Ashingdon Amenities and Services

SCHOOLS

There is one School in the parish – Ashingdon Primary Academy.

There are three other schools very close by and serve the parish, they are :  Greensward College and Plumberow Primary School, in Hockley, but with both lying adjacent to Ashingdon’s western parish boundary.
King Edmund School in Rochford is 200 metres from Ashingdon’s southern boundary.
Many children in Ashingdon go to Holt Farm Infant and Junior Schools and also many go to Saint Teresa’s Catholic School, all in Rochford.
There is an infants pre-school play group in the Pavilion of the King George’s Field recreation ground, another in the Church Hall and another in The Free Church. All provide crèche facilities, learning, painting, drawing and safe care during week-days during school terms.

YOUTH

"Young Life"  is an online service provided by Essex County Council for all young people. It is full of information to help any young person about almost any subject and it lets them link to whatever may interest them. Essex Young Life groups over 4000 subjects under headings like :  To do / To go;  Health;  Love;  School / Study;  Work;  Care / Home;  Law / Rights;  Worries;  Family.  Have a look by clicking on this link :   http://www.essexyounglife.co.uk/kbroker/essex/essexcysd/ylbrowse.jsp

LIBRARIES

Membership of your local library is valid for all libraries in Essex County including Southend on Sea and Thurrock Boroughs. You can borrow Books free for 3 weeks. You can borrow for a fee :  Audio Books, Language Courses, Music CDs, DVDs and Videos. Fines are charged for late return. You can Photocopy and Print-out for a fee. You can use computers free of charge for library search and free use for 1 hour of  internet use.
The nearest libraries are in Hockley and Rochford, both about 3.5 km (2.1 miles) from Ashingdon Church, Post Office and Memorial Hall and 4.25 km (3.5 miles) and 6.25 km (4 miles) from South Fambridge.
-  Hockley Library  -  Tel. 01702 203558
-  Rayleigh Library  -  Tel. 01268 775830
-  Rochford Lbrary  -  Tel. 01702 546688
-  Southend on Sea Library  -  Tel. 01702 534100
-  Essex County Council Libraries  -  Tel. 0845 603 7628.
-  Mobile Library  -  Every two weeks there is a mobile library which visits 3 locations in Ashingdon and South Fambridge from the county town – Chelmsford. Both provide book ordering, internet search and other services. Southend on Sea Borough Library is the largest library nearby and is only 5 to 6 miles and a bus-ride away.
Any member of Essex County Library, Southend on Sea Library and Thurrock Library can use all of the many libraries in Essex County including the two unitary boroughs of Southend on Sea and Thurrock.

DOCTORS

Greensward Surgery  -  is a doctor’s surgery in Ashingdon Parish. It is in Greensward Lane, Hockley, SS5 5HQ. They mostly serve Hockley and that part of Ashingdon Parish close to Hockley.  Tel. 01702 202353.
Ashingdon Medical Centre  -  is the nearest doctor’s surgery to most of Ashingdon. It is at 57 Lascelles Gardens, Ashingdon, SS4 3BW. It is in East Hawkwell, but within 400 metres of the Ashingdon Parish boundary and it serves parishioners of Ashingdon, Canewdon and East Hawkwell.
Hawkwell Surgery  -  is at 2 Hawkwell Park Drive, Hawkwell.  Tel. 01702 207146.
Hawkwell and Rochford Surgery  -  is at 1 Leecon Way, Ashingdon Gardens, Rochford.  Tel. 01702 200884 or 547828.
The Jones Family Practice  -  is at 55 Southend Road, Hockley.  Tel. 01702 202514.
Rochford Medical Centre  -  is in Southwell House, Back Lane, Rochford.  Tel. 01702 533740 or 533750.
Other doctors  -  are located in Rayleigh, in Great wakering and in many parts of Southend on Sea Borough including Eastwood, Leigh on Sea, Westcliff on Sea, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay and Shoeburyness.

HOSPITALS AND CLINICS

Southend University Hospital  -  is the nearest hospital with emergency and out-patient services in Westcliff on Sea 6 to 7 miles away. No. 7 & 8 buses pass nearby and other services in Rochford.  Tel. 01702 435555.
Clinics  -  The nearest clinics are at the two doctors' surgeries and at the South Essex Mental Health & Community Care NHS Trust clinic in 53 Spa Road, Hockley, SS5 4AR,  Tel.  01702 578700;  Rochford Medical Practice,  Tel. 01702 533750; and others in Rayleigh and Southend on Sea.
First Responders  -  The Ashingdon First Responders provide heart restart equipment and staff trained the Ambulance Service to help with first heart care treatment and monitoring until either Paramedics or Ambulance staff arrive. The local first reponder is Adrian Eves,  Tel. 07802 151459 or 01702 200124, Email ashingdonhs @ aol.com. More volunteers are needed to fill vacancies. Anybody interested in joining the First Responders can call the Community First Responder Manager for Essex - John Hopkins,  Tel. 07967 135550.

LAW AND ORDER

Essex Police
Ashingdon Parish includes the villages of Ashingdon, South Fambridge and the outlying areas of the Parish including roads in the Broadlands Estate and several roads in the Harrogate Road area near Hockley. All are all policed by Essex Police. The headquarters is in Chelmsford,  www.essex.police.uk.  Telephone  01245 491491.
The new Non-Emergency number for Essex Police is :  101.
Our Parish of Ashingdon is covered by PC Matthew Zurowski and PCSO Julia Lamb (mobile 07801 461653), can&ashnpt@essex.pnn.police.uk.

PARK AND PLAYING FIELD

The King George's Field is the recreation ground, park and playing field for Ashingdon and East Hawkwell. There is a small park garden with flower beds, shrubs and trees. There are children's play areas with swings, slides, climbing and adventure equipment. There is a combined table and seats dedicated to our Councillor Beryl Webb MBE who died a few years ago aged over 80. The fields extend to nearly 600 metres from the main road and provide pretty rural walks and space for 6 or 7 football pitches, a cricket pitch in the Summer and a basketball goal.
Right beside the boundaries of our Parish is the Magnolia Park Nature Reserve and Parkland with a vast network of woodland areas, copses, clearings, paths, bridleways, lakes and a children's playground. Magnolia Park is a beautiful rural area owned, preserved and managed by Hawkwell Parish Council and accessible from a large number of footpaths and byways. It is a peaceful haven for wild-life, nature, woodland and rural habitats for vast populations of birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. Frequently seen species include all types of birds including jays and wood-peckers, squirrels, badgers, rabbits, moles, grass-snakes, adders, slow-worms, great crested newts and some of the most beautiful butterflies, moths, beetles and dragonflies.

PARKING

There is a car park at The Ashingdon and East Hawkwell Memorial Hall which is open from early morning until 9.00pm for access to the hall, playground, playing fields, play-school and pavilion. The car park will close later for events held in the hall.
There is a car park beside the Church Hall in Church Road.
There is a small parking area in front of Saint Andrew's Church for visitors to the church.
There is a small parking area opposite All Saints Church in Fambridge Road.

PHARMACY

Ashingdon has a pharmacy and chemists shop in Ashingdon Road opposite the Victory public house. The phamacist who runs Nutan Pharmacy stocks and dispenses all types of prescription and non-prescription medicines, treatments, health foods, diabetic products, first aid products, baby products, disabled persons equipment, as well as services such as passport photos, films, developing, dry cleaning and much more. Nutan Pharmacy remains open over extended hours to coincide with the doctors surgeries opening times and opens "on rotation" in collaboration with other pharmacies.  Tel. 01702 548452.
Parishioners in the south of our Parish living in Ashingdon Road, Brays Lane, Golden Cross Road, Victory Lane, etc may also use the Golden Cross Pharmacy nearby in Hawkwell Parish at 10 Golden Cross Parade.  Tel. 01702 544104.
Parishioners in the west of our Parish near Hockley living in Greensward Lane, Lower Road, Broadlands Estate and roads around Harrogate Road, etc may also use the Hockley Pharmacy in Broad Parade,  Tel. 01702 203233;  And Chemicrest in Spa Road,  Telephone 01702 203674.  There are two more in Main Road Hockley and Hawkwell.

POST OFFICE

The nearest Post Office is in East Hawkwell on the Ashingdon Road, directly opposite the Ashingdon and East Hawkwell Memorial Hall and The King George’s Field recreation ground. The Post Office deals with postal services, savings, pensions, benefits, money transfer, banking, bill paying, passports, foreign currency, travel, house and car insurance, it has a bank cash machine, it sells sweets, refreshments, cards, toys, stationery and it provides services such as photocopying, dry cleaning, shoe repairs, clothes alterations and much more.  Tel. 01702 545688.
The next nearest Post Offices are in Rochford and Hockley, both at least two miles away.

PUB AND RESTAURANT

The Victory Inn  is in the parish of Hawkwell along the Ashingdon Road. The Victory Inn has a large comfortable bar with a wide range of beers, lagers, ciders, wines, spirits, tea and coffee. The Victory also has a fine restaurant for good wholesome meals with a wide range of menu choices including vegitarian dishes.

RECYCLING

For recycling waste materials, there are two recycling areas in Ashingdon Parish, one in the car park of the Ashingdon and East Hawkwell Memorial Hall and another in South Fambridge. There is a third site within 250 metres south of the parish boundary at The Golden Cross shopping centre.
For larger items that need to be collected, it is necessary to call Rochford District Council on 01702 546366; Or take them by car to dispose of them free of charge at the Rochford District Waste Disposal site at Rayleigh. Rochford District residents can take waste materials to the Southend on Sea Borough waste disposal site in Stock Road, but they will be made to pay a nominal fee.  Tel. 01702 318111.  Email wasteteam@rochford.gov.uk
SEE THE ARTICLE IN "NEWS" ABOUT NEW KERBSIDE RECYCLING COLLECTION

VILLAGE HALLS

Ashingdon & East Hawkwell Memorial Hall in Ashingdon Road in the middle of Ashingdon village is the village hall for Ashingdon, East Hawkwell and South Fambridge and it is the war memorial to those who lost their lives in the two World Wars. It is large hall with a stage, theatre curtains, kitchen, meeting room, toilets, tables and chairs to cater for any event. Popular events are dancing, weddings, concerts, theatre, parties, exhibitions and meetings.  Tel. 01702 545547.
St Andrew's Church Hall in Church Road is a traditional wooden village hall with facilities for many types of events. It is planned to build a new hall for the Church.