'Tendring' is a
local government district in North East
Essex,
England. It extends from the
River Stour in the north, to the coast and the
River Colne in the south, with the coast to the East and the town of
Colchester to the west. Its council is based in
Clacton-on-Sea. Places in the district include
Frinton-on-Sea,
Walton-on-the-Naze,
Brightlingsea and
Harwich.
Sometimes referred to as the "Tendring Peninsula", the district was formed on
April 1,
1974 as a merger of the borough of Harwich, with Brightlingsea, Clacton and
Frinton and Walton urban districts, and
Tendring Rural District. The name Tendring comes from the ancient Tendring
Hundred which is named after the small
Tendring village at the centre of the area. The Tendring
Poor Law Union covered the same area as the present district.
During the
English civil war, the witch-finder general,
Matthew Hopkins carried out many trials throughout this and the surrounding area especially in the towns of
Manningtree and
Mistley on the River Stour.
Etymology
There are these theories about the origin of its name:-
★ From
Anglo-Saxon ''tynder'' = "
tinder": "place where tinder or
fuel is gathered."
★ From the
German placename
Tündern in
Lower Saxony (old spelling ''Tundiriun'') plus Anglo-Saxon ''-ing'' or ''-ingas'': "people who
came across the sea from Tündern".
Topology
The highest part of the district is a low (35 metres) ridge running west to east only 3 km south of the River Stour. The greater part of the district is undulating land sloping very gently to the south which is traversed by a number of streams.
Parishes
The district is divided into the following
parishes. "From" indicates older parishes which have now been merged.
★
Alresford,
Ardleigh
★
Beaumont-cum-Moze,
Great Bentley,
Little Bentley,
Bradfield,
Brightlingsea,
Great Bromley,
Little Bromley
★
Clacton-on-Sea (town council from Great Clacton and Little Holland),
Little Clacton
★
Elmstead
★
Frating,
Frinton and Walton (from
Frinton, Great Holland,
Kirby-le-Soken and
Walton-on-the-Naze)
★
Harwich (from
Dovercourt and St Nicholas)
★
Lawford
★
Manningtree,
Mistley
★
Great Oakley,
Little Oakley
★
Ramsey and
Parkeston
★
St Osyth
★
Tendring,
Thorpe-le-Soken,
Thorrington
★
Weeley,
Wix,
Wrabness
Soken
In the extreme east of the district is an area formerly known as the 'Soken' which was granted special privileges in
Saxon times. It is remembered in the place names Kirby-le-Soken, Thorpe-le-Soken and Walton-le-Soken (an older name for Walton-on-the-Naze).
External links
★
Entry in Kelly's Directory of Essex, 1894
★ The local water supply company preserves the old name:
Tendring Hundred Water Services Ltd
★
Review of ward boundaries by the
Boundary Committee with maps
★
History notes on the Sokens
★
Unofficial Frinton website