A Brief History of Billet Road or Billet Lane as it was once known.
The area, Little Heath, came under the Medieval Barking Abbey before the Reformation. Barking Abbey was founded in 666, the land having been provided by the East Saxon royal family to Saint Erkenwald, who founded the monastry at Barking for his sister Saint Ethelburga.
Saint Ethelburga is said to have been a strong woman with all the virtues of leadership and commitment to social action.
Around the same time Bishop Cedd's two minister churches at Bradwell and Tilbury were converting East Saxons to Christianty.
Hainault House (Hainault Hall, Henhault House)
The Medieval Hainault Hall was a manor owned by Barking Abbey and shown on Chapman and Andre's 1777 map. Although that may have been a later building, either way it was demolished by 1863. It was considered to have been of high status.
But where was the Medieval manor?
Medieval structural deposits, ploughsoil, beam slot and post holes were found at Rose Lane.
Superimposing the 1777 map over the current google map gives a clearer idea, although a little messy and not quite lined up.
Depending on the accuracy of the 1777 map Henhault House (Hainault House) was partially on Willow Farm and Little Heath School.
St Chad's Well (Medicinal Well)
A short distance from the original Hainault House /Hall there's a plaque and pier set into the hedgerow.
The plaque reads: “The site of St Chad’s Well from which the name Chadwell Heath is derived. This tablet was placed here by the Ilford Borough Council on behalf of the citizens of Ilford to commemorate the Festival of Britain 1951.”
Council minutes in 1951 show proposals for the restoration of St Chad's Well and the erection of a brick pier with plaque as part of the Festival of Britain and Silver Jubilee of the incorporation of Ilford Borough. In the event the Well was not restored but the brick pier and plaque were erected.
A dedication ceremony was held, a Brass Processional Cross was carried by Ron Jeffries at the head of the choir from St Peter’s Church, Aldborough Hatch to Billet Road where the choir and residents sang hymns. The Bishop of Chelmsford and Revd Lawrence Pickles mounted a flatbed vehicle to conduct a short service of dedication.
A dedication ceremony was held, a Brass Processional Cross was carried by Ron Jeffries at the head of the choir from St Peter’s Church, Aldborough Hatch to Billet Road where the choir and residents sang hymns. The Bishop of Chelmsford and Revd Lawrence Pickles mounted a flatbed vehicle to conduct a short service of dedication.
The Well, as it stood in 1901 and 1910 was damaged during road widening sometime later and removed.
Although the photos show that it had already been repaired a couple of times. There's no information available to suggest that this is how the original well looked.
The GLHER attributes a possible Post Medieval date for the medicinal Well with probably 18th century brickwork dome.
The well head is located at Willow Farm where a slow flowing stream emerges which must form the source point and matches GLHER record that the spring lays c45m from the well.
In Mar 1902 Essex Guardian
promoted ‘Ilford Past and Present’ by Geo E Tasker, who talks of Cedde
/ Cadda Bishop of London at the time capital of the East Saxons. Cedde preached
in Essex and built a church at Chadwell St Mary. Cedde’s brother Chad a
missionary and Bishop of the Mercians, canonised and became patron saint of
wells and medicinal springs.
Tasker relates that there is a reputed medicinal
well in Billett Lane, near Little Heath, resorted to by persons with weak
eyesight. He suggests that it may have
existed at the time of Cedde and Chad and that wells were used by missionaries
to baptise converts, stating that the wells frequently took the name of the
holy man, stating it is said that Cedde held a baptism at the spot and because
of the healing qualities of the water and in memory of his brother Chad it
became known to future generations as St Chad’s Well. Others have argued that
this as a myth.
Christy and Thresh's 'Mineral Waters and Medicinal Springs of Essex' sampled the well and noted that the water is unusual in character, as the magnesium salt present is the chloride and not the sulphate and that it contains a larger proportion of magnesium, suggesting it is the result of manured soil.
Curiously Magnesium is important for maintaining eyes, particular cornea, lens and retina as well as heart, blood pressure and strong bones.
Tasker says that the well has never been known to fail and there is constant run off of the surplus and that the well also goes by the name of 'brick well' Bricken well and Wooden Well.
According to legend St Chad liked to stand in a spring of pure water and pray. Leading to him becoming the Patron Saint of Medicinal Wells and Springs.
Springs have historically been a place of ritual with customs of leaving gifts, throwing a penny in a well or fountain, visiting a Wishing Well. Romans considered water an important aspect of their religious practices and even after they left the wells were not abandoned neither did the belief in their healing powers.
We may never know whether St Chad or one of his misionaries visited the well in Billet Road or even if Saint Ethelburga did. Perhaps it was the Romans whose presence in Billet Road and surrounding areas began the belief in the medicinal well at Billet Road. And of course there's the argument that Chadwell came from Chaldewelle or Caldewelle meaning 'cold spring'. Presumably there had to be a Cold Spring somewhere nearby!
Ultimately, the plaque at St Chad's Well is correct, in 1895 the new parish of 'Chadwell Heath' was formed from part of Dagenham and part of Great Ilford and assigned to St Chad's, Chadwell Heath as announced in Essex Newsman on 31st August 1895.
The Romans in Billet Road
Marks Gate is known for prehistoric and Roman activity along with historic settlement dating from the Medieval period. The most recent find being Medieval pottery found at the Padnall Lake development.
Just off of Billet Road at Kingston Hill Avenue a Roman coffin was found in 1936 along with pottery dated to the 4th century. This has been interpreted as being part of a Roman cemetery. The coffin measured 2.22m x 0.66m, the lid was broken by mechanical grab.
The ditches along Billet Road were found to contain Roman pottery in large quantities suggesting a kiln nearby.
Sources
London Borough of Redbridge Archaeological Priority Areas Appraisals July 2016.
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Archaeology Padnall Lake 2022
Chapman & Andre’s 1777 map of Essex
Christy & Thresh 1910, History of Waters and Medicinal Springs of Essex pp235-7 Essex N Vol 15
Tasker – Ilford Past and Present 1901
Old Maps .co.uk no longer available
Sacred Waters: Holy Wells and water lore in Britain Janet Bord 1985.
Aldborough Hatch The Village in the Suburbs A History, Ron Jeffries
London Borough of Redbridge Archaeological Priority Areas Appraisals July 2016.
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Archaeology Padnall Lake 2022
Chapman & Andre’s 1777 map of Essex
Christy & Thresh 1910, History of Waters and Medicinal Springs of Essex pp235-7 Essex N Vol 15
Tasker – Ilford Past and Present 1901
Old Maps .co.uk no longer available
Sacred Waters: Holy Wells and water lore in Britain Janet Bord 1985.
Aldborough Hatch The Village in the Suburbs A History, Ron Jeffries