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Find a Holiday or Holidays in Essex Holidays based in Basildon, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester,
Epping, Halstead, Harlow, Harwich, Maldon, Ilford, Romford, Southend, Braintree and Brentwood. |
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Basildon is a New Town located in south Essex, England at 51°34?34?N,
0°29?19?E. It was designated as a New Town after World War II in 1948 to accommodate
the London population overspill. Basildon was created from four small villages;
Pitsea, Laindon, Basildon and Vange. The larger Basildon district was formed in
1974 by the Local Government Act of 1972, and includes two neighbouring towns Billericay
and Wickford, as well as rural villages and smaller settlements set among the surrounding
countryside.
The first historical reference to Basildon is in records from 1086. It is mentioned
in the Domesday Book as 'Belesduna'.
The name 'Basildon' means 'Beorhtel's hill' and is derived from the Anglo-Saxon
personal name 'Beorhtel' and the Anglo-Saxon word 'dun', meaning hill. In historical
documents, this name had various forms over the centuries, including Berdlesdon,
Batlesdon & Belesduna.
The constituency of Basildon is thought to be a barometer of public opinion in General
Elections. The results of the constituency have been the same as the overall result
of the General Election since 1974.
History and politics came together in 1989 when the newly re-opened Towngate Theatre
commissioned a community play from Arnold Wesker for the town's 40th anniversary.
He chose to create a potted history of Basildon called "Beorhtel's Hill", which
referred either to a Saxon hero Beorhtel or, more likely, to a version of the word
"bright". (then see "dun" = "hill", above). It was generally very positive about
the place and the way it has always been a haven and a "bright hill" for different
generations, and to "strangers in our midst". It was quite gentle, a little sentimental,
tremendously heartfet (by the 100 or so members of the community who put it on).
But it also said some uncomfortable things about the dyed-in-the-wool racism of
politicians in the 1970s and this inevitably led to some controversy. |
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