it rose. The proximity of Hastingwood to North Weald Airfield also served as a reason why housing development was required. In 1949, Hastingwood was incorporated into the North Weald Bassett parish and removed from the Harlow Hundred. Between the 1940s and 50s the 'Rainbow and Dove' was used as a dance hall but eventually this ended. The old, disused farm buildings used by 'The Rainbow and Dove' were demolished in 1954 leaving only the main farm house which is now a public house and restaurant. The M11 motorway, which runs near the west of the village, was completed in 1980. Hastingwood has seen various businesses established, St Clare's Hospice was established at the south of the village and opened by Baroness Jay of Paddington in 1990. The chapel of ease has since been converted to a dwelling. Governance Hastingwood is represented at Westminster by Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow. This is considered a marginal constituency but since 2010 has become increasingly Conservative. Locally it is a strongly Conservative area with the Conservatives winning 60% of the vote in 2015's local elections. Hastingwood is represented at the Essex County Council by the Conservative county councillor for North Weald and Nazeing, having won the 2017 election with 78.5% of the vote, followed by Labour with 12.7%. On the district council, Hastingwood is represented by one currently Independent councillor. Re-election for the position is in 2019. Hastingwood is one of the seats on the Epping Forest District Council to have only one councillor. The village is governed by a parish council. The parish council covers the North Weald Bassett parish and represents the settlements of North Weald, Thornwood, Hastingwood, Tyler's Green and Foster Street. Fifteen unelected councillors are part of the council. The council manages such things as local cemeteries, green space, recreational grounds, and allotments. Geography The highest parts of the parish are in the south and west, rising to . The land slopes downwards from this point to the main area of housing at the point in which Hastingwood Road and Mill Street split. Hastingwood is east of Harlow, north-east of Epping and north-west of Chipping Ongar. The county town of Chelmsford is approximately to the east. The Shonks Brook stream runs into the village from North Weald. It is a tributary of Cripsey Brook which flows from Ongar and through the surrounding area. The land is predominantly arable with much