Removals to Essex – South Woodham Ferrers

There are plenty of reasons to move to South Woodham Ferrers; this comparatively modern town is convenient for commuting to London and many parts of Essex, and it is close to many of the most beautiful parts of the county.

Chelmsford removals company Greens can help co-ordinate your move to South Woodham Ferrers, whether it is for domestic or commercial reasons. Here is our guide to the town. 

History of the Town

South Woodham Ferrers, which is around eight miles south east of Chelmsford, was originally mostly used for agricultural purposes, with a few farms dotted around the area. Development formed around the railway; the village station was opened in 1889 by the Great Eastern Railway at the junction of the Southminster and Maldon branch lines. This really kick-started the development of what is now a town with a population of more than 16,000.

Many of its street names have a Tolkien-esque flavour – for example,  Gandalf’s Ride and  Hobbiton Hill can both be found here – not because of any specific local connection to the author, but simply because of a suggestion to the local council.

Transport                       

The town enjoys good links with the rest of Essex. You can go east via the B1012 to Southminster, Burnham-on-Crouch and the coast; the A132 links the town with the A130, and from there one can go south towards London on the A13, or north towards Chelmsford. The A130 also links up with the west of the county, including Basildon and Romford, on the A127.

Greater Anglia now operates the railway station, which has regular services to London Liverpool Street and Southminster. South Woodham Ferrers is also only six miles from Southend Airport, which runs domestic and European flights and also offers charter and cargo services, as well as associated activities such as pilot training.

Attractions

There are some fantastic things to do in South Woodham Ferrers, especially if you have children or a dog; Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park, in Marsh Farm Road, is very family-friendly, with plenty of opportunity to get close to the animals. It’s a working farm of 30 acres and has plenty of livestock, as well as smaller creatures including ferrets, gerbils, guinea pigs, and an aviary full of interesting birds.

The area is home to a 300-acre country park, also called Marsh Farm, which provides plenty of opportunities for dog walkers and nature-lovers – it’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest and it borders the River Crouch. There are several other lovely parks too, including Riverview Park and Saltcoats Park, which are closer to the centre of town.

South Woodham Ferrers also has a contemporary leisure centre which offers badminton, climbing, football, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a gym and exercise classes.

Community Groups

There are plenty of organisations in the town, such as the Swift Singers, the Woodham Writers Group, an amateur dramatics society and lots more. Many of these groups use the Champions Hall Community Centre, which is available for hire.

If you’re into sports and other outdoor activities, there are several sporting clubs in the area, including South Woodham Ferrers Yacht Club, which operates on the River Crouch whose members enjoy motor boating, cruiser sailing, dinghy sailing and kayaking.

South Woodham Ferrers has a thriving badminton club at Crouch Vale, as well as its own football teams, including the Woodham Radars. The town’s cricket club was founded in 1887.

Shops and Businesses

The town has a good selection of stores; of the 100 or so business premises in the town centre, just under half are occupied by shops. Asda is the major supermarket in South Woodham Ferrers; the store which was built there in the late 1970s was one of the company’s first in the UK.

The town several other commercial hubs, including the Redhill & Saltcoats and Western Industrial Estates. South Woodham Ferrers is also famed for having its own brewery, Crouch Vale, in Haltwhistle Road, with a popular on-site pub called Tap Room 19.

Schools

There are some excellent schools in South Woodham Ferrers; William de Ferrers School is the town’s secondary school, which opened in 1982 and is named after the Norman knight who was given land in the area for his part in the Norman Conquest. The school has more than 1,500 pupils on the roll, and has been awarded specialist status for its sports, maths and computing departments.

The town has five primary schools; Collingwood Primary, in Collingwood Road, which also opened in 1982 and has Foundation Status; Elmwood Primary, in Guys Farm Road, which first opened in 1929 in Hullbridge Road with three classrooms (it now has expanded to 15); Trinity St Mary’s Primary, in Trinity Square, which also has a pre-school department; Woodville Primary, in Brent Avenue, which is run by the FennWood Academy Trust; and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, which is also in Trinity Square.

Chelmsford removals company Greens Removals can organise your move to all parts of Essex, including Grays, Colchester, Manningtree and Braintree. We can also handle commercial removals to Chelmsford and other towns and villages. If you would like to know more about our services, follow the link above.