Wat Tyler Country Park is named after the most well known leader of the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381. The Revolt was begun by the men of Fobbing, just a stone’s throw away from the Park itself.

The people were tired of having no rights and being forced to pay high taxes. On Thursday 30th May the men of Fobbing, Corringham and Stanford attacked JPs in session at Brentwood. They were led by Thomas Baker of Fobbing. Similar events occurred in Kent.

The Kent rebels led by Wat Tyler and the Essex rebels led by John Ball and Jack Straw rose 100,000 strong to invade London. Their demand of the king was “We will be free forever, our heirs and our lands.” Richard II agreed but then in a face to face meeting, the king had Wat Tyler stabbed through the throat and he died.

The peasants’ final stand was the Battle of Billericay on 28 June, 1381. Some five hundred peasants fled to Norsey Wood where they were slaughtered by royal troops.

Early settlement

As early as 3500BC people lived and worked on the land here. For centuries the Essex coast has had a thriving economy based on grazing, salt production, fishing and shellfish. Evidence of salt production can be traced back to the Bronze Age (2500 – 800BC).

The Bronze Age peoples were also the first to use the open saltmarsh to graze their animals. Grazing carried on for hundreds of years. This means that the area was never ploughed and much archaeological evidence remains undisturbed below the marshes.

Between the mid Roman and Norman period there was a time of intensive settlement around the marshes as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds and place names. The area within the Park around Pitsea Creek was principally used for sheep grazing. The land forming the Park today was originally part of the Pitsea Hall estate.