A127 Southend Arterial Road is next to Basildon and on the south side is the A13. These are both important commuter trunk roads to London and the M25 and in addition, link the town to Southend. Locally, the A13 gives easier access to Pitsea and Vange and the A127 gives more convenient access to the town centre and Laindon. Within the town, many main road names have include, 'mayne,' in there name. Broadmayne goes through the town. There is also a Nethermayne to the west and Southmayne to the south.

Buses provide a local form of public transport and also connect Basildon to nearby towns that are difficult to reach by rail, for example Billericay and Chelmsford. First Essex Buses Ltd is the dominant bus operator in the town.

Shopping

The Eastgate Shopping Centre is situtated in Basildon.

Education

Secondary Schools

There are several Secondary Schools in the Basildon District:

Barstable School (federated with Chalvedon School)
Beauchamps School
Billericay School
Bromford School
Chalvedon School (federated with Barstable School)
De La Salle
James Hornsby High School
Mayflower High School
Woodlands School

Barstable School & Chalvedon school became federated in 2005 to become The Federation Of Barstable & Chalvedon School. This was initiated by the need to stabilise and improve Barstable School's reputation as a good Secondary School.

Twining

Basildon's twin towns include:

Reference

^ http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7568162&queryType=1&resultcount=1 - National Archive Summary REcord for Basildon

External links

[1] ttp://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7568162&queryType=1&resultcount=1 - National Archive Summary REcord for Basildon

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