On the far western side of Brentwood, nestled next to the adjacent Romford and beneath South Weald, sits Brentwood West. Brentwood West has the largest population of the Brentwood wards at around 7,600 inhabitants. Much of Brentwood West is similar to the general locale of Brentwood, and benefits from its ideal combination of idyllic countryside and metropolitan connectivity, being serviced by the Elizabeth line to Paddington and National Rail routes. Being split by the ancient Roman Great Road from London to Colchester, this area’s historic roots and idyllic charm are well-known throughout Essex and beyond. From the Brentwood high street to the pastures of St. Faith’s country park, the area is varied and historic.

Brentwood’s origin dates from the Roman Great Road which cuts across the middle of Brentwood, altough there is nothing to suggest that the Romans settled there. The name, Brentwood, is assumed to have come from Anglo-Saxon Middle English. ‘Brent’ is the Middle English for ‘Burnt’, and is asssumed to relate to the practice of charcoal burning - common for the period and region - or the clearing of woodland to make way for the town itself. However, it did not start flourishing properly until the signing of Henry III’s 1227 royal charter which allowed the market to operate. Since then, Brentwood has maintained this market identity, and its local commerce and independent shops are the heart of Brentwood’s character.

Although we have some evidence, a lot of Brentwood’s history is fairly obscure and heavily debated. Interestingly enough though, an axe dated to the Bronze Age was uncovered in Weald Park!

Brentwood is currently in the process of a massive regeneration, involving a huge amount of resources and facilities being directed towards the improvement of residential and retail sites within the wider Brentwood borough. However, due to the historic nature of Brentwood, there is signficiant barriers to development, including the protection of greenspace and the protection of existing dwellings. That being said, the Adopted Local Plan aims to produce a huge amount of housing across a luxury to affordable scale, including a 3,700 home garden village plan in Denton Hills, to the south-east of Brentwood West!