Prittlewell

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Prittlewell is a part of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. It used to be the main village in the area, and Southend grew from a nearby hamlet. As Southend became a popular seaside town, Prittlewell became part of its built-up area. The area has a population of about 10,000 people.

Name and location
The name Prittlewell means “babbling stream.” It lies in the valley of the Prittle Brook, a tributary of the River Roach. The village grew where three roads—East Street, West Street, and North Street—met, and later Victoria Avenue was added.

Ancient history
Roman-style buildings and burial sites were found near the brook during road and rail work in the 1920s and 1930s. In 2003, a rich 7th-century Anglo-Saxon tomb was discovered, showing high-status burial customs. A fragment of a Roman arch in St Mary’s Church may come from an early Anglo-Saxon church on the site.

Medieval to early modern
Prittlewell Priory was founded in the 12th century by Robert de Essex as a cell of the Cluniac priory at Lewes. The parish of Prittlewell grew to include the priory and two manors. The area around the priory and village extended to the seafront. The fishing settlement that would become Southend-on-Sea developed nearby.

Development and today
St Mary’s Church was enlarged over the centuries, and the priory lands were dissolved in the Tudor period. Southend developed as a seaside resort in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Prittlewell is now part of Southend’s urban area. The town was formally named Southend-on-Sea in 1892, with Victoria Avenue and a railway line connecting Prittlewell to Southend and London.

Today you can still see some remnants of the old village: the ruins and features of Priory Park, St Mary’s Church, and the old priory. The Blue Boar pub is famous as the place where Southend United F.C. began (the current building is Victorian). Roots Hall has been the football ground for Southend United since 1955, and a weekly Thursday market has been held nearby since the 1960s. The EKCO factory site near Priory Park has been redeveloped into housing and a hospice.

Transport and community
Prittlewell is served by Prittlewell railway station on the Shenfield–Southend line. The area is home to local sports groups, including Ekco Whitecaps and Prittlewell Badgers, with Southend United playing in the area.