Coordinates: 51°33′13″N 0°36′34″E / 51.5535°N 0.6095°E / 51.5535; 0.6095

Hadleigh
Hadleigh  Hadleigh shown within Essex
Population	18,300
OS grid reference	TQ810870
District	Castle Point
Shire county	Essex
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BENFLEET
Postcode district	SS7
Dialling code	01702
Police	Essex
Fire	Essex
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	Castle Point
List of places: UK • England • Essex

Hadleigh is a town in southeast Essex, England, on the A13 between Benfleet and Leigh-on-Sea with a population of about 18,300.^[1]

Although a historic settlement with its castle, it has become intertwined with Benfleet to the West and Leigh-on-Sea to the East. This has led to the Hadleigh in Suffolk becoming more well known.

Hadleigh is probably best known for its castle, and the country park that surrounds it. The castle has been a romantic ruin for a few hundred years, but parts of two towers are still standing. John Constable painted Hadleigh Castle in 1829, and the painting now resides at the Yale Center for British Art.^[2] Set at the top of a hill overlooking the Thames Estuary, it is possible to see as far as the Canary Wharf development to the west. Another building of note is St. James the Less Church. Like the castle, this is a Norman building, but the church is still in use today. It remains picturesque despite the fact that it effectively stands in the central reservation of the A13 road.

It was announced in August 2008 that Hadleigh Farm (including the area around the castle) would host the London 2012 Olympic mountain biking events.

[edit] Salvation Army Farm Colony

The colony was established in Hadleigh in 1891 by General Booth. He believed every human being should have food and shelter and published a plan to rescue the destitute from the squalor of London. His vision was that the poor would be given board and lodgings in a City Colony in exchange for a day’s work. They could then move to a Farm Colony where they would be trained to work the land and run their own smallholdings. Then finally they could progress to Overseas Colonies, running smallholdings abroad.

The trial City Colony was set up in Whitechapel in 1889 and two years later Booth put down a deposit on land in Hadleigh for his Farm Colony. Starting with 800 acres (3.2 km²) of land, later expanding to 3,200 acres (13 km²), the farm was home to 200 colonists by the end of its first year. Existing farm buildings were renovated and new dormitories, a bathhouse, laundry, reading room, hospital and religious meeting house were built. As well as farming and market gardening, colonists were taught brickmaking, pottery and construction skills. Today the colony operates an employment training centre for people who have special training needs, and accepts referrals from Social Services and the Employment Service. The aim is to create a realistic working environment, with the intention of helping clients gain the skills necessary for work elsewhere. Employment at the training centre – reminiscent of the colony’s origins - includes horticulture, carpentry, catering, office skills and estate management.

[edit] Governance

Since the Local Government Act 1972, Hadleigh, along with Canvey Island, South Benfleet, and Thundersley has formed the parliamentary constituency and local government district and borough of Castle Point. As of 2008, the Member of Parliament representing Castle Point is the Independent politician Bob Spink.

Hadleigh elects 1 seat to Essex County Council. As of 2009, the seat is held by Jillian Reeves of the Conservative Party.^[3] Within Castle Point Borough Council, Hadleigh is represented by six councillors elected from the two wards of St James and Victoria.

[edit] Images

Hadleigh castle

Hadleigh Castle as seen across the Hadleigh Landscape.

Church of St James the Less, Hadleigh, Essex

[edit] References