Wickham Bishops village is situated about four miles equidistant from Maldon and Witham and has a population of about 2,200. Its rural setting close to the A12, and the railway station at Witham, make it a popular location for commuters to London.
The name of the village derives from a village (ham) with a dairy (wic), belonging to the Bishops (episcope) of London. The site of their manor house, a favourite retreat of Simon of Sudbury before he became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1375, remains. Its moat is still visible near the ruins of the 14th century church.
Apple orchards, covering 120 acres by 1950 were introduced in 1924 sited primarily on the light gravel soil and south facing hillsides. A mill is mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086. In 1900 over a dozen water mills still worked beside the River Blackwater, including Blue Mills on the Wickham Bishops/Witham boundary. This mill had white weatherboarding and a red-tiled mansard roof which was common in the 16th and 17th century. The mill had two water wheels side by side hence its plural name.
A railway branch line was opened in 1848 between Maldon and Witham. Wickham Bishops Station was located in the Blackwater Valley. The line operated for over a century before the Beeching closure in 1966, leaving a lasting legacy in the unique Timber Trestle Railway Viaduct, which is now a scheduled monument.
In 1850 the present St Bartholomew’s Church was built on top of the hill, as was the Village School, now the library.
“The Street” is the main road through the village and connects with Maldon to the south and Witham to the north. The two pubs and few shops can be found here. The main housing developments, built in the 1960s and 70s, lie on the western side of “The Street”. As the village has become more popular may of the smaller older houses have been replaced with bigger properties.
You are looking for a small film sized camouflaged pot. Please bring your own pen or pencil.