Upminster Walk: Town Centre【4K】

Located within Greater London (though historically part of Essex), in its easternmost borough of Havering, is the town of Upminster.

The name 'Upminster' is derived from Old English: 'upp' and 'mynster', and literally translates to 'the large church on high ground'. The church in question is believed to be of Saxon origin from the 7th century founded by St Cedd.

The story goes that in 653 AD, St Cedd, a monk from Lindisfarne, was sent to Essex as a missionary. Cedd landed at Bradwell-on-Sea on the marshy Essex coast, where he founded a minster - a church base for clergy to teach the Christian faith in the surrounding area. Over the next ten years Cedd established four more minsters, including at a major Roman crossroads above the Thames, now known as Upminster.

There is evidence of a Roman farmstead that was thought to have existed here from the 1st to 3rd centuries. This would explain the cross-shaped layout of the town which is a common trait in other Roman settlements such as Chester and Chichester.

The original Saxon edifice has long gone, but in its place stands the Church of St Laurence, built in stone in the 12th century. The oldest part of the church standing today is the tower, built around 1200. Significant additions were made in the 14th century and 19th century.

For centuries, the village of Upminster, along with the neighbouring hamlets of Hacton and Corbets Tey, thrived as an agricultural community. From as early as the 17th century, property investors began to target Upminster due to its proximity to London (around 15 miles east of central London, bearing in mind that London had yet to expand eastwards at this point).

In 1709 clergyman William Derham became the first man to measure the speed of sound accurately. From the tower of the Church of St Laurence, he used a telescope to observe the flash of a shotgun being fired, and measured the time it took for the sound to reach him, using a pendulum.

Also of historic note is Upminster Windmill. Located just west of the town centre, this Grade II listed mill was built in 1803. At the time of writing, it is undergoing restoration work, and is scheduled to be opened to visitors in April 2023.

In 1885 the railway arrived in Upminster. This was built by The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway, and connected Upminster to Fenchurch Street Station in the City of London to the west, and Shoeburyness via Southend-on-Sea to the east, which remains the case to this day. In 1902 the District Railway connected to Upminster. This would later be incorporated into London Transport in 1933 at which point it became known as the District Line. To this day, Upminster serves as the sole eastern terminus of the District Line. It is also a National Rail station, and a potential money saver for those wishing to head to Southend as the tickets are cheaper than from Fenchurch Street or Liverpool Street. (top tip for you there!)

London Overground operates an isolated line that serves as a shuttle between Romford and Upminster. There are only three stops: the aforementioned termini and Emerson Park.

Historically, Upminster was located within the county of Essex up until 1965 with the formation of the ceremonial county of Greater London. Concurrently, the London Borough of Havering was created, within which Upminster is situated. The boundary of Greater London is defined by the Metropolitan Green Belt, which would place Upminster as the most easterly town in London, but for a quirk - namely that the Green Belt strays outside of the M25 in one instance, making the town of North Ockendon the most easterly Greater London town.

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Filmed: 28th June 2022

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/hhoyAij9Xsz7iCTV8

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Corbets Tey Road
5:22 St Mary's Lane
11:00 Church of St Laurence
11:33 Church of St Laurence (grounds)
12:18 Corbets Tey Road
12:49 St Mary's Lane
13:24 Station Road
14:42 Trinity United Reformed Church
14:51 Station Road

Видео Upminster Walk: Town Centre【4K】 канала 4K Explorer