Woodham Walter Explained

Country:England
Static Image Name:Image:St. Michael; the parish church of Woodham Walter - geograph.org.uk - 733815.jpg
Static Image Caption:St Michael's, Woodham Walter
Coordinates:51.732°N 0.618°W
Official Name:Woodham Walter
Population:532
Population Ref:(2011)[1]
Shire District:Maldon
Shire County:Essex
Region:East of England
Constituency Westminster:Witham
Post Town:Maldon
Postcode District:CM9
Postcode Area:CM
Dial Code:01245 & 01621
Os Grid Reference:TL808070

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]

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

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]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Parish population 2015. 23 September 2015.
  2. http://www.maldon.gov.uk/LocalDemocracy/ParishCouncils/Woodham+Walter.htm Maldon District Council entry for Woodham Walter
  3. Book: A Dictionary of English Surnames. Reaney, P.H. . Wilson, R.M. . amp . 1958. 0-415-05737-X. Routledge. 2012-10-22. 3480.
  4. Web site: Woodland Terns in Place Names. 2012-10-22. St John's College Research Centre, University of Oxford. Jones, Graham . Langton, John . amp .
  5. http://unlockingessex.essexcc.gov.uk/uep/custom_pages/monument_detail.asp?content_page_id=89&monument_id=1014563&content_parents=61 Unlocking Essex Ruins of Old Woodham Walter Hall
  6. https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/s/silver_pennies_from_the_woodha.aspx British Museum: Silver pennies from the Woodham Walter hoard
  7. http://www.schoolsnet.com/uk-schools/school-details-reviews/essex/woodham-walter-church-england-voluntary-controlled-primary-school/16180339/0/217785.html Schoolsnet entry for Woodham Walter Primary School
  8. http://www.stmichaelsww.org.uk/ St. Michael the Archangel, Woodham Walter.