A little bit about us…

Rochford is a historic Market Town with its Town Centre containing many listed buildings, and the Market Square which in days gone by used to host the local livestock market.

Today, the Tuesday market continues, although not with livestock. There are many local landmarks, including The Lawn, Rochford Hall, St Andrews Church, and the “Old House” in South Street.

Southend Airport was known as RAF Rochford during the second world war, and much of the land of the airport falls within the Parish of Rochford.

Rochford was also the Chief Town of the Rochford Hundred, a sub-division of Essex. As part of an historic coaching route, Rochford has many local byways, the most well known being Ironwell Lane.

The town is the main settlement in the Rochford district, and takes its name from Rochefort, Old English for Ford of the Hunting Dogs.

The River Roach was originally called the Walfleet (Creek of the foreigners). It was renamed the Roach in what is known as a back formation.  

This is where it is assumed that Rochford means ford over the River Roach so they renamed the river to fit the theory.

The town runs into suburban developments in the parishes of Ashingdon and Hawkwell. Kings Hill, in Rochford, was notable for containing the Lawless Court up until the 19th century.