| Braintree | |
|---|---|
  Braintree Location withinEssex | |
| Population | 43,190 (Built up area, 2021)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TL7522 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BRAINTREE |
| Postcode district | CM7, CM77 |
| Dialling code | 01376 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°52′41″N0°33′00″E / 51.878°N 0.550°E /51.878; 0.550 | |
Braintree is a town inEssex, England. At the2021 census the built up area as defined by theOffice for National Statistics had a population of 43,190. It is the largest settlement in theBraintree District, which also covers an extensive surrounding area.
The town has grown contiguously with several surrounding settlements. The original settlement and parish of Braintree lay on theRiver Brain and was bounded on the north byStane Street, theRoman road fromBraughing to Colchester. North of that road was the parish ofBocking. The two parishes were united in 1934 as the parish andurban district ofBraintree and Bocking, which was subsequently abolished in 1974 when the modern Braintree District was created. Several local organisations still includeBraintree and Bocking in their names.[nb 1]
Braintree is bypassed by the modern-dayA120 andA131 roads, while trains serve two stations in the town, at the end of theBraintree Branch Line fromWitham.
The town istwinned withPierrefitte-sur-Seine,France,[2] and gives its name to the towns ofBraintree, Massachusetts andBraintree, Vermont, in the United States.[2]
Braintree is referred to asBranchetreu in theDomesday Book of 1086.[3] The name means "Branca's tree" or "Branoc's tree", from anOld English personal name and the wordtreo(w). The river-nameBrain is aback-formation from the place-name.[4][5]
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Braintree dates back over 4,000 years when it was just a small village. People in the area during the Bronze and Iron Ages built houses in the lower part of the town, near the River Brain, known as the Brain Valley. When the Romans invaded, they built two roads and the settlement grew at the junction of these roads. The town was mentioned in theDomesday Book in 1086, where it was noted as a small village consisting of 30 acres. This area was later inhabited by the Saxons, who occupied the town after the Romans left and named the Roman roadStane Street (i.e. Stone Road), a name it still bears. Most notable road names in Braintree now coincide with names of people who fought for the town, and locals living there, such as Aetheric Road (a notable Saxon nobleman who died in theBattle of Maldon in 991, and subsequently left most of the land of Braintree to theBishop of London, as well as the land of Bocking going to the Prior and monks of Canterbury), Trinovantian Way. (At one point, the townsfolk were called Trinovantes, who were around during theIron Age, and could till the light sandy soil and hunted animals in the surrounding woodland.) Other road names reflect places that have since been built on, such as Coldnailhurst Avenue (a farm at the top of the current road on Panfield Lane), Becker's Green Road (opposite a field called Becker's Green), Mark's Farm residential estate (based at the site of an old farm where a Tesco store is now situated), and Fairfield Road (directly in the centre of the present town, named after Fair Field at the same site.) The town grew in size and received a market charter in 1190.[6]
When the Romans invaded, they built tworoads; a settlement developed at the junction of these roads but was later abandoned when the Romans left Britain.[2] The town was recorded in theDomesday Book of 1086, where it was named "Branchetreu", and consisted of 30 acres (12 hectares) in possession of Richard, son of Count Gilbert.[7] Pilgrims used the town as a stopover and the size of the town increased, leading theBishop of London to obtain a market charter for the town in 1190.[2]
As early as the 14th century, Braintree was processing and manufacturing woollen cloth, a trade it was involved with until the late 19th century. The town prospered from the 17th century whenFlemish immigrants made the town famous for its wool cloth trade.[2] They took the then current manufacturing methods to a finer detail, and the main markets for the production in the Braintree area were mainly abroad, notably in Spain or Portugal. In 1665, theGreat Plague killed 865 out of the population of just 2,300 people.[2]
The wool trade died out in the early 19th century and Braintree became a centre for silk manufacturing whenGeorge Courtauld opened a silk mill in the town.[2] Others followed, includingWarner & Sons.[8] By the late 19th century, Braintree was a thriving agricultural and textile town and benefited from a railway connection to London.[2] The wealthy Courtauld family had a strong influence on the town, supporting plans for many of the town's public buildings such as thetown hall[9] and public gardens established in 1888.[2] The town's influence on the textile weaving industry is remembered today in theWarner Textile Archive and atBraintree Museum.
During theSecond World War, production of portableBailey bridges and other war equipment took place atCrittalls.[10]
Braintree lies in north Essex, about 46 miles (74 km) from London, with factories and housing to the south and rural areas to the north, wherearable crops are grown. It lies about 150 feet (45 m) above sea level.[11] Essex is rather flat on the whole, and the Braintree area is no exception; however, there is a general downward trend in the height of the ground from the northwest towards the coast to the southeast. Two rivers flow through Braintree in this direction. Pod's Brook approaches the western side of the town, forming a natural boundary between Braintree and the neighbouring village ofRayne about two miles (three kilometres) west. Pod's Brook becomes theRiver Brain as it passes under the Roman road, before running through the southern part of Braintree. The River Pant (orBlackwater) runs roughly parallel to it, through the north of Bocking and away to the east of the town. The Brain eventually flows into the Blackwater several miles away, nearWitham.[citation needed]
| Climate data forAndrewsfield Aerodrome (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.1 (44.8) | 7.6 (45.7) | 10.3 (50.5) | 13.6 (56.5) | 16.7 (62.1) | 19.8 (67.6) | 22.5 (72.5) | 22.3 (72.1) | 19.0 (66.2) | 14.6 (58.3) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.5 (45.5) | 14.3 (57.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) | 1.6 (34.9) | 3.0 (37.4) | 4.5 (40.1) | 7.3 (45.1) | 10.0 (50.0) | 12.2 (54.0) | 12.4 (54.3) | 10.4 (50.7) | 7.7 (45.9) | 4.4 (39.9) | 2.0 (35.6) | 6.5 (43.7) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 53.5 (2.11) | 40.9 (1.61) | 37.0 (1.46) | 38.6 (1.52) | 44.6 (1.76) | 51.8 (2.04) | 54.1 (2.13) | 59.2 (2.33) | 48.6 (1.91) | 63.0 (2.48) | 65.6 (2.58) | 57.2 (2.25) | 614.0 (24.17) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1 mm) | 11.6 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 7.6 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 10.6 | 11.6 | 11.4 | 114.0 |
| Source:Met Office[12] | |||||||||||||
There are two tiers of local government covering Braintree at the district and county level:Braintree District Council andEssex County Council. Since 1974, the town has not been part of acivil parish. Braintree District Council has its headquarters at Causeway House on Bocking End in the town.
Braintree's first elected council was aLocal Board of Health which was established in 1850 and covered the parish of Braintree. Prior to that the area had been governed by its parishvestry.[13] Such local boards were converted intourban district councils in 1894. In 1928 Braintree Urban District Council builtBraintree Town Hall in Market Place to serve as its headquarters.[14]
By the early 1930s the urban area of Braintree was growing beyond its historic parish boundaries, particularly into the parish of Bocking to the north. In 1931 the parish of Braintree had a population of 8,912.[15] On 1 April 1934 Braintree Urban District was substantially enlarged to take in Bocking and parts of the neighbouring parishes ofBlack Notley,Gosfield,Rayne, andStisted. The enlarged urban district and its associated parish were both renamedBraintree and Bocking at the same time, reflecting the expansion.[16] Braintree and Bocking Urban District was abolished in 1974 under theLocal Government Act 1972, merging with four other districts to becomeBraintree District. Nosuccessor parish was created for the former Braintree and Bocking Urban District.[17][18]
Braintree's museum, containing displays relating to the history of the town, is named after the local naturalistJohn Ray and has a number of relatively famous patrons, including the Essex-born artist Jennifer Walter, who was also the youngest ever female Bard of Bath. The associated Warner Textile Archive contains the second largest collection of publicly owned textiles in the UK, after theVictoria & Albert Museum.[19]
The Braintree Arts Theatre opened in 2009, on the Notley High School campus.[citation needed]
The Bocking Arts Theatre is based at The Literary and Mechanical Institute at the top of Bocking End and promotes pantomimes, drama and a range of live entertainment events. It is also used extensively for local community activities including regular NHS blood donor sessions, record and stamp/coin collectors' fairs, and charity fundraising events.[citation needed] The management of the building is now reliant on unpaid volunteers under the auspices of the Bocking Arts Theatre Charitable Trust. Built in 1863, this Grade II listed building was bequeathed to the citizens of Braintree by George Courtald and his family and celebrated its 150-year anniversary in 2013.[citation needed]
TheBraintree and Bocking Carnival takes place each June. The event starts with a procession of floats through the town centre, finishing at Meadowside. Events, including a fair and sideshows, continue throughout the afternoon at Meadowside until around 10 pm.[20][21]
Braintree Musical Society perform two shows a year, in April and October. For 61 years, these were performed at the Institute at Bocking End but, in 2012, they moved to a new venue at the Braintree Arts Theatre, part ofNotley High School.
The English electronic music bandThe Prodigy originated in Braintree and still live in the area, in nearbyHarlow.
Regional TV news is provided byBBC East andITV Anglia. Television signals are received from theSudbury TV transmitter.[22]
Braintree's local newspaper is theBraintree and Witham Times, whose office is based on High Street. TheEast Anglian Daily Times is a regional daily newspaper.
Local radio stations areBBC Essex on 103.5 FM,Heart East on 96.1 FM,Greatest Hits Radio East (formerlyDream 100 FM) on 100.2 FM andActual Radio, aDAB station.[23]
Braintree Town Football Club is known asThe Iron. They have played at the Cressing Road Stadium (off Clockhouse Way) since 1923, when it started as Crittals Sports and Athletic Stadium, with a running track.[citation needed] In the 2010–2011 season, they won promotion to theConference National division as champions. In the 2015–2016 season, the team reached the first round of theFA Cup when they playedOxford United. In the 2023-24 season, they were promoted back to the National League (theConference) for a third occasion via the play offs.
Braintree Rugby Union Football Club was formed in 1963 by a group of old boys from Margaret Tabor Secondary School[citation needed] and celebrated its 50th anniversary in May 2013.
Greyhound racing in Braintree was held at three different venues: atCressing Road from 1967, at Coggeshall Road from 1930 to 1932 and at Notley Road during 1932. The racing at all three tracks was independent (not affiliated to the sports governing body theNational Greyhound Racing Club) and known asflapping tracks, which was the nickname given to independent tracks.[24] The Coggeshall Road site, opposite the junction with Marlborough Street, opened on 6 September 1930, while the Notley Road site opposite the Angelpublic house (on land now covered by Kenworthy Road) raced every Monday and Wednesday at 7pm and Saturday at 3pm. The track was operating on 20 February 1932, with races over 475 yards; the proprietor was T H Mooring.[25]
Braintree has four secondary schools:Gosfield School Independent Co-Educational,Alec Hunter Academy,Notley High School Technology College (which is also the location of theBraintree Sixth Form) andTabor Academy.
Post 16 education is provided byGosfield School,Notley High School,The College at Braintree,Braintree Sixth Form andTabor Academy.Braintree has a special needs school calledThe Edith Borthwick School.[citation needed]
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Braintree has two main market areas that link throughout the town, which run on Wednesdays and Saturdays. They are based outside the Town Hall in Market Square, and also run along Bank Street and the High Street. The High Street is a pedestrianised area, which allowed only buses until 2020,[26] when it was fully pedestrianised.
Braintree Village, formerly known asFreeport, is a shopping area on the outskirts of the town, described as a "designer outlet village". It has approximately 90 departments where designer brands sell surplus stock for lower than the recommended retail price. It also has its own railway station, namelyBraintree Freeport.
There are also several industrial centres located around the main Braintree town area, including the Springwood Industrial Estate, Park Drive Industrial Estate and Broomhills Industrial Estate, off Pod's Brook Lane.
Braintree is served by two railway stations:Braintree andBraintree Freeport. Both are stops on theBraintree branch line, with regular services toWitham operated byGreater Anglia; some services continue on toLondon Liverpool Street, viaChelmsford andStratford on Mondays–Saturdays. At Witham, connecting trains run northbound towardsIpswich,Clacton-on-Sea,Walton-on-the-Naze andColchester.[27]
Bus services in Braintree are run by Central Connect,First Essex,Hedingham & Chambers andStephensons of Essex. Key routes include:[28]
Roads in Braintree are the responsibility ofEssex Highways, except the A120 which is part ofthe government's strategic highways network, overseen byNational Highways.[29][30]
Key roads in the town include:
National Cycle Route 16, which runs between Bishop's Stortford andGreat Totham, passes through Braintree.[31]
TheFlitch Way is a shared-use path and bridleway on a former railway line that runs between Braintree andTakeley. The path is a country park for its entire length. It is named after theDunmow Flitch Trials, a ceremony in which couples can win a side of bacon if they can convince a jury that they have not wished themselves unwed for a year.[32][33]
Bocking Windmill, technically a part of Bocking, the windmill overlooks the countryside at the north end of Braintree & Bocking, having been restored to a degree by the Friends of Bocking Windmill. Although the mill does not work, the majority of the machinery and infrastructure are still in place. The mill is open to visitors on select days throughout the year.[34]
The Braintree District Museum is located opposite the Town Hall, along Manor Street, and was originally the Manor Street School. It was built in 1863, to replace the former British School located in the same place. Nowadays, it houses a selection of items showing the history of Braintree and Bocking.[citation needed]
The Braintree & Bocking Public Gardens are situated on the northern side of Braintree and are close to the District Council offices on Bocking End. They house a garden that was built in 1888 and given to the town of Braintree by Sydney and Sarah Courtauld.[citation needed]
Churches of interest in Braintree include St. Michael's along South Street/High Street, St. Mary's Church along Bocking Church Street, St. Peter's church along St. Peter's Road, just off of Bocking End, andOur Lady Queen of Peace Church.
Villages in the Braintree area includeBocking,Black Notley,White Notley,Great Notley (a recent construction),Cressing,Felsted,Rayne andPanfield.
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Published histories of Braintree & Bocking include:
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