Brentwood Christmas Markets: 21 Nov, 29 Nov and 6 Dec

This corner of Essex is mostly green belt with commuter towns dropped into it. Brentwood, Shenfield, Ingatestone and Hutton sit on the Liverpool Street line. Epping, Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell and Theydon Bois sit on the Central line, with Waltham Abbey and Ongar out to the sides. Between and around them all is Epping Forest, which is owned and run by the City of London Corporation rather than by any local council.

Brentwood Online covers both sets of towns. They are in different district councils, and we name the right one in every story, because it decides who collects the bins, who rules on the application behind your garden and what the car park costs. All of it is published, and we read it and write it up with the source linked.

Start here

• Brentwood planning news: where the Local Plan Review has got to, the housing numbers behind it, and the Call for Sites that closes on 31 August 2026.
• Brentwood house prices: the £530,000 borough average, what each property type costs, and how that compares with the region.
• Trains to London: journey times, fares and season ticket costs from Brentwood, Shenfield and Ingatestone, plus the last train home.
• Roadworks, parking and travel: what has changed at M25 junction 28, where to check live closures, and every council car park tariff.
• Things to do in Brentwood: country parks, the Kelvedon Hatch bunker and Ingatestone Hall, with 2026 prices checked at source.

Every fact is linked to the document it came from.