Visit Ashingdon Places

Welcome to Visit Ashingdon Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Ashingdon

  

Ashingdon Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Ashingdon

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Ashingdon history

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Battle of Ashingdon

Ashingdon, or, more correctly, the land to the east of the village, is the presumed site of the Battle of Ashingden on 18 October 1016. The parish church of Saint Andrew’s is also called “Ashingdon Minster” The church is now dedicated to Saint Andrew, but it is believed that it was dedicated earlier to Saint Michael.

Aviation

Ashingdon Parish was a centre of early aviation research from 1908. Britain’s first aerodrome was officially opened in February 1909 and it was used for developing and flying early fixed wing aeroplanes. A few years later, early seaplanes were made there. The First World War stopped all of the aviation work until flying resumed in Ashingdon in 1919, possibly at Fambridge but also the aerodrome did move to Canewdon Road in Ashingdon, 2 miles away. The new company mainly used Avro 504 biplanes. In the early 1920s, Frank Neale started an aviation company there with a larger Avro 504 3 seater. Then in 1923, W.G. Pudney started The Essex Aviation Company flying several types of aircraft. All three firms used the Avro 504, a popular, easy and cheap to fly aircraft. In the 1930s, the aerodrome may have moved further along Canewdon Road in Ashingdon. Some people say that it was moved by expanding into the larger adjacent field. Others say that it may have been at two separate locations in that road and others deny both suggestions and say that it was only ever at one place in Canewdon Road. The aerodrome was called Canute Aero Park, after King Canute the Great, as well as being called Ashingdon Aerodrome. Ashingdon was the home of an aero club called “Aero 8”, also home to the Essex Aviation Company, Premier Aviation and the Southend Flying Club. Many types of aircraft were designed, developed, built, flight tested and modified there, but many other types simply flew in and out of Ashingdon as a home base, way point or destination. Henri Mignet, the French designer of the Mignet HM.14 Pou du Ciel (“Flying Flea”) used to visit Ashingdon for business with Aero 8 at Canute Aero Park, because they were one of the largest producers and developers of the Pou du Ciel. Aero 8’s higher-powered and modified version was called “Super Pou”. Several air shows took place in Ashingdon at the Canute Aero Park aerodrome. They were attended by thousands of visitors and scores of flying enthusiasts who flew in their aircraft. Later, the aerodrome moved to Ashingdon Road, then to Dalys Road, Rochford, where it was still called “Ashingdon Aerodrome”. One Aero 8 Pou du Ciel (“Flying Flea”) was called “Fleeing Fly”. On 20 June 1936, a DeHavilland biplane – a DH60X Moth, G-EBRT took off from Ashingdon Aerodrome in Canewdon Road and failed to gain sufficient altitude to fly over Ashingdon Minster on Ashingdon Hill. It crashed into the tall dense trees surrounding the churchyard and it came stuck intact in the branches at a height of about 10 metres (30 feet) above ground. The pilot was not injured and he climbed down the tree to firm ground. Some people in the village say that a “Flying Flea” also crashed into the churchyard trees. Eventually, Southend Municipal Airport opened on the old Royal Flying Corps/RAF base and all flying moved to the new airport by the late 1930s. Soon it reverted to military use as RAF Rochford and it became a Battle of Britain RAF base as well as a pilot training airfield. After the Second World War, RAF Rochford became a civil airport again, now called London Southend Airport. So, early aviation has taken place at five successive locations in and around Ashingdon. Early aviation pioneers and their aircraft that were developed at South Fambridge were: Eardley Billing, Gordon England, Green’s Motor Patents, Handley Page, Lascelles Engines, Gerald Leake, Robert Macfie, W.O. Manning, Pemberton Billing, De Pischoff & Koechlin, Seaton Kerr, Talbot Quick, Howard Wright, Jose Weiss. Then in the 1930s: W.G. Pudney, Henri Mignet, Frank Neale, Mervyn Chadwick, Lascelles Motors, Raymond Gordon and many others. Aircraft flying from Ashingdon Aerodrome were: Aeronca 100 and C2, Airspeed AS.4, Mignet HM.14 “Flying Flea”, Aero 8 HM.14 Super Pou, HM.18, Avro 504K, Avro 594, Avro 616, Avro 638 “Club Cadet”, Avro 642, BAC Drone, Blackburn Bluebird II, Bristol Bulldog, DH60 Moth, DH80A Puss Moth, Gloster Gauntlet, Handley Page W10, Handley Page “Dragon Rapide”, Premier Gordon Dove, Simmonds Spartan, Short Scion I and II and many others. During the Second World War, a lot of flying activity took place over Ashingdon because it was so near the coast, it was 3 miles from RAF Rochford and it was under the route from Nazi occupied Europe to London. At least two RAF fighters cashed near the River Crouch, a German landmine landed in the River Crouch, several V1 flying bombs passed over the village, one exploded at Moons Farm and one failed to explode when it struck the sea-wall at Fambridge and a USAAF B26 marauder bomber crashed near Moons Farm killing all on board.

You can visit Ashingdon places with Walkfo Ashingdon to hear history at Ashingdon’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Ashingdon has 18 places to visit in our interactive Ashingdon map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Ashingdon, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Ashingdon places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Ashingdon & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 18 audio facts unique to Ashingdon places in an interactive Ashingdon map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Ashingdon Places Map
18 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Ashingdon historic spots	Ashingdon tourist destinations	Ashingdon plaques	Ashingdon geographic features
Walkfo Ashingdon tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Ashingdon

  

Best Ashingdon places to visit

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Ashingdon has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Ashingdon’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Ashingdon’s information audio spots:

Rochford Hall Rochford Hall is a Grade I listed building in Essex. During the reign of King Henry VIII, it belonged to Thomas Boleyn. It was the marital home of his daughter Mary, sister of Anne and sister of Queen Anne. It is now privately owned by the golf club where it acts as the clubhouse.

Hawkwell The 2001 census gave a population of 11,231, increasing to 11,730 at the 2011 Census. Hawkwell is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, but not as ‘Hawkwell’

Hockley Woods Hockley Woods is the largest residual area of the wild wood, which covered much of Essex after the Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. The woods are said to be haunted by two ghosts: Silas and Anne Boleyn’s ghost. The wooded areas are an intricate mosaic of various trees, every species developing under appropriate conditions.

Spa Pump Room, Hockley The Spa Pump Room is Grade II listed, early Victorian building in Hockley, Essex. It was built to the designs of James Lockyer in 1842 after a medicinal spring was discovered on the site. Short lived, the building closed as a pump room in the early 1850s and was used for other purposes thereafter.

South Fambridge South Fambridge is located about 300 yards (0.17 miles) from the River Crouch. The village lies within the Rochford district and the parliamentary constituency of Rayleigh.

Visit Ashingdon plaques