Blackmore

Blackmore is a village in Essex, England. It is located approximately 3 miles (5 km) east of Chipping Ongar and is 4 miles (7 km) north of Brentwood. The village is in the parish of Blackmore, Hook End and Wyatts Green in the borough of Brentwood and parliamentary constituency of Brentwood & Ongar.

History
The village was recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Phingaria' which was a Latinised form of its original Anglo-Saxon name, Fingreth, meaning 'the stream of the people of Fin'. It is thought that the name Blackmore was introduced in the Middle Ages as a reference to 'Black Marsh' or 'Black Swamp'.

The Priory Church of St Laurence church marks the site of a former Augustinian Priory, dissolved during the reign of Henry VIII in 1525. The church is the original building (but without the chancel which was destroyed at the time of dissolution) and is now the parish church and features one of the last remaining all wooden steeples (currently inhabited by a community of bats) in England. The site still shows signs of the original moat. The village itself is believed to have migrated to a location closer to the chapel of the Priory from around Fingrith Hall during the mediaeval period.

Jericho Priory, on the site adjacent to the church and still within the moated area, was built in the 18th Century on the site of an earlier 16th Century building which was believed to be the country retreat of Henry VIII and where, in 1520, his 'natural son', Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, was born.

Other old buildings in the village include the 15th-16th Century Bull Inn, a traditional Essex timber-framed house, and Fingreth Hall, in the north of the parish, where Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer during the Elizabethan era lived.

Society and leisure
The village is surrounded by countryside and has been named Essex best kept village of the year, for 1982, 1984, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003 and Essex Village of the Year 1997. The village green has a small pond at its eastern end. To the east of the village itself is a cottage which was built in 1345.

There is a village shop, the primary school, two village halls, a sports and social club, football and cricket pitches, a sport arena used for football, netball and hockey. Blackmore Tennis Club is also situated next to the arena. The village has three pubs: The Prince Albert, The Bull, and The Leather Bottle. There are many societies and clubs, such as Women's Institute, Scouts, amateur dramatics, sports and fitness clubs, and a croquet club. There are a number of football teams in Blackmore, including Spartak Blackmore F.C. & Infield F.C. Infield F.C. also known as 'The Wasps' are an adult side who play at the Sports & Social Club.

The village has two churches: the Anglican Priory Church of St Laurence, part of which date back to the 12th century and which has a timber tower dating back to 1400; and Blackmore Baptist Church.

Transport
The village is close to the Chelmsford Road, part of the A414, to the A12 and the M11 and M25 motorways; it has good rail links to London from Brentwood, which is four miles away. The 261 bus route connects the village to Brentwood. The 32 bus route also goes through the village connecting it to Ongar and Chelmsford. A new service 339 operates from Blackmore to Ongar, Brentwood and Warley every hour on Mondays to Fridays.