Historicaleigh: Leigh Hill and the old station

February 21, 2017 by Carole Mulroney

Leigh Hill and the Old Station

The second Tuesday in May was the fair day in Leigh in olden times. Roundabouts and stalls were set up in the position where today, a level crossing over into the Old Town, by the Ship on Leigh Hill now stands. Gradually the popularity began to wane and by 1934, when a reminiscence was published in the local press, there were few who remembered the fun of the fair.

By 1934 the station had closed and the Old Town was said to be much quieter as a consequence, but other events still took place in that area. 

On a Monday at Rogationtide, a procession came down Leigh Hill from St Clement's. The choir was robed in white, followed closely by the congregation. Canon King officiated and short services were held on Bell Wharf and the Strand. Prayers were offered for the crops of the earth and the harvest of the sea and the procession wended its way through the narrow High Street returning to the church via Rectory Grove and Broadway West.

This article is by Carole Mulroney of Leigh Lives. 
To read more articles by our Historian Carole please click the link https://www.leigh-on-sea.com/blog/tag/historicaleigh.html or visit http://www.leighlives.co.uk/my-leigh-lives