Ramsden Bellhouse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ramsden Bellhouse | |
|---|---|
 St. Mary the Virgin, Ramsden Bellhouse | |
  Ramsden Bellhouse Location within Essex | |
 Interactive map of Ramsden Bellhouse | |
| Population | 832 (Parish, 2021)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TQ721943 |
| • London | 27 miles (43 km) WSW |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BILLERICAY |
| Postcode district | CM11 |
| Dialling code | 01268 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Ramsden Bellhouse is a village and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies 3 miles (5 km) east of Billericay, its post town, and 2 miles (3 km) west of the centre of Wickford. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 832.
The River Crouch flows through Ramsden Bellhouse, flowing under Church Road.[2]
The meaning of the name Ramsden is uncertain. The "-den" means a valley, but there are a variety of theories as to the meaning of the first element. Suggestions include a person's name, wild garlic (also known as ramsons), ravens, and rams. The Bellhouse comes from the name of the family who owned the manor in the 13th century.[3]
The Domesday Book of 1086 records seven estates or manors in the vill of Ramsden, listed as Ramesdana or Ramesduna, in the Barstable Hundred of Essex.[4][5]
The Ramsden area came to form the two parishes of Ramsden Bellhouse and Ramsden Crays. In the 12th century, Roger fitzReinfrid, a royal justice, held land at Ramsden Bellhouse. He granted the church at Ramsden Bellhouse to Lesnes Abbey in north Kent.[6] The church was subsequently rebuilt; the oldest parts of the current church, dedicated to St Mary, date from the 14th century.[7]
