Felsted (sometimes spelt Felstead) is a village and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. As well as the village itself, the parish also includes the hamlets of Bannister Green, Bartholomew Green, Causeway End, Coblers Green, Cock Green, Frenches Green, Gransmore Green, Hartford End, Molehill Green, Milch Hill, Thistley Green, Watch House Green and Willows Green. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 3,165.
History
Felsted is recorded in the
Domesday Book of 1086 as
Felesteda,
Felstede and
Phensteda in the Hundred of Hinckford, where it was held by Earl Ælfgar as feu in the time of King Edward.
[ Open Domesday: Felsted, Essex. Accessed 7 August 2023.] In 1086, Felstead was part of the land of La Trinité of Caen, who held four hides.
The fifth hide was no longer in this manor as King William gave three
to Roger God-save-the-ladies and the fourth to Geoffrey fitzSalomon.
The village has links to Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who founded the public school, the Felsted School, in 1564, and is buried in Holy Cross Church. Lord Rich was an important benefactor of the Felsted Church. The school also has links to Oliver Cromwell, who sent his sons there. The valley between Little Dunmow and Felsted was the location for the only sugar beet factory in Essex, which has been redeveloped for housing in a community called Flitch Green.
Geography
Felsted is south of the A120 and is near Braintree,
Great Dunmow and
Chelmsford. It lies on the north bank of the
River Chelmer as it leaves Great Dunmow and turns south towards Chelmsford.
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Latitude/Longitude in decimal degrees:51.85656 0.43327
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Latitude/Longitude in degrees, minutes, and seconds:51° 51' 24" North 0° 26' 60" East
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Height above sea level:76 m, 249.34 ft, 2992.13 in
Community
Felsted is linked to
Little Dunmow by the Flitch Way Country Park, a former railway line. The village has a village store, a coffee shop and a tea room, an antiques shop, a ladies' clothes shop, an estate agent, two public houses (the Chequers and the Swan) and the Felsted Sports injury clinic.
The village is also home of Felsted Rovers Football Club who play their home matches at the rear of the Memorial Hall.
The electoral ward of Felsted had a population of 5,525 at the 2011 census.
See also
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John Drury, History of Felsted (privately published, 1999)
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(Registration required.)
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External links
