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Basildon Borough Heritage Society
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Basildon Borough Through the Ages
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The Basildon Borough
Basildon is a borough comprising of Billericay and Wickford and associated parishes located in Essex, England. Basildon demonstrates a rich history that spans from prehistoric times to its growth as a modern urban centre.
Prehistoric and Roman Periods
The area surrounding Basildon has evidence of human settlement dating back to prehistoric times. Archaeological finds, including flint tools, suggest that the land was used by early hunter-gatherers. During the Roman period, Basildon, like much of Essex, was part of the Roman province of Britannia. There are indications of Roman activity in the area, including roads and possible villas, although little physical evidence remains within the modern town itself.
Roman to Saxon Times
The inhabitants of the Bronze age left a lot of evidence of the settlement in this area. Besides which, the sites of the Iron age settlement have also been unearthed. Large settlements have been excavated at Billericay, Wickford, Basildon and Langdon Hills.
Basildon was occupied by the Romans for at least four centuries and during this time the inhabitants with the surrounding area became romanised. New towns were founded, roads were built and the local industries got more organised. In 412AD Britain was left to defend itself as the Romans left to defend the Gaul Empire. Saxon Raiders invades the Essex coast in the 4th century and you found that this country was overrun with the intensification of these Saxon raids with all the vestiges of the Roman civilisation being destroyed. This was the beginning of the ‘Dark Ages”.
