Removals to Essex – Ingatestone

If you are thinking about moving to Essex, then Ingatestone could be one of the places at the top of your list. It is only around 20 miles north-east of London, but its residents live in a thriving community in the heart of some attractive Essex countryside.

Here Greens Removals look at how Ingatestone grew from a small Saxon settlement into a thriving village, and some of its current-day facilities and tourist attractions. 

History
The village was founded in Saxon times and its name means ‘people or settlement at the stones’. It has three Sarsen stones – sandstone blocks deposited by glacial action during the Ice Age. Two of these can be found in Fryerning Lane and the third in St Edmund and St Mary’s Parish Church.

Ingatestone grew in size as it was located on the old Essex Great Road – the forerunner of the A12 –  which linked London and Colchester. The village’s land belonged to Barking Abbey but was later acquired by the Petre family, who built Ingatestone Hall and took up residence there.

The village now forms art of a civil parish with its near-neighbour Fryerning.

Location and Transport
Ingatestone is just six miles south of the county town of Chelmsford off the A414. The A12 runs to the north of the village and the M25 is 10 minutes away by car. The village also has a railway station on the Great Eastern main line, with regular services to London Liverpool Street, Clacton and Braintree. This means Ingatestone is a thriving commuter village, with many people choosing to live here and work in London and other parts of Essex.

Places of Interest
Ingatestone Hall is open to the public on selected afternoons between Easter and September. It has some stunning examples of Tudor architecture, particularly the mullioned windows, high chimneys, crow-step gables and oak-panelled rooms. There is also a highly impressive 10-acre garden. The Petre family still live at the hall, but parts of it can be hired out for events and special occasions. 

The oldest building in the village is the parish church of St Edmund and St Mary, which has a sloping frontage onto the High Street. It was built more than 900 years ago and is a fine example of Norman architecture.

Schools
Ingatestone Infant School serves children aged from four to seven, while Ingatestone and Fryerning Church of England Junior School in The Furlongs is for pupils in the seven to 11 age range.

The village also has an Anglo European School which is a self-governing, co-educational academy and which is the first state school in the country to become a language college. Pupils can study for their International Baccalaureate diploma, and the school puts an emphasis on learning languages and going on foreign exchange trips.

Community Groups and Facilities
The village has a thriving community spirit, with local clubs catering for a wide variety of interests.  Many of these, including the cricket club, horticultural society, angling club and drama group, serve both Ingatestone and Fryerning. Ingatestone also has 15 youth groups, including several Scout and Brownie packs, plus Redstones and Stones Athletic Youth Football Clubs for those who like their soccer.

Many of these organisations meet in the Ingatestone and Fryerning Community Centre in the High Street. The village also has a doctors’ surgery and a library. And if you are looking for somewhere to go for a picnic or just to relax, then you have the choice of two parks, Fairfield and Seymour Field.

Shops and Businesses
Ingatestone has a thriving commercial centre, with small supermarkets, chemists, a bakery, a butcher, banks and a post office, and more specialist businesses including legal and architects’ practices and chartered surveyors. If you want somewhere to go for a drink and a meal, then you can choose between The Bell, The Star Inn, The Cricketers and a number of other pubs and restaurants.

Greens – Domestic and Commercial Removals to Chelmsford
Greens offer high-quality domestic and commercial removals services to Chelmsford, Clacton, and Colchester and all parts of Essex, including Ingatestone. We can also help you with moves to destinations throughout East Anglia, including Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

Our commitment to quality means we meet three British and European Service Standards – the BS EN 12522, (a European standard) the BS EN 4873 (for storage of furniture and personal items) and BS 8522 (for commercial moves). If you are thinking about relocating your business, we can appoint a specialist project team to look after all your needs. 

If you would like to learn more Greens Removals’ commercial or domestic moving services, follow the link above.