Brentwood (England)

Brentwood is a large town, near Chelmsford in Essex.

By car
Brentwood is accessible by car via the A12.

By train
Both stations are served by the Elizabeth line (Crossrail) from Reading, which also goes to Abbey Wood and Heathrow Airport. Brentwood is in TfL fare zone 9 and can be reached via an Oyster or Travelcard, however, Shenfield requires a train ticket.



Get around
You can easily get to Brentwood's high street by foot or by one of the taxis always waiting at the station.

High Street
The High Street retains a few buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries but unlike in nearby Chipping Ongar and Billericay, these are spaced too widely apart to appeal to the casual visitor. Many of the High Street's older buildings are obscured by later frontages, notably the former White Hart Inn, which boasts a galleried 16th-century courtyard behind its neo-Georgian facade. The building now houses a nightclub and is only accessible to customers.

All but one of Brentwood High Street's traditional pubs have given way to chain eateries and drinking has shifted from the eastern to the western end of the road, where large theme pubs have taken over former retail spaces.

The exception is The Swan, an ancient inn rebuilt in the early 20th century. William Hunter a Protestant martyr, was burnt at the stake in Brentwood in 1555 at the age of 19 after being caught reading the bible in the chapel. Hunter, who had refused to accept the Catholic dogma of transubstantiation, is said to have spent the night before his execution at The Swan. A memorial to Hunter stands just beyond the eastern end of the High Street in Shenfield Road.

Behind the monument, a group of three old houses dating from the 15th-18th centuries faces a pleasant grassy area but the view is ruined by an ugly metal fence erected by Brentwood School to block public access.

The former grammar school, now independent, was founded in 1557 by the local justice Antony Browne, who had prosecuted Hunter. Its main buildings are on Ingrave Road around the corner, including the original 16th-century schoolroom and the red-brick, Edwardian Main School.

Continuing along Ingrave Road, Brentwood's Catholic Cathedral is on the western side. Designed by Quinlan Terry and completed in 1991, it was the first cathedral in England built in the classical manner since St Paul's in London.

Past the cathedral, on the corner of Queen's Road, is an elegant 19th-century villa, a rarity in the area, which may soon disappear as part of Brentwood Council's plans to redevelop its nearby headquarters.

Down Queen's Road, opposite the Spread Eagle pub is the entrance to a churchyard which leads back to the High Street via St Thomas Road, past the 19th-century St Thomas Church (rarely open outside of services).

The town's former post office, a splendid red-brick building, is on the corner of High Street and St Thomas' road. It has been empty since post office services were transferred to WH Smith in the Bay Tree Centre and its future is uncertain.

Brentwood has made some superficial gestures of preserving its heritage, but an expensive repaving scheme and the installation of generic cast iron street furniture were more than offset by the demolition of a 19th-century pub as part of a road-widening scheme and the destruction of a row of medieval houses in the former market area in Hart Street to the west. These have been replaced by pastiche townhouses of varying sentimental, anachronistic design and height, complete with a self-styled landmark clock tower. Thankfully the 18th-century Gardener's Arms pub was spared.

Where Hart Street meets King's Road at the end of the High Street, the visitor in search of further sights can admire a piece of municipal artwork commemorating the millennium.

On a clear day, from this end of the High Street, the visitor can look due west and admire a by-now-enticing view of the tall buildings in the City of London.

TOWIE
There are tours available of the locations of the popular television show The Only Way is Essex.

Do
For those who enjoy clubbing, the Eclipse club/pub is an option. If you're looking for somewhere actually designed for young people the Hermit Club showcases (mostly) local bands on Wednesdays and Fridays from 7ish until late and although prices vary it is unlikely that you'll spend more than £5 getting in.



Buy
Brentwood has the usual array of British chain shops, including Argos, Marks & Spencer, Robert Dyas, mobile phone brands and a rather feeble Waterstones. As in most towns of its size, trade is dominated by and dependent on a single major supermarket, here Sainsbury's, which occupies the site of the town's former Thermos Flask factory and open-air swimming pool. Locals now work and swim elsewhere.

The future of many of the shops appears to be uncertain. Shops have fallen victim to the financial downturn or the draw of nearby Lakeside Shopping Centre or the expensive parking, depending on one's point of view.

On the bright side, for the wealthier shopper, Curry's has been replaced by an expensive cookware shop and Sainsbury's offers free parking for people who spend money at Sainsbury's. One useful insider tip: all of Brentwood's pubs operate a similar scheme, offering free drinks and parking in exchange for pounds sterling.



Drink
People come from miles around to drink in Brentwood, for some this is a good reason to avoid the place. The High Street and surrounding roads are chock full of bars and pubs, ranging from the quiet cosy "local" pubs to the C-list celebrity-packed and extremely loud Sugar Hut Village although be wary, they don't just serve drinks there.

The days are long gone of squaddies brawling with teddy boys in the High Street after the long crawl through patriotically-named, military pubs from the barracks at Warley. Nowadays, young male and female civilians brawl outside the Sugar Hut with firefighters.



Almost all of the once wonderful pubs on the outskirts of Brentwood have been ruined, but at least have a nice setting for a drink outside on a sunny day.

Connect
As of Feb 2023, Brentwood and its approach roads have 4G from O2, Three and Vodafone, and 5G from EE.