South Ockendon
South Ockendon is a village in the Thurrock Borough and a unitary district in the East of England. South Ockendon has been a village since before the Norman invasion and it is mentioned in the Doomsday book as Wokenduna, supposedly named after a Saxon chief, Woken, whose tribe lived on a hill. Until the late 1940’s the village centred on a village green with its Norman church facing “The Royal Oak” a 17th century tavern. North, South and West Roads all converge on the green.
The Ockendon School based in Belhus and formerly known as Lennard’s Secondary Modern School, run in conjunction with the now closed Culverhouse School, has recently been cited for its GCSE results and its Environmental Team. The latest OFSTED inspection in 2008 described it as ‘outstanding’ in the top 5% in the country. The school claims that its amazing achievements being recognised is due to the hard work and dedication of all community partners, including students, parents, staff and our wider community. Recently Miss Barbara King, Head Teacher, won the award for the best head teacher in the South East of England.
South Ockendon has good transport links, which include Junction 30 M25, A13, A127 and Ockendon Station C2C Fenchurch Street Line. Local shopping facilities are available at Lakeside and Bluewater Shopping Centres.
Ockendon itself has a local market, which is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and there are a number of small parades of shops based across the town of Ockendon.