Rochford Old Fire Station: Horse-drawn engines and men paid in cheese

Before the Great Fire of London devastated 13,000 homes in 1666, church volunteers would be relied upon to tackle blazes in their parishes themselves.

But, as the Rochford Town Team aptly puts it, "this was fairly chaotic and inefficient".

Thankfully, the immense blaze led to England's first official "fire brigades" being formed. 

By 1865, London got its Metropolitan Brigade, and the Government gradually established what could be described as primitive fire stations across the country - including the one at North Street in Rochford.

Rochford's Old Fire Station. (Image: Julie Gooding / Facebook)

Unfortunately, the handcart fire engine kept at what is now referred to as "Ye Olde Fire Station" was no match for a blaze which destroyed the north side of Market Square in 1884.

The first "fire engine" used in the district was a cart which carried a water tank. It was pulled along by two men. Other volunteers assisted if needed, and would be paid in cheese and jugs of ale.

Later, a much-needed upgrade saw horse-drawn fire engines introduced.

A horse-drawn carriage used in Glasgow in 1901, similar to what would have been used in Rochford. (Image: Archive)

Finally, a motorised engine took over. This was a bull-nosed Morris that local traders paid £10 to have modified by retrained firemen. Its bell came from HMS Canterbury.

However, it was scrapped in 1928 when the new fire station was built.

Today, the white weather-boarded cottage which housed Rochford's first life-saving fire fighting equipment stands as a reminder of the early days of the fire service.

Just up the road, a much better-equipped station in South Street is staffed by on-call firefighters who live and work five minutes away.

With thanks to Councillor Julie Gooding and Rochford Town Team.