Wivenhoe
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Wivenhoe is a small town in the English county of Essex. It lies on the outskirts of the town of Colchester and is popular with students from the University of Essex owing to the many pubs located there. It is connected by a seasonal ferry service across the River Colne to Fingringhoe and Rowhedge. As of 2003, the town had a population of 9,000. The town's history centres around fishing, ships, and smuggling.
Wivenhoe is a Saxon name meaning Wifa's (Wiven) Ridge (hoe). Wifa was a person or tribe the town's area belonged to before the Norman Conquest. Also dating to time of the Saxons is the site of the town's first church: St. Mary-the-Virgin.
Famous Citizens
Wivenhoe is the home of the poet Martin Newell [1] (http://www.btinternet.com/~paul.wilkinson46/faq.html) and was home to BAFTA-nominated actress Joan Hickson who played Miss Marple in the BBC adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels.
Actor-manager Sir John Martin-Harvey was born in the village in 1863 and is commemorated by a blue plaque on Quay House, one of his childhood homes. He was the son of yacht-designer John Harvey and grandson of Thomas Harvey, builder of the yacht Volante which competed in the first America's Cup in 1851.
During the first half of the nineteenth century, Wivenhoe Hall was the home of William Brummell, brother of the more famous Beau Brummell.
Wivenhoe Park, now part of the University of Essex was the home for several centuries of the Rebow family, descendants of Flemish clothweavers from Colchester.
External links
- The Wivenhoe Encyclopedia (http://www.wivenhoe.gov.uk/) - maintained by Cllr. Peter Hill, Paul Alden, and Wivenhoe Town Council
- Homepage for Wivenhoe Town Council (http://www.wivenhoe.gov.uk/WTC/WTC_home.htm)
- Article on Wivenhoe (http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/essex/local_interest/towns__villages/wivenhoe.html) from the "Towns & Villages" section of the "This is Essex" website