Walking the Essex way

I Have lived in Silver for 30 years! We moved into on of the famous flat roof houses.
Silver end was built by metal window manufacturer Francis Crittall as a site for a factory and housing for his workers .
The workforce was from the surrounding area but also from Wales, Scotland,the Midland and the North. Many villagers had been unemployed or striking miners, he was a man with a vision!
The village was to be a total environment with its own water and power supplies, allotments and farms piggeries,dairy and slaughter house, a self sufficient village!
 There was to a 26 department stores, village hall, hotel, a light engineering works for disabled war veterans, as well as full sports and social facilities. All residents were expected to live work and play in the village.
500 houses were built in five years, and to ensure their modernity and efficiency, these were award winning and were designed by different architects to avoid regimentation.
Francis Crittall employed men like Thomas Tait and by so doing the arrival of the Modern movement to Britain. The resulting avenues of white painted flat roofed houses for which it become the trademark of Silver End.