Aldham village

Aldham is a village of about 500 adults of whom about 70 are young people under 20. The ecclesiastical parish has the same boundaries as the civil parish. It is situated 5 miles west of Colchester, and its proximity to Marks Tey station means that commuting to London is very feasible. Employment within the village consists of small craft workshops, three working farms, a commercial orchard specialising in rare varieties of apple, two pubs, and a garden centre.

I>n July 2004 Aldham was declared the BEST KEPT VILLAGE IN ESSEX by the Rural Community Council of Essex in Class 4. In addition, across all classes, it was cited as "Highly Commended."

The village sign is sited between the church and the Village Hall, depicting the church, the profile of Philip Morant historian of Essex who was Rector of Aldham from 1745 to 1770, an apple tree, and the bridge over the River Colne which forms part of the boundary of the parish. The sign was made by Fred Patten of Cummins Farm.

The parish covers approximately 6 square miles and has two main population centres, one around the church and the other at Fordstreet on the A1124. New housing in the village is currently restricted by planning law to replacement.

There is no school in Aldham. The designated primary school for Aldham is in neighbouring Eight Ash Green. Aldham Church maintains a link with this school.

In 2013/2014 the Village Hall was rebuilt at a cost of £150,000, about £40,000 of which was raised in the village itself. The village hall has its own webpage.

The village has lively and well-supported organisations that include W.I., Wednesday Club, and the Social Club. There is no Aldham village website.

To mark the Millennium a map of the village, depicting life in Aldham, was produced. Proceeds from the map and a grant from Rural Action have enabled a new weather-vane to be made to mark the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It was placed on the Village Hall on 6 October 2002. A letter of appreciation was received from Buckingham Palace. Launched in June 2002 was Aldham's magazine called The Grapevine which is published every three months.

The Wikipedia entry for the village notes that Damon Albarn (1968- ), musician and lead singer of Blur, lived in Aldham from age 9 until he left school.

Angela Green's "History of Aldham" was published in January 2005. With 264 pp and 16 pp of illustrations, this is the most comprehensive book on Aldham ever. At £5.00 it is a must for anyone with a serious Aldham connection. It is a beautifully presented, impeccably researched and eminently readable account of our village through the centuries. Please order from one of the Churchwardens. Postage outside Aldham will be extra.

The casualties on the Village War Memorial have been researched by Jane Smith.