Finchingfield
Encyclopedia
Finchingfield is a village situated in the Braintree
district of Essex
. It is in the north-west of the county, which is a primarily rural area. It is situated approximately six miles from Thaxted
somewhat further from the larger towns of Saffron Walden
& Braintree
.
Nearby villages include Great Bardfield
, Great Sampford
& Wethersfield
.
. Spains Hall
, the nearby Elizabethan country house, was built in the early 15th century and was the hub of the community, owning much of the village and employing most of the villagers.
with three types of inhabitants: those who have lived and worked in the area all their lives; those who have moved to the village to work locally or retire; and commuters.
The ecclesiastical parish covers Finchingfield as well as the villages of Cornish Hall End
, Shalford
& Wethersfield
.
There are many societies and clubs in the village, including The Finchingfield Society, the Horticultural Society, the Royal British Legion and Finchingfield Cricket Club.
Finchingfield is regarded as a 'picture-postcard' village and one of the most photographed in England with a duck pond and village green surrounded by Georgian and medieval cottages; a church, St John the Baptist Church, which is on the hill; an 18th century windmill; three public houses; a hall; a primary school; a Post Office; a grocery store; and a doctor's surgery.
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
district of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. It is in the north-west of the county, which is a primarily rural area. It is situated approximately six miles from Thaxted
Thaxted
Thaxted is a town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, with about 2,500 inhabitants.-History:Thaxted appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Tachesteda, Old English for "place where thatch was got." Once a centre of cutlery manufacture, Thaxted went into decline with the rise of Sheffield...
somewhat further from the larger towns of Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
& Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
.
Nearby villages include Great Bardfield
Great Bardfield
Great Bardfield is a large village in Essex, England.The Great Lodge at Bardfield is a Grade II listed building, which built in the 16th century and was given to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII as one of several properties as part of a generous settlement for an amicable divorce. The grounds include...
, Great Sampford
Great Sampford
Great Sampford is a village and civil parish on the B1053 road and the B1051 road in the Uttlesford District, in the English county of Essex. The village includes a primary school, two places of worship and a pub. It is located near the towns of Thaxted, Saffron Walden and Haverhill. It used to...
& Wethersfield
Wethersfield
Wethersfield may refer to:* RAF Wethersfield, a British Ministry of Defence training facility in Essex, England* Wethersfield, Connecticut* Wethersfield, Essex, an English village near RAF Wethersfield* Wethersfield, New York* Wethersfield, Vermont...
.
History
There has been a settlement at the site since records began; in the time of William the Conqueror it was called Phincingfelda and there is archeological evidence for a Roman villa having been situated some 400 metres south-south-west of the village church. The village was an official stop for horse-drawn coaches journeying from London to NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
. Spains Hall
Spains Hall
Spains Hall is an Elizabethan country house near Finchingfield in Essex.The hall is named after Hervey de Ispania, who held the manor at the time of the Domesday Book in 1086...
, the nearby Elizabethan country house, was built in the early 15th century and was the hub of the community, owning much of the village and employing most of the villagers.
Society and leisure
The Civil Parish of Finchingfield had a population of about 1,348 according to the United Kingdom Census 2001United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
with three types of inhabitants: those who have lived and worked in the area all their lives; those who have moved to the village to work locally or retire; and commuters.
The ecclesiastical parish covers Finchingfield as well as the villages of Cornish Hall End
Cornish Hall End
Cornish Hall End is on the B1057 road three miles north of Finchingfield and south of Steeple Bumpstead in the Braintree district of Essex, England...
, Shalford
Shalford
Shalford may refer to:Places in England*Shalford, Essex*Shalford, Somerset*Shalford, SurreyOther*HMS Shalford, a Ford class seaward defence boat of the Royal Navy...
& Wethersfield
Wethersfield
Wethersfield may refer to:* RAF Wethersfield, a British Ministry of Defence training facility in Essex, England* Wethersfield, Connecticut* Wethersfield, Essex, an English village near RAF Wethersfield* Wethersfield, New York* Wethersfield, Vermont...
.
There are many societies and clubs in the village, including The Finchingfield Society, the Horticultural Society, the Royal British Legion and Finchingfield Cricket Club.
Finchingfield is regarded as a 'picture-postcard' village and one of the most photographed in England with a duck pond and village green surrounded by Georgian and medieval cottages; a church, St John the Baptist Church, which is on the hill; an 18th century windmill; three public houses; a hall; a primary school; a Post Office; a grocery store; and a doctor's surgery.
Notable residents
- Dodie SmithDodie SmithDorothy Gladys "Dodie" Smith was an English novelist and playwright. Smith is best known for her novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Her other works include I Capture the Castle and The Starlight Barking....
, author of The Hundred and One DalmatiansThe Hundred and One DalmatiansThe Hundred and One Dalmatians, or the Great Dog Robbery is a 1956 children's novel by Dodie Smith. A sequel entitled The Starlight Barking continues from the end of the first novel....
.