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Wickford has a history going back over two thousand years. There is evidence that the area itself was inhabited in prehistoric times probably by a tribe of Britons called Trinovantes. There was a Roman military marching camp on the Beauchamps Farm site, which was succeeded by a Roman villa. This is now the site of Beauchamps High School. This area on higher ground was the historic core of Wickford, the site of the manor house and the parish church of St Catherine's. Over time the commercial centre of Wickford has migrated westwards, towards the modern High Street on the other side of the River Crouch.
The place-name Wickford is first attested in a Saxon charter of 995, where it appears as Wicford. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wincfort. The name means 'ford by a wych elm or ford by a dairy-farm'.
Before the 20th century Wickford was an agricultural village. At the time of the Domesday Survey, six land-holders were recorded. Historically there have been only two considerable estates in Wickford, the manor of Wickford Hall and the manor of Stilemans. Robert Wikeford or de Wickford (1330-90), Archbishop of Dublin, was born in Wickford, and his family are thought to have been Lords of the Manor of Wickford Hall.
The Wick Country Park comprises 50 acres (20 ha) of former agricultural land, with over 2 km of easy access trails around the site. The trails leads visitors past old hedgerows, the 5-acre (2.0 ha) lake, ponds, World War II pillboxes and recent woodland plantings, with bridges and boardwalks that allow the trails to continue over the North Benfleet brook.
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