Havering's Grove

Havering’s Grove is a village in Essex, which developed in the twentieth century. Most of Havering's Grove lies in the Borough of Brentwood, with part in the Borough of Basildon. It is situated on the A129 London to Southend Road between Hutton and Billericay.

Although the settlement covers an extensive area, the population is not high, due to the low density nature of the plotland and ribbon development that constitute most of the settlement.

Etymology
Havering’s Grove takes its name from a wood, first mentioned as Haueringewode in 1291, much of which was destroyed by plotland development. It is not clear what association there was between the wood and the Royal Liberty of Havering, but it may be that the wood was named after a local manor or farm named after a person who had migrated from Havering.

Woodland
Fragments of the original Havering's Grove woodland remain in the plotland area, as do fragments of another ancient woodland called Bridge Wood, beside the public right of way. There are also areas of recent secondary woodland in the plotlands. On the east side of the settlement, beside Mouttnessing Brook, lies another old woodland called Shipman's Shaw.

Farming
There is a "Havering's Grove Farm", and a map of parts of the parish of Mountnessing, drawn around 1775, shows a "Havering Grove Field" north of the road - just west of the modern Cowbridge Cottages.

Brooks and bridges
There is a watercourse, a tributary of the River Wid called Havering Grove’s Brook, and the bridge that carries the A129 over the brook is called Havering’s Grove Bridge. The brook, or parts of it are also known as Lapwater Brook.

The brook forms the boundary between the boroughs of Brentwood and Basildon.

A second watercourse, the Mountnessing Brook, also a tributary of the Wid, flows south-north at the eastern side of the village.

Community
The village has a Residents' Association, which has been campaigning against the scheme to run the proposed new Norwich-Tilbury pylon route along the west side of the village.

Facilities
There is a cafe and retail outlets focused around a large garden centre. The Plough public houses has been converted to a restaurant.

Administration and representation
The area covered by the modern village was historically part of the ancient parishes of Hutton and Mountnessing.

There is a Havering’s Grove Polling District in Brentwood Borough’s Hutton East Ward. The part in Basildon is part of the Burstead Ward.