Boreham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boreham |
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 Boreham village sign, showing the Saxon tower of St Andrew's Church |
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 Boreham
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| Area | 6 sq mi (16 km2) |
| Population | 3,597 (2011) |
| • Density | 600/sq mi (230/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TL759099 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CHELMSFORD |
| Postcode district | CM3 |
| Dialling code | 01245 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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Boreham is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is part of the City of Chelmsford and the Chelmsford Parliament area. The village is about 3.7 miles (6 km) northeast of Chelmsford, which is the main town in the county.
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History of Boreham
Boreham is mentioned in the Domesday Book from 1086. Its name, Borham, likely means 'village on a hill'. Important historical figures like King Henry VIII and his daughter, Princess Mary, spent time at a place called New Hall in Boreham.
There's a local story that the famous highwayman Dick Turpin rode through Boreham on his way from London to York. However, historians now believe this famous ride probably never happened.
In the 1930s, Boreham House and its large estate were bought by Henry Ford, who founded the Ford Motor Company. He used the house to train mechanics for Ford tractors. His company also started an agricultural college there. Boreham House was even a temporary home for another agricultural college in 1962.
In 1952, a Ham class minesweeper ship was named HMS Boreham after the village. Boreham stayed quite small until the mid-1970s. Then, many new houses and shops were built, making the village much bigger. Today, Boreham is home to one of England's few independent family-run gunsmiths, which has been around since 1795.
Geography and How Boreham is Run
Boreham is both a village and a civil parish. A civil parish is a local area that has its own parish council. This council helps manage local services and represents the community.
The River Chelmer forms the southern border of the parish. The village itself is located on an old Roman road, which is now a major modern road called the A12. Boreham has a church built in the Norman style and a pub called The Cock Inn, which dates back to the 15th century. The land around Boreham is slightly hilly. Farmers here grow crops like wheat, sugar beet, and peas.
The Great Eastern Main Line, a railway line connecting Chelmsford to Colchester, runs past the village. In the 1970s, a bypass was built for the A12 road. This bypass runs along the northern edge of the village, close to the railway line. The parish of Boreham also includes a small settlement called Russell Green in the north. Boreham parish has about 4,000 people and covers an area of about 3,840 acres (1,554 hectares).
Famous Places in Boreham
Boreham has two special areas called conservation areas. These areas protect buildings and places that are important for their history. One area, the Roman Road/Plantation Road Conservation Area, has a 16th-century timber-framed clockhouse. The Church Road Conservation Area includes the Church, which started as a small Saxon building, and several old homes.
New Hall School
New Hall School About a mile northwest of the village is New Hall School. This school was once a palace belonging to King Henry VIII, known as The Palace of Beaulieu. The land it was built on was given to a group of religious leaders in 1062. Over time, it changed hands many times. By 1491, it had a house called New Hall.
In 1517, Thomas Boleyn, who was Queen Anne Boleyn's father, sold New Hall to Henry VIII. The king rebuilt the house with bricks, spending a lot of money on it. He named his new palace Beaulieu, but this name didn't last long. New Hall later belonged to the Tyrell family and then the Hoare banking family. In 1727, Benjamin Hoare asked architect Henry Flitcroft to build a new home nearby. This grand house is called Boreham House, and it is a very important Georgian building.
Boreham Airfield and Race Track
In 1943, a forest near Boreham was cut down to build a military airfield. The three 1-mile (1.6 km) runways of RAF Boreham opened in 1944. During World War II, American planes like B-26 Marauder bombers and Dakota transport planes used the airfield.
After the war, the runways were turned into a roughly triangular motor racing circuit called Boreham Circuit. Car races were held there between 1949 and 1952. In 1955, Ford bought the circuit to use as a test track for their cars. Ford Motorsport, their racing division, moved to Boreham in 1963. Even though some of the track was removed for gravel mining in 1996, parts of it are still used for testing today.
The Essex Police Air Support Unit has been based at the airfield. From 1990, they used Boreham airfield as a control center for their helicopters. From 1997 to 2010, the Essex Air Ambulance was also based here. It later moved to Earls Colne airfield.
Boreham Interchange
To the west of Boreham is the A12 Boreham Interchange. This is a service area where you can find a BP petrol station, a McDonald's restaurant, and a Premier Inn motel. On the other side of the A12, there is another Premier Inn and a pub called The Grange.
Notable People from Boreham
- Elizabeth Stafford, Countess of Sussex (c. 1439–1572) is buried in the village.
- Thomas Wharton, 2nd Baron Wharton was given a home in Boreham by Queen Mary I of England.
- Beatrice ap Rice, a servant of Mary I, also received a home in the village.
- Rod Harrington, a former professional darts player.
Images for kids
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Boreham House, now a wedding venue
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A 15th-century house called 'Babylon' in Boreham
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New Hall School near Boreham
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Essex Air Ambulance operating at Boreham airfield
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See also
In Spanish: Boreham para niños
