Boxted, Essex
Encyclopedia
Boxted is a village and civil parish
in Essex
, England
. It is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of Colchester
and 24 miles (38.6 km) northeast of the county town of Chelmsford
. The village is in the borough of Colchester
and in the parliamentary constituency of North Essex
. There is a Parish council. The village was the site of a series of skirmishes between Parliamentary and Royalist troops in July 1648, known as the Battle of Boxted Heath.
Two historic manors are located in the parish - Boxted Hall and Rivers Hall - both are mentioned in the Doomsday records. Boxted was split into two settlements - 'Boxted' and 'Boxted Cross
' during the plague - when non infected villagers moved across the valley from 'Old Boxted' to escape infection. A timber framed cottage called Songers is reputedly the oldest private dwelling in Essex dating back to 1280.
In 1630 the village vicar, George Phillips, and many other Boxted residents emigrated to America as part of the Great Migration
. Phillips subsequently founded a church at Watertown
on the Charles River
in Massachusetts
. Other Boxted residents went to Ipswich, Massachusetts
.
Today Boxted can be easily reached from Colchester along Boxted Straight Road, which is often mistaken for a Roman road but is in fact an relatively modern road based upon an old heathland track, many other local roads are much older. Parts of the Boxted parish - such as Old Boxted - are within the Dedham Vale
conservation area where development of buildings etc is tightly controlled. Old Boxted is not developing as fast as Boxted Cross which contains a broad mix of modern housing developments and has now extended considerably along Straight Road. Recently the school has moved from Old Boxted to Boxted Cross.
At Boxted Cross is a Village hall overlooking the George V playing fields where Boxted Lodgers football team and Boxted Cricket club play.
Boxted heath to the southern end of the parish is mostly divided into nearly 70 small holdings which were originally built by the Salvation Army in the early 20th century under an initiative to create a land settlement or colony. These small holdings replaced the Priory farm that was here in the 19th century. although the old farm house and some outbuildings still remain.
No public houses are trading in the village since the Wig & Fidget closed about 2005. The Cross Inn ceased trading in mid 1980s and was converted into residential usage. The Queens Head (Queens Hd Rd/Ellis Rd corner) closed in 1972 and was demolished after several years as a retirement home. Most of the other pubs - such as the Fox (near the church) and Thatchers (Mill Rd) closed much earlier.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) north of Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
and 24 miles (38.6 km) northeast of the county town of Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
. The village is in the borough of Colchester
Colchester (borough)
Colchester is a local government district and borough in Essex, England, the district is named after its main town, Colchester. The borough covers an area of and stretches from Dedham Vale on the Suffolk border in the north to Mersea Island on the Colne Estuary in the south.The borough was formed...
and in the parliamentary constituency of North Essex
North Essex (UK Parliament constituency)
North Essex was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2010...
. There is a Parish council. The village was the site of a series of skirmishes between Parliamentary and Royalist troops in July 1648, known as the Battle of Boxted Heath.
Two historic manors are located in the parish - Boxted Hall and Rivers Hall - both are mentioned in the Doomsday records. Boxted was split into two settlements - 'Boxted' and 'Boxted Cross
Boxted Cross
Boxted Cross is a village in Essex, England....
' during the plague - when non infected villagers moved across the valley from 'Old Boxted' to escape infection. A timber framed cottage called Songers is reputedly the oldest private dwelling in Essex dating back to 1280.
In 1630 the village vicar, George Phillips, and many other Boxted residents emigrated to America as part of the Great Migration
Great Migration (Puritan)
The Puritan migration to New England was marked in its effects in the two decades from 1620 to 1640, after which it declined sharply for a while. The term Great Migration usually refers to the migration in this period of English settlers, primarily Puritans to Massachusetts and the warm islands of...
. Phillips subsequently founded a church at Watertown
Watertown, Massachusetts
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.- History :Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England...
on the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Other Boxted residents went to Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
.
Today Boxted can be easily reached from Colchester along Boxted Straight Road, which is often mistaken for a Roman road but is in fact an relatively modern road based upon an old heathland track, many other local roads are much older. Parts of the Boxted parish - such as Old Boxted - are within the Dedham Vale
Dedham Vale
Dedham Vale is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Essex-Suffolk border in east England. It comprises the area around the River Stour between Manningtree and Bures, including the village of Dedham in Essex. It is part of the area known since the artist's lifetime as Constable...
conservation area where development of buildings etc is tightly controlled. Old Boxted is not developing as fast as Boxted Cross which contains a broad mix of modern housing developments and has now extended considerably along Straight Road. Recently the school has moved from Old Boxted to Boxted Cross.
At Boxted Cross is a Village hall overlooking the George V playing fields where Boxted Lodgers football team and Boxted Cricket club play.
Boxted heath to the southern end of the parish is mostly divided into nearly 70 small holdings which were originally built by the Salvation Army in the early 20th century under an initiative to create a land settlement or colony. These small holdings replaced the Priory farm that was here in the 19th century. although the old farm house and some outbuildings still remain.
No public houses are trading in the village since the Wig & Fidget closed about 2005. The Cross Inn ceased trading in mid 1980s and was converted into residential usage. The Queens Head (Queens Hd Rd/Ellis Rd corner) closed in 1972 and was demolished after several years as a retirement home. Most of the other pubs - such as the Fox (near the church) and Thatchers (Mill Rd) closed much earlier.