Braintree District Historic Environment Characterisation Project 2010 i abc Front Cover: Aerial view of Cressing Temple ii Contents FIGURES..........................................................................................................................................................VIII ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................................................XI 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 12 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT ................................................................................................................... 13 2 THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT OF BRAINTREE DISTRICT..................................................... 15 TOPOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................................................. 15 2.1 PALAEOLITHIC PERIOD (500,000-10,000 BC) ..................................................................................... 18 2.2 MESOLITHIC PERIOD (10,000 – 4,000 BC) .......................................................................................... 21 2.3 NEOLITHIC PERIOD (4,000-2,200 BC)................................................................................................. 23 2.4 BRONZE AGE (2,200 – 700 BC) ......................................................................................................... 25 2.5 IRON AGE (700 BC – 43 AD).............................................................................................................. 27 2.6 ROMANO-BRITISH (43 – 410 AD)....................................................................................................... 29 2.7 SAXON (410-1066 AD)....................................................................................................................... 33 2.8 MEDIEVAL (1066-1536).....................................................................................................................37 2.9 POST MEDIEVAL PERIOD (1536-1900 AD)......................................................................................... 40 2.10 MODERN............................................................................................................................................. 43 3 CHARACTERISATION OF THE RESOURCE.................................................................................... 45 3.1 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTER AREA DESCRIPTIONS.............................................................. 46 3.1.1 HECA 1 Stour Valley.................................................................................................................. 47 3.1.2 HECA 2: Boulder Clay Plateau south of the Stour ...................................................................... 48 3.1.3 HECA 3: Colne Valley ............................................................................................................... 50 3.1.4 HECA 4: North-west Braintree .................................................................................................... 53 3.1.5 HECA 5: Pant Valley Area........................................................................................................... 55 3.1.6 HECA 6: Land between Braintree and Halstead ......................................................................... 57 3.1.7 HECA 7: Halstead Urban Area....................................................................................................59 3.1.8 HECA 8: Braintree And Bocking Urban Area ............................................................................. 60 3.1.9 HECA 9: Coggeshall Urban Area................................................................................................ 63 3.1.10 HECA 10: Terling .................................................................................................................. 65 3.1.11 HECA 11: Brain Valley........................................................................................................... 65 3.1.12 HECA 12: Silver End................................................................................................................ 67 3.1.13 HECA: 13 Witham Urban Area................................................................................................ 68 3.1.14 HECA: 14 Kelvedon And Feering Urban Area ....................................................................... 70 3.1.15 HECA 15 Land south of the A12 ............................................................................................ 72 iii 4 CREATION OF HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTER ZONES................................................. 75 4.1 GENERAL BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................... 75 4.2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................. 75 4.3 THE SCORING OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTER ZONES.................................................. 75 4.3.1 Diversity of historic environment assets........................................................................................76 4.3.2 Survival ......................................................................................................................................... 77 4.3.3 Documentation .............................................................................................................................. 77 4.3.4 Group Value Association .............................................................................................................. 77 4.3.5 Potential........................................................................................................................................ 78 4.3.6 Sensitivity to Change..................................................................................................................... 78 4.3.7 Amenity Value ............................................................................................................................... 79 5 BRAINTREE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERISATION ZONES............................... 80 5.1 HECA 1.............................................................................................................................................. 80 5.1.1 HECZ 1.1: Western half of the Stour Valley ................................................................................ 80 5.1.2 HECZ 1.2: The Belchamp Brook.................................................................................................. 82 5.1.3 HECZ 1.3: The Stour Valley – Sudbury to Bures......................................................................... 83 5.2 HECA 2.............................................................................................................................................. 85 5.2.1 HECZ 2.1: Helions and Steeple Bumpstead................................................................................. 86 5.2.2 HECZ 2.2: Settlements overlooking the Stour Valley................................................................... 87 5.2.3 HECZ 2.3: Gainsford End and Almshouse Green........................................................................ 89 5.2.4 HECZ 2.4: Wethersfield Airfield.................................................................................................. 90 5.3 HECA 3.............................................................................................................................................. 92 5.3.1 HECZ 3.1: Earls Colne ............................................................................................................... 93 5.3.2 HECZ 3.2: Colne Valley, Halstead to Earls Colne ..................................................................... 95 5.3.3 HECZ 3.3: Castle Hedingham..................................................................................................... 97 5.3.4 HECZ 3.4: Sible Hedingham....................................................................................................... 99 5.3.5 HECZ 3.5: The Colne Valley from the Hedinghams to Halstead............................................. 101 5.3.6 HECZ 3.6: The Colne Valley from the Hedingham’s to Ridgewell.......................................... 102 5.4 HECA 4............................................................................................................................................ 105 5.4.1 HECZ 4.1: Gestingthorpe and Wickham St Paul ...................................................................... 105 5.4.2 HECZ 4.2: Area around Pebmarsh........................................................................................... 107 5.5 HECA 5............................................................................................................................................ 108 5.5.1 HECZ 5.1: Rayne and immediate vicinity .................................................................................. 108 5.5.2 HECZ 5.2: Panfield and Saling..................................................................................................110 5.5.3 HECZ 5.3: Pant Valley............................................................................................................... 112 5.5.4 HECZ 5.4: Land west of Shalford .............................................................................................