Our Basildon Our Trail
"For me it is very simple - Basildon is my home."
Angela Smith MP
"On a car journey around town I am pleased to see how many green places we pass. I have lived in other places where this is not the case and I am grateful I now live in Basildon."
Sue Randle, Secretary of CHASE
Our heritage is all around us. It is not just to be found in magnificent stately homes, the romantic ruins of medieval castles and abbeys, or beautifully arranged exhibits in museums.
We have now created a permanent and lasting Heritage Trail across the Town Centre, highlighting a distinguished inheritance for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. The Trail has been granted Visitor statue by the government agency Visit England, which sets the scene for Basildon to become a tourist destination for people visiting South East Essex. One aim of the heritage trail is to boost renewed pride in the town and help to create a deeper sense of cultural identity, encouraging an awareness of our surroundings and observing just how the built and the natural environment affects all our lives.
The Our Basildon heritage project focuses on who we are as a people. We have an interweaving history from the pre Iron Age to the 21st century, observing Basildon’s roots-our roots, in this new town and the attachment of people to things like buildings and open spaces all of which help to make our community quite special. Our Promise to you
Basildon is indeed an interesting tourist attraction in its own right with some unique buildings and ancient remains: St Nicholas Church, Laindon, a Grade 1 listed building, is a perfect example of an ancient building that has survived the centuries and is still in constant use as the spiritual focal point for the community. We still have the remains of the moat that once surrounded Basildon Hall; a building stood protected by this moat since well before the compilation of the Domesday Book in 1086, until the Basildon Development Corporation, in their wisdom, decided to demolish the hall and in fill most of the moat.
So Basildon is not just a new town, it is a town created in 1949, but built on an ancient settlement. This heritage project aims to tell the Basildon story from ancient times to the present day through a series of exhibitions and a sign-posted Heritage Trail.
Our aim is to encourage the Basildon community to explore not only the urban environment and the evident built heritage, but also the town's wide open spaces, our woodland and grassland with its rich bio-diversity.
We have plans to extend the trail over time into neighbouring areas and as well as creating additional links, join existing trails and pathways. We hope this encourages everyone to explore the surrounding areas and appreciate Basildon’s unique location.
» Download the Full Trail Guide
» Download the Family Trail Guide (25th April)
