Aveley FC

National League South side @AveleyFC are in the third round of the Isuzu FA Trophy. This town in Thurrock sits right on the Essex/London border and boasts a fascinating badge with plenty of history.

So, let's take a closer look at @AveleyFC and #GetTheBadgeIn.

The first thing you notice is, of course, the giant seven-headed griffin. Then you spot the windmill and their nickname – The Millers. Beneath that are the familiar three blades of Essex, as seen on the county badge and also on the Southend United (@SUFCRootsHall) crest.

As I’m sure we all know by now, the Essex blades represent the three seaxes (swords) of the Kingdom of the East Saxons (e.g., Essex). Simple.

The Windmill:

Essex was renowned for its windmills during the medieval and early modern periods. It was said you couldn’t go three miles without seeing another one. Windmills were essential for grinding grain into flour, and I assume that demand from the London and European markets contributed to their high numbers in Essex. A 1768 map of South Essex records 112 windmills. You have to wonder how much medieval Jeremy Clarkson kicked up a stink about them... but I digress.

Aveley was home to one of the earliest windmills in Essex, built around 1645 by the Barrett family, who also owned the beautiful Tudor mansion at nearby Belhus. Queen Elizabeth I is said to have stayed there. Unfortunately, during World War II, soldiers billeted at the mansion caused so much damage that the family chose to have it demolished rather than repaired. Today, the site is a golf course, and the mansion's foundations can still be seen near the 10th hole.

The seven-headed griffin originates from the Barrett family coat of arms, which features a seven-headed hydra. It’s unclear why this changed to a griffin for the football crest, but it remains a striking emblem. The Barretts of Aveley were a mixed bag. Two served as MPs – one in the 1600s and another in the 1800s. Another member of the family emigrated to Western Australia in the 1800s, becoming a prominent landowner. In fact, there’s now a town called “Aveley” in the same region of Australia.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Aveley is what was discovered there in 1964. A local man stumbled across what he thought were bones. The Natural History Museum was called in, and an excavation began. What they unearthed was the most complete woolly mammoth ever found in the UK, along with the remains of a jungle cat, elephant, lion, bear, wolf, rhinoceroses, bats, and terrapins. These fossils date back 200,000–250,000 years. Legend has it that the mammoth was found wearing an Aveley FC bobble hat.

A town of prehistoric wonders, Tudor aristocrats, and famous windmills. The Millers continue to grind out results on the pitch.

They currently play at Parkside in Aveley, ground-sharing with Hashtag United.

Unity and Progress. As their badge says.