Messing-cum-Inworth

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All Saints Church, Inworth

Messing-cum-Inworth is a civil parish in north-east Essex, 8.5 miles west of Colchester, and 15 miles east of Chelmsford. The parish consists of two small villages; Messing (population 250), and Inworth (population 100).

Geography

The parish of Messing-cum-Inworth is bounded by the parishes of Kelvedon to the west, Feering to the north, Birch to the east and Tiptree to the south. The highest point in the parish is no more than 69 metres (226 ft) above sea level dropping to 32 metres (105 ft) in the vicinity of Domsey Brook. It is situated in the Birch & Winstree ward of Colchester Borough Council. Amenities in Messing include Messing Primary School, a church, a pub/restaurant, and a large garden centre, while Inworth hosts most of the small businesses in the parish.

Messing

The village of Messing lies amongst picturesque countryside just 15 miles from Chelmsford and 1 mile from Tiptree. It is a small and charming village steeped in history, with a population of around 300 people and a few local amenities such as a pub, post office and church. It shares its parish with the tiny village of Inworth, which has a population of around 100 people and is home to several small businesses. The village of Messing was named as Essex’s Best Kept Village in 2007 and 2008, and was the birthplace of Reynold Bush, ancestor to former Presidents of the USA, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. The village church, named All Saint’s Church, boasts character and tradition and, apart from its brick clock tower, was built entirely of rubble that was taken from a nearby Roman villa. Dating back to the 14th century, the whole church was refurbished in 1840 and, in the process, was fitted with new features that still remain today, such as a paved chancel of black and white marble and a beautiful stained glass window that represents the Acts of Mercy: St Matthew 25:35, 36, and in the top part - Faith, Hope and Charity. It is believed that this window may have originally been at New Hall School in Chelmsford, until it was carefully removed in 1648 during the siege of Colchester in the English Civil War. It was then hidden in the church’s great chest, together with other treasures, in order it preserve it from destruction.

Even though Messing is nestled deep within the Essex countryside, the small village has excellent links to London from the neighbouring town of Kelvedon, which is home to the nearest railway station. From here, the journey by train to London Liverpool Street takes 45 minutes. By car, the city of Chelmsford is located just 15 miles from the village, and Colchester, Britain’s oldest recorded town is 8.5 miles away. Stansted airport is a 40 minute drive away, with other London airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and Southend each accessible by car in under 90 minutes.

Messing is situated just 1 mile from the famous village of Tiptree, which has been a regular contender for officially being named ‘the largest village in England’. The village is known worldwide for its jam, marmalades and preserves, sold by the company Wilkins & Sons. The Wilkin family came to Tiptree to start farming in the early 1700s and established the renowned company in 1885.

Supposedly a derivative from the Saxons, the name ‘Messing’ translates to ‘the field of trampling’, which is said to relate to a battle between the Romans and Queen Boudicca on a nearby site called The Rampart. The village itself holds a traditional fair every year on the first Tuesday in July, which features toy and cake stalls and crafts and activities.

History

The history of Messing has been published twice, in Roger Carter’s Simply Messing and William Goldsborough Whittam’s The Story of Messing. Known historically as Maesa's settlement, and Mething, the village is close to a site called ‘The Rampart’, which according to legend is where Boudica, Queen of the Iceni was defeated by the Romans.

A history of Messing School is currently being researched and written by local historian Tony Tuckwell. It is expected this will be published towards the end of 2014.

Inworth village dates back to medieval times, and has been known in the past as Ineworth, Inneworth, Inneworde and Inford. The famous grave of local celebrity 'Spotty', a faithful golden retriever, can be found by the village post office, attracting many visitors. His ghost is said to haunt the meat shop on the corner

Messing Primary School

There has been a school, of one sort or another, in Messing since approx. 1837. The current school was opened in 1914 and is celebrating its centenary in 2014 with a number of planned celebrations for villagers and former pupils and staff. As part of this, a book celebrating the history of Messing School is currently being written and researched by local historian Tony Tuckwell. It is expected to be published towards the end of 2014.

The current building in School Road was built in 1914 and serves the villages of Messing, Inworth and the wider community. The Edwardian school building is bright, airy and consists of three classrooms, a library, an office, a medical room, a staff room, community room and a separate hall. There is also a new computer room to enhance the children’s learning of ICT.

The community room is equipped with a kitchen and a toilet and has access to an outside play area. This room is currently used for Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils and provides them with an outside play space as well as additional space for art and ICT.

The school is situated in picturesque, rural surroundings. The pupils have their own playing field that is used for sports, outside activities, fetes and events. The grounds are also home to a play area, sensory garden and outside classroom. The location is ideal for environmental and wildlife studies. The school has strong links with the village community, sharing social occasions with local groups. There is an active Parent and Friends’ Association who receive excellent support from the local community.

Close links with secondary schools in the area, including Thurstable School in Tiptree, enable us to prepare pupils for a smooth transition to secondary education.

An Academy In 2013, Messing Primary School became an Academy, sponsored by New Hall School, a leading independent boarding and day school in Chelmsford.

As an Academy, the school have greater freedom to run the school as they think best, drawing on New Hall School's excellent educational record and sharing expertise and facilities. Pupils benefit through shared sporting, music and community ventures with New Hall School. There has been improved access to ICT resources during teaching and learning sessions, increased tracking as part of our continual assessment of each child and greater parental involvement. The partnership means pupils from Messing can use the outstanding facilities on offer at New Hall, including their 25 metre indoor swimming pool where they can receive swimming lessons, free of charge, from the dedicated swimming coaches at New Hall.

The current headteacher is Ms Charlotte Brown

Notable residents

• John Haynes- Colonial Governor
• Reynald Bush - Ancestor of George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.

External links

• Media related to Messing-cum-Inworth at Wikimedia Commons