Cherry Orchard Brickworks Railway

The final year of activity on the Cherry Orchard Brickworks railway, North of Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK.
Brickearth is the raw material of traditional hand made bricks, and Essex had substantial deposits, especially in the south of the county.
Milton Hall bricks were made at Cherry Orchard works and at the company's other site at Star Lane, Great Wakering, five miles to the east. The works were bought by Butterley Brick in the 1980s.
Cherry Orchard Lane gave access to farms and footpaths, but was not a through route for vehicles. The need to relieve congestion on the Southend to Rochford and Hockley roads led to the building of the B1013, named Cherry Orchard Way. This runs almost parallel to the old lane, and bisects it north of the railway crossing. The road was built to accomodate the railway, with an underpass and trackbed alongside the new road to allow trains to reach the brickearth pit. However, economics dictated that Cherry Orchard works was mothballed, with production being concentrated at Star Lane; consequently the railway was never used again. The works deteriorated over a number of years and was eventually demolished. In 2019 the site remains fenced off, awaiting development as the Saxon Business Park, part of the London Southend Airport & Environs Joint Area Action Plan.
The fields to the west of the railway now form part of Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park.