The Wivenhoe Society was founded in 1966 set against the backdrop of rapid urbanisation and social change, a growing awareness of environmental and conservation issues, and demands for greater community involvement in decision making.

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The Wivenhoe Society's objectives are:

• To foster pride in Wivenhoe and its surroundings,

• To safeguard amenities, appearance and character of the area,

• To encourage appropriate development,

• To promote charitable and social activities in the area.

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In the early years the Society's energies were focused on fighting proposals to intensify the use of the timber yard on the upstream shipyard (now the Wivenhoe Quay housing development). The site dominated the Society's campaigning activities in the 1980s as Wivenhoe suffered from pollution and traffic impact of lorries generated by port operations on site. The site continues to feature large on the Society's agenda until it was finally developed for housing at the end of the 1990s, early 2000s.

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Notable early success for The Wivenhoe Society came with the preservation of the former Falcon Pub building from being demolished and the inclusion of a number of other important Wivenhoe landmarks on the national list of buildings of architectural or historic interest. The Society also was instrumental in the preservation of Wivenhoe Woods from wholesale housing development.