Market Towns in North Essex

In our market towns you will find the a legacy of fine architecture and listed buildings left by the 14th century woollen cloth trade and the 18th century arrival of silk weaving and the famous Huguenot name of Courtauld.  Each of our towns hold regular markets quite often supplemented by travelling contential and farmers markets, and our streets become abound with colourful stalls and friendly faces.

With quaint streets and interesting gantway Braintree is the largest of our towns. Discerning shoppers are attracted to the town throughout the year by the traditional and specialist smaller shops while bargain hunters are well served by the discounted designer village on the outskirts of the town at Freeport. Newly opened in 2005 is the lottery funded Warner Textile Archive. This nationally important archive is a unique record of the history of textile manufacture since the 18th century

A lovely ‘olde worlde' village with a lot to offer, Coggeshall's attractive centre is made up of numerous timber-framed buildings, including Paycockes a 16th Century Woolmerchants house owned by the National Trust. With colourful streets, specialist shops, fine eating places and historic buildings, Coggeshall has a unique charm.

Set on a steep High Street, Halstead is an attractive, friendly place to visit and a traditional market town with a wealth of shops, restaurants, interesting walks, and the beautiful Townsford Mill, which straddles the River Colne, was built in 1788. The mill is a picturesque reminder of the towns' industrial past and now holds one of the largest Antiques Centres on the Essex/Suffolk border and is the perfect location for shopping and lunching.

Witham is a pleasant Georgian town with a history that dates back to the time of King Alfred, located at the very heart of Essex, the manor of Witham was given to the Knights Templar in 1148. Witham was also for many years home of the novelist, theologian and Dante scholar, Dorothy L Sayers and a centre has been dedicated to her.