The village of Wendens Ambo

Whilst the first settlement in the area of Wendens Ambo probably dates from the Iron Age, the earliest significant development was probably in the 3rd century AD when the Romans built a villa nearby and developed much of the farmstead. The first written account of the village occurs in the Domesday Book which gives detail of the two villages of Wenden and their ownership and population. Wenden Magna (Great Wenden) was 834 acres with a population of 95 and Wenden Parva (Little Wenden) was 210 acres with a population of 45.

The village continued to develop and grow, particularly in the 16th century when a number of large farm houses and outbuildings were built near to the church. In the 17th century, when the two villages were amalgamated to form Wendens Ambo (which means "Both Wendens"), there was significant development of smaller properties but in the economic decline of the 18th century farming changed in the area with wheat taking over from livestock.
 

The 19th century brought new prosperity to the area with the completion of the railway in 1845 marking a growth of smaller industry as well as an influx of workers, many associated with the railway.
 

Today the village has a population of about 350 adults (ie people on the electoral roll) living in around 170 dwellings. There are perhaps a hundred or so children under voting age (18). Although statistics are not available, it appears that well over half of working villagers are employed out of the immediate area with the railway still providing an important route for commuters to London.

 

Village Record, 1995-96

The 1995-96 Village Record, including names and many pictures of people in the village, was completed in 1997 and deposited in the County Record Office at Chelmsford. A microfilm copy is kept at the County Archive branch office in Saffron Walden, and other copies or films may be available for reference more locally.

The County Record Office also holds earlier records, one compiled by the Womens Institute in about 1965 and another by the village recording the Royal Jubilee celebrations in 1977.