Discover Braintree, Essex

Braintree is a town in Braintree district, Essex, England. Located on the River Blackwater, it is 16 km (10 mi) to the northeast of county town Chelmsford and 24 km (15 mi) west of Colchester. It has a population of 42,000 people (2012 estimate).

Braintree, Essex, England: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:King_William_Public_House,_Bocking_Churchstreet,_Braintree_-_geograph.org.uk_-_56970.jpg
Author: Brenda Howard


Human habitation in the Braintree area is said to go back 4,000 years. There is no clear agreement how the name was derived, with theory pointing to it originally being Branoc's Tree, where Branoc is the name of a person. There was already a small village in this here when the Romans arrived. They built two roads in the area. A settlement developed between these two roads to form present-day Braintree.

Braintree was of little significance until the 17th century, when an influx of Flemish immigrants brought with them the wool textile trade. The trade flourished until the 19th century when it was replaced by silk manufacturing. The construction of railway lines linking it to London helped Braintree become a supplier of farm produce and textile.

Over the centuries, Braintree and neighboring Bocking have grown to become contiguous. Stane Street separates these two towns, with Braintree to the south of the street and Bocking to the north.

St Andrew's, Belchamp St Paul Church, Braintree: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Andrews_Belchamp_St._Paul_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1116025.jpg
Author: Keith Evans

Visiting Braintree

There are a number of roads to take to reach Braintree from London. You can take the M11 motorway until Bishop's Stortford. From Exit 8, continue east on the A120 road past Great Dunmow to reach Braintree. Alternatively, you can take the A12 road from London past Brentwood and Chelmsford, and then continue on the A131 road until arriving in Braintree.

Places of Interest in Braintree

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