Basildon (England)

Basildon ( BAZ-il-dən) is a town in Essex, England. It lies 27 miles (43 km) east of Central London, 11 miles (18 km) south of Chelmsford, and 10 miles (16 km) west of Southend-on-Sea. It gives its name to the wider Borough of Basildon which also includes the towns of Billericay and Wickford and surrounding rural areas. Basildon was a small village until the mid-20th century. In 1949 Basildon was designated a new town to accommodate London overspill, with the designated area for the new town also covering the existing villages of Pitsea, Laindon, and Vange, along with smaller hamlets. The town was then developed with new residential and industrial areas, and a new town centre. At the 2021 census the Basildon built up area had a population of 115,955. The town is served by three railway stations on the London, Tilbury and Southend line, being Laindon, Basildon, and Pitsea. The main part of the town lies between the A127 road to the north and the A13 road to the south, both of which are dual carriageways linking London to Southend.