Shenfield is a commuter suburb of Brentwood, in the borough of Brentwood, Essex, England. In 2020, the suburb was estimated to have a population of 5,396. History The old village (now town), by the church and Green Dragon pub, lies along the original Roman road (now the A1023) which linked London and Colchester. Nathaniel Ward, a Puritan clergyman and author, was made minister of the Shenfield church in 1648 and held that office until his death in 1652. In 1870–72, John Marius Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Shenfield like this: On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished and merged with Brentwood, part also went to Mountnessing. Geography Shenfield, with Hutton, is part of the conurbation of Brentwood. The original town centre is located north-east of the centre of Brentwood. Apart from some small industrial areas and a modest but busy shopping area, Shenfield serves predominantly as a dormitory town for commuters to London and surrounding towns such as Romford and Basildon. This is facilitated by easy access to the A12 and the M25 and rail services. The parish church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin and St Mary's primary school is located nearby. The town of Hutton, to the east of Shenfield, is now largely part of the built-up area. Sport and leisure The town is host to the Shenfield Cricket Club, founded in 1921 and situated on the Courage Playing Fields. The land was granted by the Courage brewing family for use by the cricket club. The club's badge is a cockerel, which echoes both the trade mark of the Courage brand and the weathervane on St Mary's church. The Courage Playing Fields also contain a children's playing area.There are additional playing fields on Alexander Lane, next to Shenfield High School. Transport Railway Shenfield railway station is situated on the following lines: Great Eastern Main Line - providing direct services to London Liverpool Street, Chelmsford, Braintree, Colchester, Clacton and Ipswich. Services are operated by Abellio Greater Anglia. Shenfield to Southend Line - services operate between Liverpool Street, Billericay, Wickford, Southend Airport and Southend Victoria. The Crouch Valley Line to Southminster can be accessed easily by changing at Wickford. Services are also operated by Abellio Greater Anglia. Elizabeth Line - Shenfield is the eastern terminus for the stopping service to Liverpool Street, via Brentwood, Romford and Stratford. Trains run with off-peak frequencies of 6 trains