Abridge

[uh-brij]

Abridge is a small town in Essex, England. It is on the River Roding, 26 km (16 miles) southwest of the county town of Chelmsford. The town is in the district of Epping Forest and in the parliamentary constituency of Brentwood & Ongar. It is part of the civil parish of Lambourne and is served by Lambourne Parish Council.

It takes its name from the brick bridge over the River Roding, which is situated just to the north of the modern centre, on the road to Theydon Bois.

History

Abridge lies on the historically important coaching route between London and Chipping Ongar and has been an important crossing point of the River Roding for many centuries. The boundary of the Conservation Area includes the historic core of the village which is evident on the Chapman and Andre Map of 1777.

Listed buildings include the Blue Boar Inn (early 19th century), the group of medieval buildings that form the Roding Restaurant, the 18th century house immediately north east of the restaurant, Roding House (late medieval) and River Cottage in Ongar Road, and The Maltsters Arms (18th century).

Geography

The town is in the southwest of the county, 26 km (16 miles) from Chelmsford. It is closer to London, being 23 km (14 miles) northwest of central London. It lies on the River Roding and is surrounded by a rural area. The nearest major settlements are Loughton 3.6 km (2.2 miles) to the West, Chigwell 3.9 km (2.4 miles) to the southwest and Theydon Bois 2.7 km (1.7 miles) northeast of the town.

It lies within the M25 orbital, but its closest major road link is the M11 motorway at junction 5 (towards London only). The main road that links the town with the M11 and Essex and London is the A113. Its nearest rail link is Theydon Bois tube station, on the Central Line (Travelcard Zone 6), 2.5 km (1.6 miles) to the northeast of the town. The 541 bus links the village with Loughton, Theydon Bois and Epping. It extends to Harlow on Sundays.

Transport

Bus

Originally there were two routes serving the village of Abridge, routes 10 (Loughton to Abridge) and 500 (Old Harlow to Romford), but these were amalgamated into route 541. Route 10 was withdrawn for this, with the 500 being re-routed via Ongar (the route was eventually withdrawn between Ongar and Romford)

Route Number	Route	Operational Details
541	Loughton to Epping Hospital (Mon-Sat)/Harlow (Sundays)	Mon-Sat hourly, Sunday 2 hourly

Train

There is no train service from Abridge, though at one time a branch from Debden was proposed. The nearest underground stations are Loughton, Debden and Theydon Bois where frequent trains operate directly to London. Route 541 (Loughton to Epping) serves all these stations daily.