Thaxted
| Thaxted | |
 Thaxted Windmill and Church |
|
  Thaxted |
|
| Population | 2,845 (2011)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | TL615315 |
| District | Uttlesford |
| Shire county | Essex |
| Region | East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUNMOW |
| Postcode district | CM6 |
| Dialling code | 01371 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Saffron Walden |
Coordinates: 51°57′16″N 0°20′46″E / 51.9544°N 0.3461°E
Thaxted is a town and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England.
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 as a major industrial centre. A light railway, the Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway, eventually opened in 1913, though the railway itself never reached nearer than three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) from the town, as building earthworks across the River Chelmer proved too costly. With the growth of road transport, the line was closed to passengers in 1952 and closed altogether in 1953. The name of Cutler's Green, a small hamlet about a mile to the west of Thaxted, recalls the trade that yielded the area's early wealth. To the West of Cutler's Green is an area named 'Richmond's in the Wood'.
Governance
An electoral ward in the same name exists. The population of this ward at the 2011 census was 3,512.[2]
Demography
Thaxted's population of around 2,000 has remained almost unchanged down the centuries. Thaxted had a total of 2,845 residents according to the 2011 Census. In 1829 there were 2,293 people living in Thaxted; in 1848 there were 2,527. At the time of the 1881 census that figure had fallen to 1,914, and fell further by 1921 to 1,596. In 2001, the population was 2,526.
Community
Thaxted clubs and societies include Thaxted Morris which was founded in 1911 and is the oldest revival Morris dancing group in England.[3] Thaxted Morris Men hosted the meeting at which the "Morris Ring" was formed as a national organisation in 1934; and continue to host one of their meetings every year: in 2009 this was a celebration of the Ring's 75th anniversary.
The annual Thaxted Festival takes place over four weekends in June and July every year, presenting a programme of musical concerts.[3]
Thaxted football club, the Thaxted Rangers, has a senior team and youth teams.
Landmarks
Notable Thaxted buildings include Horham Hall, Thaxted Guildhall dating from around 1450 and John Webb's Windmill built in 1804.
The parish church of St John, built between 1340 and 1510, is renowned for its flying buttressed spire, which is 181 feet tall and is the only medieval stone spire in the county.[4] It has perpendicular windows and a stained glass representing Adam and Eve. The church, which stands on a hill and overlooks the town, is often referred to as "the Cathedral of Essex".[3] From 1910 to 1942, the vicar was Conrad Noel, known as the 'Red Vicar' because of his well known Christian Socialism.[5]
Notable people
- Noted pathologist and father of Syd Barrett, Arthur Max Barrett MD – born 1909 and spent childhood
- The British composer Gustav Holst – town resident. Thaxted is the name given to a hymn tune, commonly used for "I Vow to Thee, My Country"
- Richard "Conversation" Sharp MP (1759-1835) – educated at Thaxted by the Dissenting Minister, Rev. John Fell
- Diana Wynne Jones – author of Howl's Moving Castle and other novels, was raised in the town
- Conrad Noel (1869–1942) – Christian Socialist and known as the town's 'Red Vicar', serving in the post from 1910 until his death[5]
- John Hunter (1932–2005) – author, landscape archaeologist, and historian of Essex and Cambridgeshire[6]
Gallery
The Guildhall
The Manse where composer Gustav Holst lived from 1917 to 1925
Parish church of St John
Almshouses at the church, with the sailless John Webb's Windmill in the background
Dick Turpin's cottage, suggesting the supposed association of the highwayman with Thaxted
References
- ↑ "Town population 2011". Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ↑ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- 1 2 3 Ward, Amy (September 2008). "A Centre for Culture". Essex Life. Archant: 94. Retrieved 24 January 2009. (Registration required).
- ↑ http://www.thaxted.co.uk/?History_of_Thaxted:Thaxted_Parish_Church
- 1 2 "Conrad Noel". Henry S. Salt Archive. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ↑ http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article2084335.ece
See also
External links
Media related to Thaxted at Wikimedia Commons
- Thaxted Church on Essex Churches website
- Pictures and information on Thaxted station from subbrit.org.uk
