Thaxted
Thaxted is one of Britain’s most attractive and well-preserved small towns situated in the open countryside of north west Essex. The compact nature of the historic centre with its timber framed buildings, its steeply pitched roofs and chimneys contrasts with the surrounding agricultural mosaic of brown, yellow and green. The church and windmill with its white sails dominate the town and surrounding area.
The early medieval village was granted a Charter in 1205 and by the 14th century had become a rapidly expanding town complete with guildhall and market. Prosperity originally was the result of the establishment of a cutlery industry and guild.
The magnificent church of cathedral proportions and the guildhall fronting a large market place are ample evidence of the town’s former standing. Its superb medieval buildings and quaint streets, many of which still bear ancient descriptive names such as Fishmarket Street, Town Street, Orange Street, Weaverhead Lane, The Tanyard and Stoney Lane, are unique.
Gustav Holst, the celebrated composer whose suite “The Planets” is one of the best known English compositions, lived in Thaxted between 1915 - 1925. Today there is an annual Thaxted Festival whose importance in the region’s musical calendar continues to grow.
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