Historical Development

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 thriving community. representing a place inFelsted, activities also took of trades and Awiderange beet. oats andfield turnips, beans, barley,wheat, are listed asbeing The maincrops village. located withinthe infants school girls school and national school, There wasalso a with 210boarders. grammar school of thatyear, asa 1878Kellys’s Directory described inthe Felsted School is

School. today asFelsted Primary itself. Thisschool remains in thevillageof Felsted were atthe‘Greens’ than located asmore children 1879Watchhouse Green, school wasopenedat A new boarding FELSTED -HERITAGEFELSTED ANDCHARACTER ASSESSMENT those of theschool’s. almshouse fieldwasadded to was destroyed by arson. The of brickafter theearliersite 1879Chancellor, wasconstructed chapel, by architect Frederick A new almshouse withacentral

Chancellor. Frederick 1884the architect the designsof once againto Braintree Road, school south of preparatory opened a Felsted School

20th Century

1900House wasopened. Felsted School’s Elwyn

this area. production of sugarbeetin 1912which encouraged the include agricultural workers, 1908 were expanded to The Trade Board Acts of

Tennis Club. the Felsted Lawn whichhoused courts The Hallhadtennis Hall for Sunday School. for use of theMemorial Road,Station inreturn Old School Room on Vicar uponselling the 1923 paidforIn part by the Hall wasconstructed. The Felsted Memorial

east of England. inthe to theindustry importance particular andwasof the UK, 1925sugar production in was passed to support Act The SugarIndustry

Chelmsford Road. Innon extant Swan replaced withthe 1925demolished to be Innwas Swan The post-medieval

for thevillageandwiderarea. local employerwas animportant boarder withLittle Dunmow, and Corporation, ontheparish 1926 SugarBeet Anglo-British near Felsted by theSecond A sugarbeetfactory wasbuilt

allotments for workers. club, hostel, magazineand factory haditsown sports team, the‘Beetroots’. The 1932having itsown football Factory isrecorded as The Felsted SugarBeet

extended. 1934school was preparatory The

to London. gradually returned although they 1939from London, received evacuees Felsted School

Defence. Eastern Regional headquarters of the 1940 asthe the military was occupiedby Felsted School

dilapidation. 1944buildings inastate of its playing fieldsandits building foundations in leaving concrete Felstedleft School, Defence headquarters The Eastern Regional

1952-1964in 1964. closing entirely regular services, closedStation to Felsted Railway

schools. 1979beet factory, andsecondly employer beingthesugar was 59%,withthelargest Employment inFelsted

sugar beetsuffered. area asdemandfor were cultivated inthe rape andother crops into in1975.Oilseed which theUKentered the Common Market 1981unable to compete in ceased production, The sugarbeetfactory

Plan area. Neighbourhood outside of the station road, south of development for housing 1999to make way demolished factory was The sugarbeet

21st Century–other local services. pupils providing for support employer anditsstaff local economy, asboth an plays adominantrole inthe PresentWith 400staff, the school numbered around 1,000. each year, whichin2012 open itsdoors to new pupils Felsted School continuesto ABOUT AECOM

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