Woodham Walter

Woodham Walter is a village about three miles west of Maldon in the English county of Essex. The village is part of the Wickham Bishops and Woodham ward of the Maldon district.[2]

Woodham Walter

St Michael's, Woodham Walter
Woodham Walter
Location within Essex
Population532 (2011)[1]
OS grid referenceTL808070
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townMaldon
Postcode districtCM9
Dialling code01245 & 01621
PoliceEssex
FireEssex
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament

History

The village was first recorded as "Wudeham" in c. 875. The name, which means "village in the wood"[3] is derived from the Old English words wudu (wood in modern English)[4] and ham (home, or homestead). The modern name may derive from the Fitzwalter family who owned Woodham Walter Hall, a moated manor house in the village for many generations. The house was demolished in the 17th century by William Fytch.[5]

There is evidence of earlier settlement. A hoard of silver coins was found in the village, dated to c. 700.[6] At Oak Farm in 1991 three gold and bronze torcs were discovered; they have been dated to c. 1000 BC.

The Domesday Book entry for Woodham Walter lists a population of 18.

Local amenities
The Queen Victoria pub

There are three public houses, the Bell Inn, the Queen Victoria and The Cats.

Education

There is one school in the village, Woodham Walter Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School. There are c. 75 students.[7]

Religious sites

Thomas, Earl of Sussex, obtained a licence from Elizabeth I on 26 June 1562 to build the new parish church of St Michael the Archangel. It was largely completed (of red brick) in 1563 and consecrated on 30 April 1564, making it probably England's first new post-Reformation Church of England place of worship.[8]

References
  1. "Parish population 2015". Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  2. Maldon District Council entry for Woodham Walter
  3. Reaney, P.H. & Wilson, R.M. (1958). A Dictionary of English Surnames. Routledge. p. 3480. ISBN 0-415-05737-X. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  4. Jones, Graham & Langton, John. "Woodland Terns in Place Names". St Johns College Research Centre, University of Oxford. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  5. Unlocking Essex Ruins of Old Woodham Walter Hall
  6. British Museum: Silver pennies from the Woodham Walter hoard
  7. Schoolsnet entry for Woodham Walter Primary School
  8. St. Michael the Archangel, Woodham Walter.

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