Essex Industry Past and Present...

Essex has always been an agricultural county, with superb corn-growing countryside - used in local milling, malting and brewing industries. The county is also the jam (soft fruit) capital of Britain, with Wilkin and Sons´ based in Tiptree. Saffron Walden gets part of its name from the crocus once grown in the area (used for dyeing, medicine and flavouring).

The coastline has also bought great wealth, with important trading, fishing and shipbuilding centres. Many goods carried on the Thames Sailing Barges.

In the Middle Ages, Colchester owed its prosperity to the cloth trade, helped later in the 16th C. by Flemish refugees. Braintree and Halstead (former wool towns), later became famous centres for silk-weaving.

Famous names: Britvic, Ford Motor Company, Marconi and Ridley´s and many more...