Wimbish
| Wimbish,Essex
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Contents |
Locations
The Wimbish area includes military facilities at the following locations:
- Wimbish
and the main married quarter areas are:
- Wimbish - a handful of houses on camp, the majority of housing is off camp, but located directly next to the Barracks.
- Wethersfield - about a 30 minute drive through country roads from the main camp. Housing here is on a Ministry of Defence Police camp.
Area Overview
Wimbish is a small rural village in North Essex and is home to 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD). The offices of the Unit Welfare Officer, Community Development Worker, Defence Estates (DE), the Army Learning Centre and the HIVE are all situated around the 'Village Square'. Here you can also find the Carver Barracks Childcare Centre (called Busy Bees), the Village Hall and the Spar/post office where there is coffee and snack facilities.
Children and Education
Youth Clubs and Mums & Tots are available in the Village Hall, as is a weekly children's dance/drama club.
Primary schools in the area are Wimbish Primary School and Debden Primary School.
Secondary schools in the area are Newport Free Grammar School.
Most children travel to school on school buses which leave from, and return to, the Village Square.
Transport and Travel
Buses
Buses are a bit of an urban legend in Wimbish. There is a bus stop outside camp, but sightings of buses are few and far between. Buses do not run regularly and are not reliable.
Trains
The nearest train stations to Wimbish are Newport (Essex), and Wendons Ambo (also called Audley End). They are both approximately a 15 minute drive away from Wimbish.
Walking
There are no pavements in Wimbish (except for on camp and on the patch), and fast country roads. It is not safe to walk along these roads. Wimbish is around 5 miles from the nearest town, and it is not possible to walk there.
Taxi's/Driving
The main way to get around in the area is by driving. If you have a license and a car, that makes things alot easier, but if you don't there are plenty of taxi firms available.
Pets
The nearest vets to Wimbish is called Mercer and Hughes and is located in Saffron Walden.
Medical and Dental
Dentist
The nearest dentist to Wimbish is The Dental Surgery in Saffron Walden. Located on London Road. This is approximately 5 miles from the camp.
Doctors
The nearest Doctors surgery to Wimbish is The Surgery in Thaxted. Located on Margaret Road. This is approximately 4 miles from the camp.
Hospital
The nearest A and E is Addenbrookes in Cambridge. This is also where the majority of women give birth (the maternity department there is called the Rosie). If you are pregnant and living here you also have the choice of giving birth at Princess Alexandra in Harlow.
Sports and Leisure
There are excellent sport facilities provided for the unit, these include the gymnasium, which has a basketball, and badminton court and 2 squash courts. You will also find a climbing wall and assault course within camp and everyone has access to the airfield where you can run, walk your dogs, cycle, and also play football and rugby on two well-maintained pitches. The community has accessibility to a mobile library and there is a barber shop within the barracks.
Wives PT takes place every Tuesday and Thursday evening in the gym, from 7-8pm. This is run by a PTI.
Shopping and Tourism
Wimbish
There is a small Spar shop in the Village Square, which sells all the essentials, and also has a cash machine. There is a Post Office inside, which is open from 9.30am to 1pm Monday-Friday. When this is closed the nearest Post Office is in Saffron Walden.
Saffron Walden
This is the nearest town to Wimbish. It is an old market town, and does not have many big name stores.
There is a Waitrose (a Tesco's is located just out of town), a Boots, Superdrug, very small New Look, Monsoon, WHSmiths, Millets, Laura Ashley. The majority of other shops are one off shops. There are two butchers and a bakers which are all highly recommended.
There is a market in the market square every Tuesday and Saturday.
Saffron Walden is not somewhere to go if you want to go on a big shopping spree, but it is a lovely town to have a wander around, and there are some lovely cafes.
Cambridge
Most people go to Cambridge if they want to go on a big shop. Cambridge is about 30 minutes away in the car. There are many more shops here, and it's a lovely place to spend the day.
Lakeside
Lakeside is around an hours drive away. This is a big shopping centre, with everything you need in one place. There are occassionally wives shopping trips arranged where Welfare organise a coach to take the wives here for the day. This normally happens nearer to Christmas.
Jobs and Recruitment Agencies
References
Army Families Federation Co-ordinator for Cambridgeshire - Tel: 0790 962 8738 - Email
