Doddinghurst - The Village Today

The Village Today

The village is based around a pair of main roads, Doddinghurst Road (from Brentwood to Doddinghurst) and Church Lane (forming part of an overall road circling from Kelvedon Hatch which also runs through Hook End and Wyatts Green) intersecting at the north end of the village. The village's amenities include a pair of closely linked schools (Doddinghurst Infant School and Doddinghurst CofE Junior School), All Saints Church dating back to the 13th century, the Willow pub (formerly the Moat) and a village hall. There is a scout hut (for the 1st Doddinghurst Scout Troup) located towards the back of the playing fields in the north of the village.

There is a small group of shops near the village hall and church at the north end of the village (including a newsagent, a barber, a beauty salon, a pharmacy and an off-licence), while on Church Lane there is an estate agent, a ladieswear shop and a fish bar. Half a mile away (towards the geographical centre of the village), is a Post Office.

The Village Hall is opposite All Saints Church in Church Lane. Adjoining the Village Hall are the office and committee rooms of Doddinghurst Parish Council who manage the major amenities of the Village including all the recreational and play space, the Burial Ground at the rear of All Saints Church and Allotments. Behind the Village Hall in the north end of the village there is a large playing field (with a playground forming part of it), on which the village events are held, including the Doddinghurst Donkey Derby, which is held every two years in aid of six local charitable organizations and events such as the Village Fun Day organised and funded by the Parish Council. The Village Hall playing field, and a further field behind, are also home to the Doddinghurst Olympic Football Club.

The village has a doctors' surgery located on Outings Lane with four or five doctors and several nurses. The surgery also supports the surrounding villages. The village is set amongst pleasant fields and small deciduous woods, many of which are connected by a network of gently undulating footpaths. The River Wid runs through the village, along with a number of its tributaries.

Much of the village has been built or redeveloped from 1950 onward although it remains a largely rural community with much of the area given over to arable agriculture.

On 17 September 2007 Doddinghurst Parish Council received Quality Status under the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) scheme designed to enhance the relationship between the local community and local governance. In November 2009 the Parish Council became eligible, and adopted, the Power of Well-Being which significantly improves its ability to spend money on matters benefitting either the social, or economic or environmental benefit of the community.

The village has significant areas of land for recreational use other than the playing field behind the Village Hall, including the Peartree Recreational Field (opposite the Post Office), while the junior school has a large field and woodland attached.