Heybridge and Heybridge Basin
Some individuals hold the view that the River Blackwater at Heybridge, located near the site of the later constructed "high bridge," was the location of the Battle of Maldon. Until the 1970s and 80s, Heybridge functioned as an agricultural village, during which a significant portion of the local farmland was repurposed for residential development, sadly this continues to the present day.
The primary industry in Heybridge, which ceased operations in 1984, was the agricultural machinery manufacturer E H Bentall & Co. Founded in 1805 on the southern bank of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, the company expanded into a substantial factory complex that remained operational for nearly 180 years. It is believed that Heybridge Basin was originally a settlement from the Neolithic or New Stone Age period (3000-1800 BC).
In 1793, the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation Company was established through an act of Parliament. Over the subsequent four years, the company constructed a navigation route from Chelmsford to connect with the tidal estuary of the River Blackwater at Colliers Reach, in the area now known as Heybridge Basin. The basin was excavated from marshland to allow seagoing vessels to access the canal and unload their cargoes, typically timber, onto barges for transport inland from May & Butcher’s timber yard to Browns wood yard in Chelmsford. Additionally, the Basin supported an oyster and eel industry until the late 1960s.
Heybridge and Heybridge Basin continued
Heybridge is a civil parish and a sizable village, sufficiently large to be classified as a town within the Maldon district of Essex. It is located adjacent to Maldon, close to the River Blackwater. Often, it is eclipsed by its historic neighbour, leading one to mistakenly perceive it as the same town, as the two have gradually merged over the years. The population as of August 2025 is estimated to be around 8,390 individuals.
Originally, Heybridge was known as Tidwalditun. The name Heybridge is derived from the elevated bridge constructed over the River Blackwater during the Middle Ages, situated at Heybridge Square (the intersection of Heybridge Street, Holloway Road, and the Causeway).
This bridge featured five arches and was replaced in 1870 by a two-arched brick structure. By that time, much of the water flow in this section of the river had been redirected into the River Chelmer due to diversion work carried out during the construction of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.
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