Ashingdon Parish Description
Ashingdon Parish is a pleasant, pretty and quiet rural parish. The Parish is approximately 2 miles North of Rochford and continues to the bank of the tidal River Crouch and the Parish includes the villages of Ashingdon and South Fambridge. It has a population of over 1000 and a wide variety of types of housing in country lanes, in the two villages, in housing estates both old and new. Not much happens in Ashingdon and South Fambridge since the Battle in 1016 and with very low levels of disturbance, crime and vandalism, this all enhances the quality of life for all who live, work, study and pass through our Parish.
The boundaries of the Parish of Ashingdon are shaped like the crowned head of King Canute or King Edmund and those boundaries follow a wide variety of terrain, from hills, lanes, fields, brooks and a tidal river.
The Parish has an area of 11 square kilometres (4.25 sq miles). In other measurements, that is 1100 hectares (about 2725 acres). The extent of The Parish is approximately 4.3 km (2.7 miles) north to south and 4.2 km (2.6 miles) east to west, the northern boundary running 4 km (2.4 miles) along the centre of the tidal River Crouch. About 90% of the parish is rural agricultural land, 8% is housing and roads and about 2% is made up of woods, some of which have bluebells.
Ashingdon was the site of the Battle of Ashingdon and the base camp of King Edmund, the Saxon King of Wessex and part of England. Whereas, nearby Canewdon was the base camp of King Canute, the Danish king who laid claim to all of England and The Danelaw, the Eastern regions known as : Essex, East Anglia, East Mercia and Northumbria. The claim was settled by the battle which took place at Ashingdon in 1016 AD, when Canute fought Edmund and won both the battle and secured the Kingdom of all England including the Saxon Wessex and their territories : Kent, Sussex, Wessex and West Mercia.
Although Ashingdon is still a small, quiet rural community, its historic and epic battle had a very significant impact on the history and culture of England lasting until today.
Ashingdon is a parish in Rochford District, in the County of Essex, in England. Our County is part of the East of England Region, also called East Anglia.
The symbols of our County
The County arms or shield also seen on flags is of 3 seaxe swords on a red background attributed as having been the ancient coat of arms of the early Saxons or the East Saxon kings - "three seaxes argent, in a field gules", (3 silver seaxes on a red field).
The Essex County Patron Saint is : Saint Cedd.
The East of England Patron Saint is : Saint Edmund.
The Patron Saint of England is : Saint George.
The Essex County Flower is - The Cowslip (primula veris) in the same family as the Primrose. Another flower chosen in recent years as an Essex County Flower is - The Red Poppy (Papaver rhoeus). There is also a beautiful pink miniature rose called "Essex Rose".
The Regiment for Essex County is - The Royal Anglian Regiment, called "The Vikings". They were formed in varous steps from several East Anglian counties' regiments and they act now as the home regiment for soldiers enlisting from 10 East of England Counties. Previously our regiment was "The Essex Regiment". Before that there were "The 44th Essex Regiment" called "The Fighting Fours" and "The 56th Essex Regiment" called "The Pompadours". Before that "The 44th Regiment of Foot" and "The 56th Regiment of Foot". The 44th being the regiment for East Essex and the 56th for West Essex.
The Essex Regiment, including the 44th and 56th, is famous for its battle successes : In North America - during the American War of Independence. To this day, the 44th (Essex) Regiment in their red coats is celebrated and re-enacted in the USA and in Canada; Epic battle successes in Portugal, Spain and France during the Napoleonic Wars - when they seized a French golden eagle regimental standard in battle at Arapiles, Salamanca. The original golden eagle is kept in the Regimental Museum in Chelmsford; Successful campaigns in Egypt where their successes are recorded with "Egypt" on their previous regimental badge; There were more honours in India where they excelled; And in many other theatres of war since then. In the past and even now, our regiments displayed the Essex Regiment's French golden eagle, the sphinx from Egypt and the castle and key from Gibraltar.
The Royal Anglian is divided into to 2 Regular and 2 T.A. battalions : The 1st Battalion and the 6th Battalion T.A. "The Pompadours" for : Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk; And, The 2nd Battalion and the 7th Battalion T.A. "The Poachers" for the other 6 counties : Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland.
The Royal Anglian's regimental and cap badge is the castle and key from The Essex Regiment and The 56th Essex. They also wear the golden eagle on their sleeve from the 44th Essex Regiment and they often show the Sphinx with "Egypt" from the 44th Essex Regiment. The 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment often carries the golden eagle in regimental marches. So, we have a lot to be proud of in our county about the achievements and recognition of our own regiments.
