Fingringhoe

Fingringhoe is a village and civil parish in the City of Colchester district of Essex, England. The centre of the village is classified as a conservation area, featuring a traditional village pond and red telephone box. The Roman River flows nearby before entering the River Colne. The name means "hill-spur of the Fingringas", a tribal name denoting the "people who dwell on the finger of land". It has frequently appeared on lists of unusual place-names. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 764.

Geography

Fingringhoe Wick

Fingringhoe is locally known for its salt marshes, which provide habitats for many birds and salt-water animals. These form part of the Fingringhoe Wick Nature Reserve managed by Essex Wildlife Trust.

History

Roman port

During the 1st Century AD Fingringhoe was home to a river port which serviced the nearby provincial capital of Roman Britain at Camulodunum. Given the lack of a known road between Fingringhoe and Colchester, it is likely that seagoing vessels stopped in Fingringhoe, where their cargo was transferred to smaller riverboats.

Middle Ages

A manor located at Fingringhoe was donated by Henry I of England to the Norman abbey of Saint-Ouen at Rouen.

Monuments

St Andrew's Church

A prominent feature in the centre of the village, the north wall of St Andrew's Church dates back to the 12th century.