Visit Prittlewell Places

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

  

Prittlewell Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Prittlewell

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Prittlewell history

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Prehistoric

People first settled by the Prittle Brook at least 10,000 years ago in the late Stone Age. Little appears to have affected life in Prittlewell as its population evolved from their original character as hunter-gatherers to a more settled existence.

Roman

Roman occupation began to influence the area with the construction of a Roman-style dwelling, probably a farmhouse or villa, close to the brook in what is now Priory Park. The introduction of new ideas, new skills and social structures under this Roman influence would have brought significant change to the area.

Saxons and Vikings

Part of a blocked archway built of Roman tiles survives in the north wall of the chancel of St Mary’s church. It has long been assumed that it represents part of a small Anglo-Saxon chapel built in the 7th century. However, more recent study and comparison with surviving architectural remains suggest instead that the arch may date as late as the 10th or early 11th century, and that this is the date of the first church to be built on the site. The high status of the area during the.. period was confirmed by the discovery of a substantial and undisturbed 7th-century chamber tomb in 2003.

Medieval

Prittlewell was founded in the 12th century as a cell of the Cluniac Priory of St Pancras, Lewes. At this time, the lands of the priory extended to the seafront. A fishing settlement was set up two miles (3 km) south of the Priory in the 14th century. From this settlement, the modern town of Southend-on-Sea grew. At the time of the Tudor Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII, the priery was closed.

19th century

Southend was developed as a bathing resort in the 18th century. In 1848, Prittlewell was described as “a neat and well built village with many modern houses overlooking the estuary of the Thames”

20th century

Eric Kingham Cole was born in Prittlewell and went on to form EKCO, a radio, TV and plastic manufacturer. The old priory, which had been in ownership of the Scratton family, was bought by local jeweller and benefactor R. A. Jones and was given to the people of Southend as Priory Park.

Prittlewell landmarks

Only a small proportion of the historical village of Prittlewell remains standing. Southend United F.C. currently have planning permission to build a supermarket on the site of Roots Hall, St Mary’s flats, the former Eastern National Bus Garage/former Prospects College.

Prittlewell geography / climate

Modern-day Prittlewell stretches from the crossroads by St Mary’s Church to London Southend Airport on the boundary between Rochford and Routhend.

You can visit Prittlewell places with Walkfo Prittlewell to hear history at Prittlewell’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Prittlewell has 58 places to visit in our interactive Prittlewell 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 Prittlewell, 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 Prittlewell places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Prittlewell & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 58 audio facts unique to Prittlewell places in an interactive Prittlewell map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Prittlewell Places Map
58 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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

  

Best Prittlewell places to visit

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

Southchurch Park Southchurch Park is a recreational park in the parish of Southchurch, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. The park is 12 hectares (30 acres) in area and contains sports pitches, formal gardens, a boating lake and a café.

Southchurch Hall Southchurch Hall is Grade I Listed Medieval moated house located in Southchurch, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. The Hall was home to farming families until the 1920s. In 1930 it was extensively restored and presented to the town by the Dowsett Family.

Southend Manor F.C. Southend Manor Football Club are currently members of the Essex Senior League and play at Southchurch Park. The club are currently a football club based in Essex, England.

Radio Essex Radio Essex is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Essex, England via DAB and Mid and South Essex via FM, from studios in The Icon Building on Southend Seafront.

Southchurch Southchurch is a district of Southend-on-Sea in Essex. It was an independent parish until 1897 and has a documented history dating back to the 9th century.

The Railway Hotel, Southend The Railway Hotel is a pub in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. It is known for its live music and its vegan food. Wilko Johnson, David Bowie & Iggy Pop collaborator Geoff MacCormack and Teenage Fanclub drummer Brendan O’Hare attend.

The Ratman of Southend The Ratman of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, is an English urban legend. The story of the Ratman tells of an old homeless man seeking shelter from the cold in an underpass. He was set upon by a group of youths and beaten to near-death, cold and blood loss doing the rest.

Southend-on-Sea War Memorial Southend-on-Sea War Memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. It was unveiled by Lord Lambourne, the Lord Lieutenant of Essex and dedicated by the Bishop of Colchester on 27 November 1921. The memorial as-built is in the form of an obelisk flanked by stone flags and surrounded by a low screen wall.

Southend Central Museum The Central Museum is a museum in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. The museum was opened in April 1981 in a Grade II listed building that was previously Soutshend’s first free public library.

Visit Prittlewell plaques