Bicknacre

Bicknacre is a village in the civil parish of Woodham Ferrers and Bicknacre, in the county of Essex, England. It is approximately 6.5 km north of South Woodham Ferrers and 9.2 km southeast of the city of Chelmsford. The village is in the borough of Chelmsford and in the parliamentary constituency of Maldon. In 2018 it had an estimated population of 2,263.

Priory arch
There was a hermitage on this site until around the end of 1154, when it was converted into a priory for the Augustinian Canons, also known as the Black Canons. It was known as Wodeham (Woodham) Priory until 1235 when the name Bicknacre first occurs.

The arch is all that remains of the priory. It comprises the west arch of the crossing of the church (estimated to date from about 1250) with attached fragments of the nave and north transept. The arch and the surrounding fields, known as Priory Fields, are looked after by a voluntary group, called Friends of Priory Fields.

Landmarks
The St Giles Home for British Lepers no longer exists, but St. Giles Churchyard, which is marked as an Essex Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve is in Moor Hall Lane. It is rumoured that the church is haunted by a man buried in the graveyard. His name remains unknown.

2023 Bicknacre earthquake
On 9 February 2023, Bicknacre was the epicentre of a small earthquake with a magnitude of 2.6 which was felt as far away as South Woodham Ferrers and Chelmsford.

Notable people
Notable people from the village include Richard Robarts, a former Formula One driver, and the artist Danielle West (now known as Danielle Martin). The artist Grayson Perry spent part of his childhood in the village. Joe Pettit, writer of the multi-award-winning short film Yout also lived in Bicknacre.