Witham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Witham |
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 Witham Town Hall |
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 Witham
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| Population | 25,542 |
| OS grid reference | TL821145 |
| Civil parish |
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| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WITHAM |
| Postcode district | CM8 |
| Dialling code | 01376 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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Witham is a town and civil parish in the Braintree area of Essex, England. In 2011, about 25,353 people lived there. Witham is connected to Waldbröl, Germany, as a twin town. It sits on an old Roman road between Chelmsford (about 8 miles or 13 km south-west) and Colchester (about 13 miles or 21 km north-east). The River Brain flows through the town and joins the River Blackwater nearby.
Contents
History of Witham
Ancient Times in Witham
Digs by archaeologists have found signs of people living in Witham during the Neolithic period, which was a very long time ago. They found human remains and old paths across marshy land. In the 1970s, more digs near Witham Lodge found parts of a Roman temple and a pottery kiln. This area was likely a resting spot along the main Roman road from Colchester to London. Another interesting discovery was a pool where people left offerings to their gods.
In 913, an old record called the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that Edward the Elder marched from Hertford to take back Essex. He camped in Witham on his way to set up a base in Maldon. Witham was chosen because its spot on the Roman road helped cut off the large Viking army based in Colchester.
The name Witham first appeared in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 913. It also showed up as Witham in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name might mean 'village in a bend' of a river. Another idea is that part of the name comes from an old British language word for "woods."
Knights Templar and Later Years
The land of Witham was given to the Knights Templar in 1148. These were a group of religious knights. North of the town is Cressing Temple, which was one of the first Templar sites in Britain, built over 700 years ago. After the Templars were no longer active in England around 1309, the Church held the land. Later, around 1575, it was sold to Sir John Southcott, a famous judge. His family owned the land for nearly 200 years. In 1648, their lands were taken away because they supported the king during the English Civil War.
The town we see today started on "Chipping Hill," where St Nicolas's Church is located. Over time, this small village grew into Witham. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Admiral Sir William Luard was a very important person in the town. He lived on Chipping Hill and helped start St Nicolas's Church.
In the 1700s, Witham became a popular spa town for a short time. This happened after a doctor found a special mineral spring. Witham was also a center for making wool, but this industry slowed down by the late 1600s.
Witham Rail Accident
Witham railway station was the site of a very serious train accident on September 1, 1905. A train with 14 carriages, traveling from London Liverpool Street to Cromer, went off the tracks while speeding through the station. Ten passengers and a luggage worker died. Many carriages flipped over onto the platforms, causing a lot of damage. Seventy-one passengers were badly hurt. This is still the worst train accident in Essex.
In 2005, the 100-year anniversary of the accident was not widely marked. However, a road in town, Ben Sainty Court, is named after Ben Sainty. He was a signalman whose quick actions stopped another train from hitting the wreckage.
Witham in Recent Times
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Witham grew a lot in the late 1960s and 1970s. The Greater London Council built several large housing areas for families moving from London. A famous writer, Dorothy L. Sayers, once lived in Witham. Her statue stands near the town's library. The library is built where an old cinema, the Whitehall, used to be. The cinema was once a country house.
The town continued to grow with new housing developments, like the Maltings Lane estate, built between 2002 and 2003. In 2012, Chipping Hill Primary School moved to a new building. New shops, like an Aldi supermarket, also opened in this area in 2015.
Other new buildings and updates in Witham include the rebuilt New Rickstones Academy and Maltings Academy in 2011. A new pub and restaurant opened in 2013, along with a day nursery. A Morrisons store opened in 2014, and the new Witham Leisure Centre was finished in 2014.
Getting Around Witham
Witham has its own train station, Witham railway station, on the Great Eastern Main Line. Trains to London Liverpool Street take about 40 to 45 minutes. The station is also where a branch line goes to Braintree. There used to be another branch line to Maldon, but it closed in 1964 and has been taken apart.
Witham is located on the A12 main road, which connects Chelmsford and Colchester. This road was originally a Roman road. The A12 used to go straight through the town, but now there is a bypass that goes around Witham.
Many people who live in Witham travel to London for work. This is why Witham railway station is one of the busiest in Great Britain, even though the town's population isn't huge.
Shops and Businesses
Witham's town center is mostly along the high street. It has two shopping areas: the Newlands Shopping Centre and the Grove Centre. You can find many small shops, restaurants, pubs, banks, and larger chain stores. The town also has five supermarkets: Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Aldi, and Lidl.
There are also many factories and businesses in Witham, mainly on three industrial estates on the east side of town, close to the A12 road. Some offices are also in the town center.
In 2007, Crittall Windows, a company that makes windows, moved its factory back to Witham. In 2013, a financial company called Cofunds moved to Witham, bringing about 600 jobs to the town.
Sports and Fun in Witham
Witham has a football club called Witham Town F.C. that plays at Spa Road. There is also a rugby club located behind the football ground.
Witham also has a hockey club that started in 1924. It has many teams for men and women. The hockey club plays on an artificial turf field near Maltings Academy. They share a clubhouse with the cricket club, which is next to the recreation ground, also known as Maldon Road Park.
Other fun places include Benton Hall Golf and Country Club, a pool club, and the town library. A "River Walk" goes for about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) through the town, where you can see different kinds of wildlife. The Witham Leisure Centre is a new sports facility in Spinks Lane.
News and Media
Local news and TV shows for Witham come from BBC East and ITV Anglia. You can also get TV signals from London. Local radio stations include BBC Essex, Heart East, Radio Essex, and Actual Radio. The town has a local newspaper called the Braintree and Witham Times, which comes out on Wednesdays. The Colchester Gazette also covers news from Witham.
Schools in Witham
Witham has two secondary schools: Maltings Academy and New Rickstones Academy. Both schools are part of the AET Academies chain. Maltings Academy was rated "Outstanding" by Ofsted in 2015, and New Rickstones Academy was rated "Good" in 2015.
The town's primary schools include Templars, Holy Family Catholic School, Howbridge, Powers Hall, Chipping Hill, Rivenhall CoE, Elm Hall Primary, Southview, and Silver End Primary. Chipping Hill School and Powers Hall Junior School both received "Outstanding" reports from Ofsted in 2008. Chipping Hill was even named the Top School in East Anglia by the Sunday Times.
The Chatten free school is a special school that opened in 2021. It helps up to 75 students from across Essex who have severe or complex autism.
How Witham is Governed
Witham is part of the Witham constituency in the UK Parliament. The local Member of Parliament (MP) is Priti Patel, who was first elected in 2010.
Witham is managed by three levels of local government:
- Witham Town Council (the local parish council), which is based at Witham Town Hall.
- Braintree District Council.
- Essex County Council.
Witham and parts of the Braintree district have one of the best recycling programs in the UK. Recycling is required, and they recycle over 50% of their waste.
Famous People from Witham
- James Gibson, a world champion swimmer, lived in Witham.
- Dorothy L. Sayers, a famous writer of detective stories, lived and died in Witham.
- Admiral Sir William Luard, a high-ranking naval officer.
- John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, a physicist who won a Nobel Prize for discovering argon.
- Olly Murs, a singer and TV presenter.
- Deta Hedman, an English darts player.
Images for kids
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Witham Town Hall
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Witham railway station, 1 September 1905
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Witham Public Library
See also
In Spanish: Witham para niños
