Brentwood in 50 Buildings - Softcover

The Essex town of Brentwood grew up at a stopping place on the main route into London from Colchester, in a clearing in the forest that covered much of the region. This was also the medieval pilgrim route to Canterbury, and as such the parish church is dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury. Many inns and hostelries catered for the travellers, some of which are still standing today, and a number of large houses and Brentwood School are evidence of the town's prosperity in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In the nineteenth century Warley Hospital and Warley Barracks were built in the town. Brentwood's proximity to London saw it grow extensively in the twentieth century when the Roman Catholic cathedral and Town Hall were built, with further redevelopment in the twenty-first century. Brentwood in 50 Buildings explores the history of this fascinating town through a selection of its most interesting buildings and structures, showing the changes that have taken place in Brentwood over the years. The book will appeal to all those who live in Brentwood or who have an interest in the town.

Sylvia Kent came to live in the Brentwood area in the mid-1960s and enjoyed studying Brentwood's history, joining the Brentwood Historical Society and later the Brentwood Writers' Circle. She has worked as a freelance columnist and author for many years, illustrating her work with her own photographs. Alongside this, she worked in Westminster Palace for Hansard for both Parliamentary Chambers from 1979-2005. Her historical features and photographs have been published in many national and regional magazines and local press. She is Archivist to the Society of Women Writers & Journalists', Vice-President of Brentwood Writers' Circle & trustee at the Cater Museum, Billericay.