Wickford

Coordinates: 51°36′41″N 0°31′15″E / 51.6114°N 0.5207°E / 51.6114; 0.5207

Wickford is a town in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of more than 32,500. Located approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of London, it falls within the District of Basildon along with the original town of Basildon, Billericay, Laindon and Pitsea. However, parts of Wickford fall under neighbouring boroughs such as Chelmsford and Rochford. In addition, many proposals have been put forward for the town to leave the Basildon borough, However no plans were successful.

It has become a commuter town, serving the City of London through its direct connection to Liverpool Street station through the Southend Victoria line, on which a train to London takes approximately 40 minutes. The town can also be easily reached via the road network by the A127 between London and Southend-on-Sea or by the A130 from Chelmsford.

Wickford is a fairly small town with a main high street including a range of shops. A swimming pool, a library, an open-air market and a community centre are also within the vicinity of the town centre.

Wickford (disambiguation)

Wickford may refer to:

Wickford, Rhode Island

Wickford is a small village in the town of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, which is named after Wickford in Essex, England. Wickford is located on the west side of Narragansett Bay, just about a 20 minute drive across two bridges from Newport, Rhode Island. The village is built around one of the most well-protected natural harbors on the eastern seaboard, and features one of the largest collections of 18th century dwellings to be found anywhere in the northeast. Today the majority of the village's historic homes and buildings (most in private hands) remain largely intact upon their original foundations.

History

Wickford is generally said to have been settled around 1637, when religious dissident and Rhode Island state founder Roger Williams bought a parcel of land from the sachem Canonicus and established a trading post there. Prior to European contact, the lands in and around Wickford had long served as dwelling, fishing, and hunting grounds to the Narragansett people, who were New England's most powerful and prominent tribe at the time when Williams found his way to their shores.