FELSTED - HERITAGE AND CHARACTER ASSESSMENT HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT The Old School Room viewed from the Church courtyard FELSTED - HERITAGE AND CHARACTER ASSESSMENT Timeline Overview Felsted is recorded in the Domesday Book as Phensteda, The Manor of Felsted passed and is derived from Old English to the English Crown,(during the Settlement in Felsted was 1086 1340 Hundred Years War) when Edward for ‘site in open country’. Following the established in the early Established after III decreed that all property demise of monastic medieval period, although the the 7th century, belonging to alien priories should 1564 schools during beginnings of the village in its Felsted belonged revert to the crown. present form largely began within the Hundred the dissolution, after the conquest while under of Hindingeford or The tower of Sir Richard Riche the possession of the Abbey of Hinkford; composed the Church of donated Felsted Holy Trinity at Caen, Normandy. of two thirds forest, Holy Cross was Guildhall for use as The historic core of Felsted it was twice the size constructed a schoolroom. The whilst the Henry V granted building stands today owes much to the Earls of of neighbouring 1120-27 Warwick, beginning with hundreds. daughter of the Manor to Sir Richard Riche on Braintree Road as Sir Richard Riche who took William I, Cecilia, 1400 Syon Convent in acquired over one the grade I listed Old was Abbess Middlesex, and School House. possession of the Manor 1537 hundred manors of Felsted in 1537 after the was held until the after the dissolution dissolution of the monasteries, dissolution of the including the Manor of who exerted influence over the monasteries in Felsted. village during a period of great 1537. prosperity. Throughout its history, the Early medieval, AD456-1066 Early medieval, area’s economy has largely relied upon agricultural production. However, during Henry II required all property Sir Richard Riche the post-medieval period, and owners in Felsted to pay very was made the Earl particularly from the early 19th The Manor 1237 high Capital Value Tax, which of Warwick and century, education began to of Felsted was second only to Barking in built a mansion in became the play an increasingly significant 1082 Essex. the grounds of the role. possession dissolved priory at A schedule of heritage assets of the Abbey Leez, which is now a in Appendix A records details of Holy Trinity Grade I Listed Building. of the listed buildings identified at Caen, An Augustinian within the study area. Normandy. Priory was Historic maps showing the Felsted lies close 1220 established, Felsted was under development of the study area to the Roman south of Felsted, the possession of are included in Appendix B. road of Stane in the Hamlet of the Riche family Street, which Leez. under whom Roman connected William the it prospered. Dunmow and Conqueror Felsted’s continued Braintree. A prosperity to this 1066 seized the Roman-British Manor of day owes much to settlement was the Felsted School Felsted Bury. AD1537-1800 Post-medieval, established The manor Felsted was granted established during during this time, was passed to a weekly market and this period. Medieval, AD1066-1537 Medieval, the site of which the Bishop of an annual fair on 1678 1537 to From is located close Bayeux. 1200s Holy Cross Day (14th to the current September). village. 1540s 14 FELSTED - HERITAGE AND CHARACTER ASSESSMENT A United Reform Felsted Railway Church chapel was built Station was opened Depression was felt in the New School House on Station Road. It is no to the west of the 1833 1869 agricultural economy of is constructed at longer used as a place village. It was located the area; as costs rose Ingram’s Close due to 1874 Boote’s House (Grade II*) 1800 of worship. in the parish of Little an improvement in the many farms fell derelict. was constructed as Felsted Dunmow and outside economy and a rise in pupil Scottish dairy farmers, prospered during the 16th and of the neighbourhood 1596 numbers. from Renfrewshire and 17th centuries. plan area. 19th Century Ayrshire, travelled south to take up agricultural The Church of Holy production in the area. Cross fell into disrepair due to being left to 1820s the charge of a Curate Felsted’s when the Vicar retired population was to Wiltshire. This recorded as 1871 resulted in a decline in 2,012. With the passing of attendance and non- the Act for the Relief conformism grew in The Hartford of the Poor a Parish 1597 the village. End Brewery Workhouse was was established 1875 established to the c.1875 on the north of the village. Chelmer River. Leez Priory The construction of is sold From the early Felsted School was to Guy’s completed on Stebbing Oliver Cromwell’s 1753 Victorian period As pupil numbers outgrew Hospital, 1867 Road, the school daughter, Francis, agriculture the capacity of the parish London. operates today from married Robert prospered in 1873 church a chapel was designed 1657 the same buildings Riche Earl of the region as in an Early English Gothic Warwick, at the 1830s production Revival style, and built in brick Riche Family seat intensified to meet adjacent to the school of Leez Priory. the demands of London. 1750 Felsted endured a period The Lords Riche of decline, with just nine consolidated their boys attending its school wealth through 1618 and the church visibly investment in the decaying. colonisation of America. 1678 Four sons of The estate of the Earls of Warwick was Charity commissioners replaced the The Church of Holy Oliver Cromwell divided, with Felsted inherited to Lord school patron with a board of locally Cross was extensively 1851 elected trustees. The school prospered repaired. attended school Roberts of Truro who had married Lucy 1876 1600s at the former Lady Riche. and pupil numbers grew to 400, drawn Guildhall. from the surrounding parishes. 15 FELSTED - HERITAGE AND CHARACTER ASSESSMENT The post-medieval Felsted School A new boarding Swan Inn was received evacuees school was opened at The Trade Board Acts of Employment in Felsted Felsted School continues to demolished to be from London, 1908 were expanded to 1925 1939 was 59%, with the largest open its doors to new pupils 1879 Watchhouse Green, replaced with the although they located as more children include agricultural workers, employer being the sugar each year, which in 2012 1912 extant Swan Inn on gradually returned 1979 were at the ‘Greens’ than which encouraged the beet factory, and secondly numbered around 1,000. Chelmsford Road. to London. in the village of Felsted production of sugar beet in schools. With 400 staff, the school itself. This school remains this area. plays a dominant role in the today as Felsted Primary local economy, as both an School. employer and its staff and pupils providing support for The Felsted Memorial Felsted School The sugar beet factory other local services. Hall was constructed. was occupied by ceased production, 1923 In part paid for by the 1940 the military as the 1981 unable to compete in Vicar upon selling the headquarters of the the Common Market A new almshouse with a central Old School Room on Eastern Regional which the UK entered Present Century– 21st chapel, by architect Frederick Station Road, in return Defence. into in 1975. Oil seed Chancellor, was constructed 1879 for use of the Memorial rape and other crops of brick after the earlier site Hall for Sunday School. were cultivated in the was destroyed by arson. The The Hall had tennis area as demand for almshouse field was added to courts which housed sugar beet suffered. those of the school’s. the Felsted Lawn Tennis Club. Felsted School is Felsted School The described in the opened a preparatory The sugar beet Kellys’s Directory preparatory school was factory was 1934 1878 of that year, as a school south of extended. demolished grammar school Braintree Road, 1999 to make way with 210 boarders. once again to The Sugar Industry Act for housing There was also a the designs of was passed to support Felsted Railway development 1884 the architect national school, 1925 sugar production in The Felsted Sugar Beet Station closed to south of Frederick girls school and the UK, and was of Factory is recorded as regular services, station road, infants school Chancellor. particular importance closing entirely outside of the 1932 having its own football located within the to the industry in the team, the ‘Beetroots’. The in 1964. Neighbourhood village. east of England. Plan area. factory had its own sports 1952-1964 The main crops club, hostel, magazine and are listed as being allotments for workers. wheat, barley, turnips, beans, The Eastern Regional oats and field Defence headquarters Felsted School’s Elwyn A sugar beet factory was built beet. A wide range left Felsted School, House was opened. near Felsted by the Second of trades and leaving concrete 1900 1926 Anglo-British Sugar Beet activities also took building foundations in Corporation, on the parish place in Felsted, its playing fields and its boarder with Little Dunmow, and representing a 1944 buildings in a state of was an important local employer thriving community. dilapidation. for the village and wider area. 20th Century ABOUT AECOM In a complex and unpredictable world, where growing demands have to be met with finite resources, AECOM brings experience gained from improving quality of life in hundreds of places. 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