About The Billericay Society

Old Dwellings and Roads. The Society gets many enquiries regarding old dwellings and or roads. We do not have access to old maps etc. so are not really in a position to answer these. However you are likely to get information from the Essex Records Office, Wharf Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6YT Telephone: 01245 430 067 or e-mail direct to ero.enquiry@essexcc.gov.uk and their web site is http://www.essexrecordoffice.co.uk - good luck!
The Billericay Society keeps a watchful eye on the 49 Listed Buildings as of historic or architectural interest. Here are just a few….
	This is the Chantry, built in 1510 - originally a16C hall house but now considerably altered. There is original exposed timber framing to the front elevation. Now a restaurant. Christopher Martin of the “Mayflower” is said to have lived here.
Church of St. Mary Magdalen. A late 15C red brick west tower with set buttresses to half the height of the tower. Corner fins above rise to polygonal pinnacles and a stepped parapet carries on a trefoil arched perpendicular brick tracery. The west ends of the aisles are late19C built in the same style as the tower. The church has a segmental apse on the north and east sides and the interior has balconies on three sides, supported on slender cast iron columns. It was once St. John’s Chapel belonging to Great Burstead, which belonged to the Abbey of Stratford.
	The “White Hart” public house – a 19C building.
A 17C timber-framed and plastered house originally, now a baker’s shop. The upper storey was originally jettied on the front and overhung the pavement.
	“The Chequers” public house was originally a single 16C timber-framed and plastered house with cross wings and a central hall.
An 18C timber-framed and plastered house, although it is thought that the original 16C house was incorporated in the design. It is now a jewellers shop.
A few general views:
	An 18C public house “The Rising Sun” at Sun Corner. There was thought to be a coaching inn here in the early 19C when coaches ran daily through the crossroads to London and Southend.
A general view of the entrance to Chapel Street in the centre of the High Street. “The Chequers” public house may be seen on the left together with 3, 5, 7 & 9 Chapel Street, which are 16C listed properties.
	Part of the High Street including The Chantry.
A public house - which is not a listed building - “The Blue Boar”, has replaced the old Co-op. A Beer House of the same name stood close by several centuries ago.
	Before becoming a restaurant, this 1835 building was always referred to as “The Old Town Hall” although it never actually was. It was a school, a police station, a magistrates’ court, a registrar’s office and council chamber for Billericay Urban District Council. The Society has tried on three separate occasions to obtain listing mainly on historic grounds.

	The Billericay Society was formed on Saturday, 27th July, 1935. At that time, the Council for the Protection of Rural Essex wanted to set up a local area committee, so a meeting was held in Lockers Hall, and the first President was Mrs Ward, owner of the Hall. Consequently, The Society was then known as ‘The Billericay Area Group of the Essex Branch of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England’. The first Secretary was Basil Brooks, J.P. It was long felt that such a title was unwieldy, and so in 1972 the name was changed to “The Billericay Society”, affiliated to the Council for the Protection of Rural Essex. Following the death of Mrs Ward, the Earl of Mexborough (who lived in Stockwell Hall, Little Burstead) took over as President in 1943.