Editing Thaxted

{{Short description|Town in Essex, England}}
{{About|the town}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country = England
| official_name = Thaxted
| static_image_name = Thaxted Windmill and Church - geograph.org.uk - 158193.jpg
| static_image_caption = Thaxted Windmill and Church
| coordinates = {{coord|51.954|0.346|display=inline,title}}
| population = 3116
| population_ref = <ref name="citypopulation.de">{{cite web | url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/eastofengland/essex/E63004008__thaxted/ | title=Thaxted (Essex, East of England, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information }}</ref>
| civil_parish = Thaxted
| shire_district = [[Uttlesford]]
| shire_county = [[Essex]]
| region = East of England
| constituency_westminster = [[North West Essex (UK Parliament constituency)|North West Essex]]
| post_town = DUNMOW
| postcode_district = CM6
| postcode_area = CM
| dial_code = 01371
| os_grid_reference = TL615315
}}'''Thaxted''' is a town and [[civil parish]] in the [[Uttlesford]] district of north-west [[Essex]], England. The town is in the valley of the [[River Chelmer]], not far from its source in the nearby village of [[Debden, Uttlesford|Debden]], and is 97 metres (318 feet) above sea level (where the parish church stands).<ref>{{Cite web|last=The Guildhall stands about 8 metres lower than the churchyard and the river another ten metres lower still.|title=Elevation Finder|url=https://www.freemaptools.com/elevation-finder.htm|access-date=2020-10-14|website=freemaptools.com}}</ref>

The town is {{convert|15|miles|km|0}} north from the [[county town]] of [[Chelmsford]] and {{convert|5.5|miles|km|0}} east from the [[M11 motorway]]. The parish contains the hamlets of [[Cutlers Green]], [[Bardfield End Green]], Sibleys Green, [[Monk Street]] and [[Richmond's Green]].  Much of its status as a "town" rests on its prominent late medieval [[Thaxted Guildhall|guildhall]], a place where guilds of skilled tradesmen regulated their trading practices, and its [[Perpendicular Gothic|English Perpendicular]] parish church.

==History==
According to ''A Dictionary of British Place Names'', Thaxted derives from the [[Old English]] ''thoec'' or ''þæc'' combined with ''stede'', being a "place where thatching materials are got".<ref>Mills, Anthony David (2003); ''A Dictionary of British Place Names'', [[Oxford University Press]], revised edition (2011), p.455. {{ISBN|019960908X}}</ref> In the 1086 ''[[Domesday Book]],'' the settlement is referred to as 'Tachesteda' and in subsequent official records variously as "''Thacstede",''<ref name=":10">{{Cite book|last1=Thomas of Ely|first1=fl 1174|url=https://archive.org/details/libereliensisadf01thom|title=Liber Eliensis, ad fidem codicum variorum|last2=Richard of Ely|first2=d 1194? supposed author|date=1848|pages=176|publisher=Londini, Impensis Societatis }}</ref> "''Thaxstede''", "''Thackestede''" and "''Thakstede''",<ref>See for example the entries in the various [[Patent roll#Online availability|Calendars of Patent Rolls]] published by the Public Record Office.</ref> amongst other spellings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thaxted :: Survey of English Place-Names|url=https://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/Essex/Thaxted/532858efb47fc40a98000ea8-Thaxted|access-date=2020-11-07|website=epns.nottingham.ac.uk}}</ref> As late as the nineteenth century, the spelling "''Thackstead''" was still in use.

Thaxted developed as a [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] settlement on a [[Roman roads in Britannia|Roman road]].<ref name=Guardian2007>[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jun/02/guardianspecial4.guardianspecial236 "Thaxted – Tilty, Essex"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 2 June 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2018</ref> There was a Roman villa to the east of the current town<ref>{{Cite book|last=Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Construction of England|url=https://archive.org/details/inventoryofhist01grea|title=An inventory of the historical monuments in Essex: 74: Thaxted|publisher=H. M. Stationery Office|year=1916|location=London|pages=302}}</ref> and Roman artefacts have been discovered in the area.<ref name="OxfordArchaeology" /> The [[British Museum]] holds a Roman bronze head of [[Dionysus|Bacchus]] found at Thaxted in the nineteenth century.<ref>{{Cite web|title=statuette {{!}} British Museum|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1865-0620-7|access-date=2020-10-07|website=The British Museum|language=en}}</ref> The first documented record of Thaxted, including a church, is in the [[Liber Eliensis]], describes a gift of land in "Thacstede" by a woman named Æthelgifu at some time between 881 and 1016.<ref name=":10" />

Archeological research of the area by [[Oxford Archaeology]] in 2007 produced finds showing [[Bronze Age Britain|Bronze Age]], late [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]], [[Roman Britain|Roman]], [[Late Middle Ages|late medieval]] and [[Post-medieval archaeology|post-medieval]] occupation, including flint fragments, floor and roof tiles, pottery [[sherd]]s, ditch [[Enclosure (archaeology)|enclosures]], graves, and skeletal remains.<ref name="OxfordArchaeology">Stansbie, D.; Brady, K.; Biddulph, E.; Norton, A.; [https://library.thehumanjourney.net/2872/1/THAX07_publication_report.pdf "A Roman cemetery at Sampford Road, Thaxted, Essex"], ''Archeological Publication Report'' (January 2008), [[Oxford Archaeology]]. Retrieved 1 August 2018</ref> A further archeological excavation in the centre of the town by the Colchester Archeological Trust in 2015 found a large medieval ditch which may have been a part of the town's defences, 15th- to 16th-century artifacts, and fragments of animal bone waste, mainly from cattle.<ref name="ColArch">[https://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=18798 "Fascinating medieval finds from historic Thaxted"], The Colchester Archeologist, 19 March 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2018</ref>

In the 1086 ''[[Domesday Book]]'', the settlement, in the [[Hundred (county subdivision)|Hundred]] of [[Great Dunmow|Dunmow]], consisted of 108 households with a population of 54 [[Serfdom#Villeins|villagers]], 34 [[Smallholding#Smallholdings in Britain|smallholders]], 16 slaves, and 4 [[Serfdom#Freemen|freemen]]. The land supported 28.5 plough teams—being seven lord's teams and 21.5 men's teams—and contained two mills, meadow of {{convert|154|acre|km2}}, and woodland with 850 pigs. In 1066 there were four [[Cob (horse)|cobs]], 36 cattle, an additional 128 pigs, 200 sheep, and 10 beehives. The sheep had increased to 320, and the beehives to 16, by 1086. In 1066 the lord was [[Wihtgar Ælfricsson|Wihtgar]], son of [[Ælfric Modercope|Aelfric]], who was lord or overlord of 27 other manors, chiefly in west Essex. After 1086 the lordship of Thaxted was given in part to Warner, and to [[Richard fitz Gilbert]]—son to [[Gilbert, Count of Brionne]]—who was also [[Tenant-in-chief]] to [[William the Conqueror|the king]].<ref>{{OpenDomesday|OS=TL6131|name=thaxted|display=Thaxted|accessdate=1 August 2018}}</ref>
[[File:Thaxted-1-w1140h500.jpg|thumb|282x282px|The town crest, depicting two crossed swords, derives from the crest of the [[Worshipful Company of Cutlers|cutlers' guild]], a reference to the once thriving cutlery industry in the town.]]
During the Middle Ages, Thaxted prospered as a centre for the production of cutlery. This association is recalled by the town's well-known [[Thaxted Guildhall|guildhall]], by the [[c:File:Thaxted-1-w1140h500.jpg|town badge]] which consists of [[Worshipful Company of Cutlers|two crossed swords]], and in the name of the nearby hamlet of [[Cutlers Green]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cutlers Green :: Survey of English Place-Names|url=https://epns.nottingham.ac.uk/browse/Essex/Thaxted/532858bab47fc40a980009ba-Cutlers+Green|access-date=2020-11-08|website=epns.nottingham.ac.uk}}</ref> Why a town like Thaxted, lacking in the natural resources required for the large-scale manufacturing metal products, should have developed this industry is unclear.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Newton|first=Kenneth Charles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j06AAAAAIAAJ|title=Thaxted in the Fourteenth Century: An Account of the Manor and Borough, with Translated Texts|date=1960|publisher=Essex County Council|pages=21|language=en}}</ref> Although it had been assumed that Thaxted's cutlers were finishing blades made elsewhere, excavations undertaken in 2015 in Orange Street found evidence to support the work of [[bladesmith]]s alongside cutlers/hafters.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pooley|first=Laura|title=Archaeological evaluation and excavation on land to the north of Orange Street, Thaxted, Essex, CM6 2LH: January and April-May 2015|url=http://cat.essex.ac.uk/reports/CAT-report-0810.pdf|access-date=2020-10-31|website=cat.essex.ac.uk|publisher=Colchester Archaeological Trust|page=35}}</ref><ref>In the Middle Ages, the term "cutlery" did not refer to tableware, as it does today, but to the manufacture of blades, knives and swords. The manufacturing process involved the work of a blademith (who forged the metal blade), a hafter (who made the handle from wood or bone) and a cutler (who finished the sharpened and polished blade with its handle).</ref>

The cutlers seem to have been already well-established by the beginning of the fourteenth century: in 1310, a cutler named Adam de Thakstede had prospered enough to purchase the [[freedom of the City of London]] and set up business in [[Cheapside]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Welch|first=Charles|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofcutlers01welcuoft|title=History of the Cutlers' Company of London and of the minor cutlery crafts, with biographical notices of early London cutlers; Volume 1|year=1916|location=London|pages=71}}</ref> A manuscript in the [[Bodleian Library]] indicates that Thaxted was already widely identified with its cutlery by the 1320s.<ref>"Cotels de Thaxsted" in MS. Douce 98, ff.195-6, Bodleian Library</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bonnier|first=C.|date=1901|title=List of English Towns in the Fourteenth Century|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/549210|journal=The English Historical Review|volume=16|issue=63|pages=501–503|doi=10.1093/ehr/XVI.LXIII.501|jstor=549210|issn=0013-8266}}</ref> The 1381 Poll Tax returns indicate 79 cutlers established in Thaxted, alongside other related trades such as smiths and sheathers.<ref name=":5" />

This artisanal development had an effect on the economic and social dynamics of the town, shifting from a [[Feudalism in England|feudal agricultural model]], in which most people were dependent on and laboured for the [[lord of the manor]], to an urban industrial model where many people were employed and more autonomous.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Newton|first=Kenneth Charles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j06AAAAAIAAJ|title=Thaxted in the Fourteenth Century: An Account of the Manor and Borough, with Translated Texts|publisher=Essex County Council|year=1960|pages=22|language=en}}</ref> The right to hold a market was granted in 1205.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Heritage Gateway – Essex Historic Environment Record No. 1397|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MEX4992&resourceID=1001|access-date=2020-11-03|website=heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> Sometime during the first half of the fourteenth century, certain town inhabitants acquired the status of burgesses (''burgenses)'' living within an area of the town known as the [[Ancient borough|borough]] (''burgus''), achieving some degree of freedom from obligations toward the manor.<ref name=":6" /><ref>The farm, and the bridge over the Chelmer, at the bottom of Bolford Street still carry the name "The Borough" to this day.</ref>
[[File:Thaxted Guildhall - geograph.org.uk - 845293.jpg|thumb|282x282px|Thaxted Guildhall, with Stoney Lane leading up to the Parish Church]]
However, this independence "did not extend to any real measure of self-government".<ref name=":6" /> The exact date that Thaxted first acquired formal [[Ancient borough|borough status]] is unknown but the 1556 charter states that Thaxted "is an ancient borough and had from time immemorial a mayor and other officers and ministers and was endowed with diverse liberties".<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Public Record Office|title=Calendar of the patent rolls, preserved in the Public Record Office; Volume 3 (1555-1557)|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=msu.31293027026446&view=1up&seq=166&q1=thaxted|access-date=2020-10-25|website=HathiTrust|page=154|language=en}}</ref> Royal documents from the end of the fifteenth century refer to the "manor and borough of Thaxted".<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Benham|first=W. Gurney|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b2794001|title=Essex Borough arms and the traditional arms of Essex and the arms of Chelmsford diocese|publisher=Benham & Co|year=1916|location=Colchester|pages=48–51|hdl=2027/uc1.b2794001}}</ref> It seems clear however that Thaxted did not achieve self-government as a fully-fledged borough until the granting of the 1556 charter.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Newton|first=Kenneth Charles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j06AAAAAIAAJ|title=Thaxted in the Fourteenth Century: An Account of the Manor and Borough, with Translated Texts|publisher=Essex County Council|year=1960|pages=23|language=en}}</ref>

A [[guild]] of cutlers was established during the reign of [[Edward III of England|Edward III]] (1327–77), led by a warden.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Symmonds|first=George E.|title=Thaxted and its Cutlers Guild|url=http://esah1852.org.uk/images/pdf/new-series/T2030000.pdf|journal=Proceedings of the Essex Archeological Society|volume=III (New Series)|pages=255–61}}</ref> In November 1481, [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]], at the behest of his mother, [[Cecily Neville, Duchess of York|Cecily]], who held the manor, issued letters patent to license some residents of Thaxted "to found a fraternity or perpetual gild", empowered to regulate itself and own land.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Public Record Office|title=Calendar of the Patent Rolls (1476-1485)|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=msu.31293104198936&view=1up&seq=239&q1=cecily|access-date=2020-10-31|website=HathiTrust|page=227|language=en}}</ref> A deed of foundation of the "fraternity or perpetual guild of St. John the Baptist at Thaxted" dates from 1507.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Essex County Council|title=Deed of foundation of the franternity or perpetual guild of St. John the Baptist at Thaxted, by John Hasilwode of Thacted, only survivor of those granted licence (letters Patent) by Edward IV, at the instance of his mother Cecily, duchess of York, 4 Dec. 1480. Essex Archives Online – Catalogue: D/DSh/Q1|url=https://www.essexarchivesonline.co.uk/Result_Details.aspx?DocID=190521|access-date=2020-10-31|website=essexarchivesonline.co.uk}}</ref> The famous Guildhall is supposed to have been built by the cutlers' guild. However, it seems there was, at one time, more than one guild in existence in the town – and more than one guild hall: there is some evidence for a guild or fraternity dedicated to the Holy Rood,<ref name=":8" /> and the Ordnance Survey map of 1876 shows the site of a guild hall in Vicarage Mead, off Newbiggen Street.<ref name="NLSmap">{{cite web |title=OS Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/102341834#zoom=8&lat=6342&lon=13677&layers=BT |website=National Library of Scotland |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> An historical account of the town in 1831 states that the "mote hall" [the extant guildhall] was being used as a school and the "guild hall" was the town workhouse.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Wright|first1=Thomas|url=https://archive.org/details/historytopograph02wrig|title=The history and topography of the county of Essex, comprising its ancient and modern history. A general view of its physical character, productions, agricultural condition, statistics &c. &c|last2=Bartlett|first2=W.|publisher=Geo. Virtue|year=1831|location=London|pages=242}}</ref>

In 1556, the town took advantage of the fact that the lord of the manor was a minor to request incorporation of the borough, which was granted by [[Philip and Mary]], allowing a town government consisting of a mayor, two bailiffs, twenty-four burgesses, a court, a recorder and two serjeants at law, amongst other officers. The Charter describes the borough as having fallen into "great ruin and decay by reason of great poverty and necessity"; the charter may have signalled an effort to revitalise the fortunes of the town and was reconfirmed by [[Elizabeth I]] and [[James VI and I|James I]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Steer|first=Francis|title=Thaxted in Essex: A short guide to the buildings of historical and architectural interest|publisher=Thaxted Festival of Britain Committee|year=1951|pages=2–3}}</ref> However, despite efforts to encourage the development of the wool trade in the town with the creation of a guild of clothiers in 1583, Thaxted's fortunes did not return. The charter was extinguished in 1686 after the town was unable to challenge a [[quo warranto]] writ by [[James II of England|James II]].<ref name=":3" />

==Governance==
Thaxted Parish Council consists of 11 elected members who each serve a term of 4 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thaxted |url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=www.thaxted.co.uk}}</ref> The [[Parish councils in England|parish council]] is responsible for managing certain amenities and open spaces, including the Recreation Ground and Sports Pavilion, the [[John Webb's Mill, Thaxted|Windmill]], Bolford Street Hall, the allotments, the public car parks in Park Street and Margaret Street, the public toilets, Margaret Street Gardens and the green space at [[Cutlers Green]].

Thaxted lies within the Thaxted and the Eastons Ward for [[Uttlesford|Uttlesford District Council]] which elects two representatives to serve on the district council. Thaxted lies within the Thaxted Division (or super ward) for [[Essex County Council]], which also covers the surrounding villages of Ashdon, Debden, Little Dunmow, the Eastons, Felsted, Hempstead, the Sampfords, Stebbing and Wimbish, and elects one county councillor.

The Thaxted [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|electoral ward]] had a recorded population of 5,291 at the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thaxted & the Eastons |url=https://censusdata.uk/e05009930-thaxted--the-eastons |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=censusdata.uk |language=en}}</ref>

Thaxted acquired [[Ancient borough|borough]] status sometime in the fifteenth century.<ref name=":2" /> It was incorporated by charter in 1556 as a borough and "body corporate and politic", governed by a common council of twenty-four "capital burgesses" including an elected mayor, and seated at the Guildhall<ref name=":4" /> The borough status lapsed in 1686,<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Guildhall|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/tourism/places-to-visit/the-guildhall|access-date=2020-10-03|website=thaxted.co.uk}}</ref> but Thaxted continues to be referred to as a "town" by its inhabitants.

==Demography==
In 1829, there were 2,293 people living in Thaxted; in 1848 there were 2,527. At the time of the 1881 census, that figure had fallen to 1,914, and it fell further by 1921 to 1,596.

In 2001, the population had risen again to 2,526. The 2011 census put the total population of Thaxted  at 2,845.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/media/8683/Thaxted-Neighbourhood-Plan-incorporating-examiner-s-amendments/pdf/TNP_2017-2033_A.pdf?m=637073445835700000|title=Thaxted Neighbourhood Plan 2017-2033|publisher=Uttlesford District Council|year=2019|pages=11}}</ref> By the 2021 census, the figure had risen to 3,116 inhabitants.<ref name="citypopulation.de">{{cite web | url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/eastofengland/essex/E63004008__thaxted/ | title=Thaxted (Essex, East of England, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information }}</ref>

== Education ==
Thaxted County Primary School was established in 1878 under the [[Elementary Education Act 1870|1870 Education Act]].<ref name=":8" /> It still occupies the fine Victorian building on the eastern edge of the town built for it in 1880 and is run by Essex County Council.

Thaxted lies within the secondary education catchment area for the [[Helena Romanes School]] in Great Dunmow.

There are a number of preschools in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Education|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/residents/education|access-date=2020-10-31|website=thaxted.co.uk}}</ref>

The 1556 Borough Charter provided for setting up a [[grammar school]].<ref name=":4" /> This occupied the Guildhall from 1714 until it closed in 1878. A day school, operated by the Church of England, opened in 1819 and was housed in a building funded by Lord Maynard on the Broxted Road. The non-conformists established a rival British School in Bolford Street in 1856. Both schools ceased to operate when the Primary School was established in 1878.<ref name=":8" />

From 1944 to 1962, the [[Lavi|Bachad]] Farm Institute, located on a farm at Bardfield End Green, provided agricultural training to young Jewish refugees, including many from the [[Kindertransport]], as part of a network of [[hakhshara]] youth training farms.<ref>{{Cite thesis|title=Ploughing a Furrow to Zion: Fostering Ideals and Identities through the Agricultural Training of European Jewish Youth – A Case Study of the Bachad Movement 1928-1962|url=https://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/6667/|publisher=University of London|date=2017-09-01|degree=masters|language=en|first=Verity|last=Steele}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=HOME|url=https://www.veritysteele.org/|access-date=2020-10-06|website=Verity Steele|language=en}}</ref>

== Amenities ==
Thaxted Public Library is operated by Essex County Council and located in Town Street.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thaxted Library|url=https://libraries.essex.gov.uk/library-locations-and-opening-times/thaxted-library/|access-date=2020-10-31|website=libraries.essex.gov.uk}}</ref> A Community and Tourist Information Office is located within the Library, staffed by volunteers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Information Centre & Library|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/residents/information-centre-library|access-date=2020-10-31|website=thaxted.co.uk}}</ref>

There are a number of venues for meetings in the town. The [[Thaxted Guildhall|Guildhall]] is sometimes used for events, meetings and exhibitions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Guildhall|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/tourism/places-to-visit/the-guildhall|access-date=2020-11-01|website=thaxted.co.uk}}</ref> Bolford Street Hall, formerly the British School built in 1849, is maintained by the parish council.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bolford Street Hall|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/joomultra-directory/12-venues/28-bolford-street-hall|access-date=2020-10-31|website=Thaxted Parish Council|language=en-gb}}</ref> Thaxted Church Hall in Margaret Street in maintained by the Thaxted Church Hall Trust together with the parish church.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thaxted Church Hall|url=https://www.thaxtedchurchhall.co.uk/|access-date=2020-10-31|website=thaxtedchurchhall.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>

Thaxted Parish Council maintains public parks and open spaces, including the Margaret Street Garden, the Recreation Ground and Sports Pavilion, Walnut Tree Meadow in Copthall Lane, and the greens at [[Cutlers Green]] and [[Bardfield End Green]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Open Spaces|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/tourism/places-to-visit/open-spaces|access-date=2020-10-31|website=thaxted.co.uk}}</ref> The latter is the location of the cricket ground. There are numerous public footpaths offering walks and hiking opportunities; the [[Harcamlow Way]] long-distance trail passes through the town.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Harcamlow Way – Long Distance Walkers Association|url=https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Harcamlow+Way|access-date=2020-10-31|website=ldwa.org.uk|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Thaxted Surgery, situated in Margaret Street, provides general practice healthcare to the community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thaxted Surgery |url=https://www.thaxted-surgery.co.uk/ |website=Thaxted Surgery |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> The Thaxted Centre for the Disabled, founded in 1963 and situated on Dunmow Road, supports persons with physical disabilities through volunteers and community fundraising.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Thaxted Centre For The Disabled |url=http://www.the-trumpet.co.uk/community/thaxted-disabled-centre/index.html |website=Trumpet.co.uk |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref>

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service maintains an on-call fire station in Thaxted, with locally based firefighters on standby to respond to incidents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thaxted Fire Station |url=https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/about-us/fire-stations/thaxted-fire-station |website=Essex County Fire & Rescue Service |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref>

==Culture and community==
[[File:Morrismen at Thaxted - geograph.org.uk - 158171.jpg|thumb|Thaxted Morris Men|327x327px]]
Between 2007 and 2009, a [[village design statement]] was produced for Thaxted to describe the character of the town and parish and to inform any future development. It was drawn up after consultation with local residents and under the auspices of Thaxted Parish Council and the Thaxted Society, and was published after further consultation with the [[rural community council]] and [[Uttlesford|Uttlesford District Council]].<ref name=ThaxtedVDS>[https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=1396&p=0 ''Thaxted Design Statement'']. Retrieved 1 August 2018</ref>

The Thaxted Society is a conservation charity founded in 1963 to safeguard and promote Thaxted's legacy.<ref>{{cite web |title=What we do |url=https://www.thaxtedsociety.com/what-we-do |website=The Thaxted Society |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> It publishes the ''Thaxted Bulletin'' twice a year, with the 100th edition appearing in winter 2017. The society's remit is to scrutinise and respond to local planning and Government planning regulation and policy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thaxted Society Constitution|url=https://494399e8-d4e8-463e-9528-1a5af4b0bf86.filesusr.com/ugd/da3a34_0082aa195c0e4e0a9f62af9864351be3.pdf|access-date=9 October 2020|website=Thaxted Society}}</ref>

The annual Thaxted Festival takes place over four weekends in June and July every year,<ref>{{cite web |title=A timeless musical experience |url=https://www.thaxtedfestival.co.uk/ |website=Thaxted Festival |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> presenting a programme of musical concerts.<ref name="EL0908">{{cite journal|last=Ward|first=Amy|date=September 2008|title=A Centre for Culture|url=http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=&refresh=Xx310Ki2Lg80&EID=ae1ff680-f48b-4a38-9931-2ac69df9011d&skip=true|url-access=subscription|journal=Essex Life|publisher=Archant|pages=94|access-date=24 January 2009}}</ref>

Thaxted Cricket Club represents the town and parish. The club's teams play in the Herts & Essex Border League, play Sunday Friendlies, and in under-12 and under-15 competitions.<ref>[http://thaxted.cricketclubwebsite.co.uk/default.aspx Thaxted Cricket Club]. Retrieved 2 August 2018</ref>

Thaxted's football club, Thaxted Rangers, was formed in 1998 and has a senior team and youth teams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thaxted Rangers |url=http://www.the-trumpet.co.uk/community/thaxted-rangers/ |website=Trumpet.co.uk |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref>

Thaxted Bowling Club was founded in 1965 and has a green and clubhouse off Park Street.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thaxted Bowling Club – Club History|url=http://www.thaxtedbowlsclub.co.uk/club_history.htm|access-date=2020-11-07|website=thaxtedbowlsclub.co.uk}}</ref>

Thaxted Tennis Club operates from tennis courts situated on Dunmow Road at the southern entrance to the town.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thaxted Tennis Club |url=https://www.thaxtedtennis.org |website=Thaxted Tennis Club |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref>

Thaxted Morris Men is a [[Morris dance|morris side]], which was founded in 1911 under the instigation of [[Conrad Noel]], Vicar of Thaxted, as a response to a renewed interest in morris dancing. The side (team) performed locally as part of coronation celebrations for [[George V]].<ref>[http://www.thaxtedmorris.org/ Thaxted Morris Men]. Retrieved 2 August 2018</ref>

Since 2001, Thaxted has been [[Sister city|twinned]] with [[Saint-Vrain, Essonne|Saint-Vrain]] in the French [[Departments of France|department]] of [[Essonne]]. A [[twinning association]] aims to promote friendship and cultural understanding and to foster the relationship between the two towns and their people.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thaxted Twinning Association|url=http://www.the-trumpet.co.uk/community/thaxted-twinning/index.html|access-date=2020-10-09}}</ref>

According to a local vicar, in local Essex dialect the word "thaxted" meant "sharp, clever" – an apparent reference to the former cutlery industry.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gepp|first=Edward|url=https://archive.org/details/contributiontoes00geppuoft|title=A contribution to an Essex dialect dictionary|publisher=G. Routledge|year=1920|location=London|pages=36}}</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Thaxted railway station (postcard).jpg|thumb|Thaxted Railway Station, which closed in 1952.]]
Thaxted once lay on the busy [[A130 road|A130 trunk road]] from Chelmsford to Cambridge which brought large trucks through the centre of the town past the Guildhall and Church. In the 1980s, this route was downgraded to become the B184 road<ref>{{cite web |title=B184 |url=https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=B184 |website=Sabre |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> following completion of the [[M11 motorway]] and the [[A120 road|A120 dual carriageway]]. Ordnance Survey maps show a Roman road running north to south through Thaxted.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Map of Braintree & Saffron Walden|url=https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/map-of-braintree-saffron-walden/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Ordnance Survey Limited|language=en}}</ref>

Thaxted is connected to the local towns and villages, as well as to [[London Stansted Airport|Stansted Airport]], by local bus services, operated by [[Stephensons of Essex]]. Uttlesford District Council runs a community travel service for residents who have difficulty using public transport.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Uttlesford Community Travel – Helping Residents Get Around|url=http://uttlesfordcommunitytravel.org/|access-date=2020-11-01|website=Uttlesford Community Travel|language=en-US}}</ref>

From 1913 to 1952, Thaxted was served by a light railway branch line from [[Elsenham]] which ran to a [[Thaxted railway station|terminus station]] located about one mile south of the town. The line, the [[Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway]], was known to locals as the "Gin and Toffee" line because the main investors where a local sweet factory owner and a distillery magnate.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book|last=Oppitz|first=Leslie|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/20800104|title=East Anglia Railways Remembered|publisher=Countryside|year=1989|isbn=1-85306-040-2|location=Newbury|page=105|oclc=20800104}}</ref> Passenger traffic ceased on 15 September 1952 and the line closed definitively on 1 June 1953.

Between 1916 and 1919, Thaxted hosted a Home Defence aircraft landing ground. The unit was equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2|BE2]] and [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12|BE12]] variants fighters of [[No. 75 Squadron RAF|No. 75 Squadron]] until the summer of 1918, and thereafter with [[Avro 504|Avro 504Ks]] and [[Bristol F.2 Fighter|Bristol F2bs]]. The site was decommissioned at the end of the First World War in 1919. The landing ground was located north of Bardfield End Green.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thaxted – Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/thaxted/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=abct.org.uk}}</ref>

==Landmarks and notable buildings==
[[File:Horham-Hall-Essex.jpg|thumb|Horham Hall]]
[[Thaxted Parish Church]] is a fine example of English Perpendicular church architecture built between 1340 and 1510 and a testament to the prosperity of the town in the Middle Ages. It is one of the largest churches in Essex, 183 feet long and 87 feet wide with a spire reaching 181 feet and is dedicated to St John the Baptist with Our Lady and St Laurence.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|title=The Churches of Thaxted, The Sampfords, Radwinter and Hempstead|url=https://www.ttsrh.org/history|access-date=2020-10-02|website=ttsrh.org|language=en}}</ref>

[[Thaxted Guildhall]] is a Grade I listed timber-framed medieval moot hall in the main high street.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GUILDHALL, Thaxted – 1112905 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1112905|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref> It was built in the late 15th century, supposedly with funding from the significant cutlery industry, hence the assumption that it served the cutlers' guild.

[[John Webb's Mill, Thaxted|John Webb's Windmill]] is a restored brick tower mill, built in 1810, standing to the south of the church. The view of the windmill from the Bullring, framed by the almshouses, is a classic Essex postcard view. The Almshouses consist of the thatched Chantry House<ref>{{Cite web|title=THE CHANTRY, Thaxted – 1322220 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1322220|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref> and the tiled Almshouses building<ref>{{Cite web|title=ALMSHOUSES, Thaxted – 1165533 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1165533|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref> of 1714, the latter still in use providing accommodation for elderly people.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Almshouses|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/tourism/places-to-visit/almshouses|access-date=2020-10-04|website=thaxted.co.uk}}</ref>

[[Horham Hall]] is a Grade I [[Listed building|listed]] mansion to the south-east of the town of Thaxted.<ref>{{Cite web|title=HORHAM HALL, Thaxted – 1165290 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1165290|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=HORHAM HALL, Thaxted – 1322572 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1322572|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref> It was built in brick by Sir John Cutte between 1510 and 1515, on the site of a [[timber-framed]] late–{{circa|1470}} moated [[manor house]].

Clarence House is a Grade I listed Queen Anne townhouse in Watling Street, opposite the church. It was built in 1715 and retains many original features.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CLARENCE HOUSE, Thaxted – 1166193 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1166193|access-date=2020-10-04|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref> Its garden wall is Grade I listed separately.<ref>{{Cite web|title=GARDEN WALL TO CLARENCE HOUSE FRONTING BELL LANE AND MARGARET STREET, Thaxted – 1322228 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1322228|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref>

Dick Turpin's Cottage is one of a group of timber-framed terrace houses in picturesque Stoney Lane, but there is no evidence to support its association with the famous highwayman.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thaxted – Short History of Thaxted|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/tourism/ten-centuries-of-history/short-history-of-thaxted|access-date=2020-10-04|website=thaxted.co.uk}}</ref> It, along with Nos. 2 and 4 either side, are Grade I listed buildings.<ref>{{Cite web|title=3, STONEY LANE, Thaxted – 1112934 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1112934|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref>

On the south side of Town Street, the former Recorder's House – named because it was once the home of the first [[Recorder (judge)|Recorder]] under the 1556 Charter, Serjeant Bendlowes – has carvings beneath the windows including the arms of [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Steer|first=Francis|title=Thaxted in Essex: A short account of the buildings of historical and architectural interest|publisher=Thaxted Festival of Britain Committee|year=1951|pages=4}}</ref> It is Grade II* listed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=RECORDER'S HOUSE, Thaxted – 1112902 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1112902|access-date=2020-10-23|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref>

== Thaxted and music ==
[[File:Gustav Holst blue plaque Thaxted Essex England.jpg|thumb|Gustav Holst lived in Thaxted from 1917 to 1925]]
In the twentieth century, Thaxted developed a musical tradition that can be traced back to the influence of the composer, [[Gustav Holst]], and [[Conrad Noel]], the vicar of Thaxted.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Holst|first=Imogen|title=Gustav Holst and Thaxted: A Short Account of the Composer's Association with the Town of Thaxted Between 1913 and 1925|publisher=Mark Arman|year=1995|isbn=0946943109|location=Thaxted}}</ref>

In 1913, while on a walking holiday, Holst discovered the town and remained associated with it for the rest of his life. Encouraged by the vicar, Conrad Noel, a medievalist and folk-dancing and church music enthusiast, Holst had the idea of organizing a Whitsun festival there, bringing singers and players from [[St Paul's Girls' School]] and [[Morley College Choir|Morley College]] in London to join with local people in a weekend of musical festivities. In 1916, once he had finished [[The Planets]], he devoted time to writing and arranging music especially for Thaxted. The carols ''Bring us in good ale'' (dedicated to Conrad Noel), [[Lullay My Liking|''Lullay my liking'']], ''Of one that is so fair and bright'' and ''Terly, terlow'' were specifically written for Thaxted. His most outstanding achievement was ''[[This Have I Done for My True Love|This have I done for my true love]]'' (also dedicated to Noel), "an evocation of the medieval notion of dancing and religious worship being closely intertwined".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Holst: This have I done for my true love & other choral works|url=https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDH55171|access-date=2020-10-03|website=Hyperion Records|language=en}}</ref> Holst's daughter, [[Imogen Holst]], a composer in her own right, also maintained links with the town.

Although the Whitsun Festival was discontinued in 1918, the idea was revived in 1980 and flourishes as the [https://www.thaxtedfestival.co.uk Thaxted Festival].

[[Thaxted (tune)|Thaxted]] is the name given to a hymn tune, a setting for "[[I Vow to Thee, My Country]]", which Holst composed, based on the theme of "Jupiter" in his orchestral [[The Planets|Planets]] suite.<ref name="Guardian2007" /> Holst wrote the Planets whilst living in a cottage in Monks Street outside Thaxted.

== Thaxted and Morris dancing ==
The Thaxted Morris Men were formed in 1911<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Thaxted Morris |url=http://www.thaxtedmorris.org/history.html |website=Thaxted Morris Men |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> as part of the Morris dancing revival underway in the first half of the twentieth century. The Thaxted Morris is now the oldest revival side in the country.

During the Great War, many active Morris men were killed, and the Morris was predominantly women. By the 1930s, men predominated again. In 1934, the year that Holst died, the Cambridge Morris Men invited five other teams (Letchworth, Thaxted, East Surrey, Greensleeves and Oxford) to join them in the formation of a national organisation. Five of the six teams met at Thaxted on 11 May 1934 to inaugurate [[Morris Ring|The Morris Ring]].

The Ring, which has grown to around 180 sides, organises regular meetings. The annual Thaxted Morris Weekend, which takes place on the [[Spring Bank Holiday]] weekend, welcomes sides from all over the United Kingdom and the world. The weekend consists of a series of dancing tours, in which teams dance in the villages surrounding Thaxted, before reconvening in the town. The final dance of the evening is always the evocative [[Abbots Bromley Horn Dance]], performed by the host side from Thaxted, winding their way from the churchyard, down Stoney Lane and past the Guildhall, accompanied by a solitary fiddler. The Morris Weekend is a major tourist attraction pulling visitors to the town each year.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Read|first=Julian|title=A Thaxted tradition|url=https://www.essexlifemag.co.uk/out-about/places/a-thaxted-tradition-1-3626230|journal=Essex Life Magazine|date=3 June 2014|access-date=11 October 2020}}</ref>

==Thaxted in film==
The town and surrounding countryside feature in the documentary film ''Ripe Earth'', directed and produced by the [[Boulting brothers|Boulting Brothers]] in 1938.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ripe Earth 1938, Thaxted (Essex) |url=https://eafa.org.uk/work/?id=2292 |website=University of East Anglia: East Anglian Film Archive |access-date=18 August 2023}}</ref> The ten-minute film depicts the gathering of the [[harvest]] in Rails Farm and the [[Harvest Festival (United Kingdom)|harvest festival]] celebration in the church, including [[Conrad Noel]] at the altar.

The town was used as the location for the 1952 British [[comedy film]] ''[[Time Gentlemen, Please!]]''<ref>{{cite web |title=Time Gentlemen Please |url=https://www.reelstreets.com/films/time-gentlemen-please/ |website=Reel Streets |access-date=26 November 2019}}</ref> The film was directed by [[Lewis Gilbert]], starred [[Eddie Byrne]], and also featured [[Dora Bryan]] and [[Sid James]].

Part of [[Pier Paolo Pasolini|Passolini]]'s [[The Canterbury Tales (film)|''The Canterbury Tales (I racconti di Canterbury)'']] was filmed in Thaxted: the unrestored [[John Webb's Mill, Thaxted|Windmill]], with the church spire in the distance, formed the backdrop to the scene depicting the Summoner, the Devil and the Old Woman in [[The Friar's Tale]], somewhat anachronistically since the tower mill is a nineteenth century structure of the Industrial Revolution that would have been unknown in [[Chaucerian]] times.

==Notable people==

<!--Any non-notable people in this list will be removed (red-linked or not) – if an editor considers someone is notable, write a Wikipedia article on them first, or provide multiple reputable independent sources to show they deserve an article and are associated with Thaxted to avoid removal. Those here with Wikipedia articles need added citations to prove a link with Thaxted to avoid removal... uncited mention of Thaxted in their articles is not enough... WP does not self-reference.-->[[File:Brass of priest, Thaxted.jpg|thumb|A brass in Thaxted Church is reputed to be [[Robert Wydow]].]]

*[[Robert Wydow]] or Wedow ({{Circa|1446}} – 1505), an English poet, church musician, and religious figure, was born in Thaxted and was vicar of the town from 1481 to 1489. He attended Eton College and King's College Cambridge, and is the first known recipient of a Bachelor of Music degree in England, awarded by Oxford University in 1478 or 1479. Wydow's contemporaries held him in high esteem as a poet and musician, describing him as "an excellent poet", and "easily the finest" of [[Latin]] authors of the time. However, only a few lines of his poetry survive and none of his music. The surviving brass in the Parish Church is reputed to be his likeness. Wedow Road, in the town, commemorates him.
*Sir John Cutte (d. 1520), Under-Treasurer to [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] and [[Henry VIII]], built [[Horham Hall]] on the site of an earlier house.<ref name=":1" /> His grandson, Sir John Cutte (1545-1615), hosted Queen [[Elizabeth I]] in 1571 (nine days) and 1578 (six days).<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Elizabethan Court Day by Day – Folgerpedia|url=https://folgerpedia.folger.edu/The_Elizabethan_Court_Day_by_Day|access-date=2020-10-12|website=folgerpedia.folger.edu}}</ref>
*Sir [[John Alleyn (mercer)|John Alleyn or Allen]] (c.1470-1544), mercer in the City of London, was born in Thaxted.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|title=Allen, Sir John (c. 1470–1544), mayor of London|url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-68011|access-date=2020-11-11|year = 2004|language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/68011}}</ref> He served two terms as [[Lord Mayor of London]], in 1525 and 1535.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Addenda: The Mayors and Sheriffs of London {{!}} British History Online|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/new-history-london/pp889-893|access-date=2020-11-11|website=british-history.ac.uk}}</ref> His immediate predecessor as Lord Mayor, Sir William Bailey, serving in 1524, was also from Thaxted.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Orridge|first=B. B.|title=Some Account of the Citizens of London and Their Rulers, from 1060 to 1867|publisher=Tegg|year=1867|location=London|pages=226}}</ref>
* [[Samuel Purchas]] (1577–1626), English cleric and author, was born in the town. His works are an important source of information about the age of exploration.<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Purchas, Samuel |volume=22 |page=659}}</ref> He graduated from [[St John's College, Cambridge]], in 1600.<ref>{{acad|id=PRCS594S|name=Purchas, Samuel}}</ref> His most famous work, ''[[iarchive:hakluytusposthum01purcuoft|Hakluytus Posthumus, or Purchas his Pilgrimes, Contayning a History of the World, in Sea Voyages, & Lande Travels, by Englishmen and others]]'' (1625) is a massive compilation of accounts by Elizabethan and Jacobean travellers of their journeys around the world. Yet he noted with some irony that "I, which have written so much of travellers and travels, never travelled 200 miles from Thaxted in Essex where I was borne".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Purchas|first=Samuel|url=https://archive.org/details/hakluytusposthum01purcuoft|title=Hakluytus posthumus, or Purchas his pilgrimes : contayning a history of the world in sea voyages and lande travells by Englishmen and others; Volume I|publisher=J. Maclehose|others=1905 edition printed by Glasgow University Press|year=1625|location=Glasgow|pages=201}}</ref>
* [[Dick Turpin]] (1705–39), the famous [[highwayman]], was born in nearby [[Hempstead, Essex|Hempstead]] and was reputed to have run a butcher's shop in Thaxted.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barlow|first=Derek|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/798125|title=Dick Turpin and the Gregory Gang.|publisher=Phillimore|year=1973|isbn=0-900592-64-8|location=London|pages=8|oclc=798125}}</ref> Contemporary biographies claiming that he was born in Thaxted are erroneous; and there is no evidence to support a connection with the cottage in Stoney Lane that carries his name.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}[[File:Samuel Purchas.jpg|thumb|[[Samuel Purchas]] never travelled further than 200 miles from Thaxted, the town of his birth, yet became famous for his works on global travel from the [[age of Discovery]]. He was a contemporary of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]].]]
*[[John Fell (tutor)|John Fell]] (1733–97), Classical scholar and author, lived in Thaxted from 1770 as minister of the [[Congregational church|Congregationalist]] chapel. He was friends with Rayner Heckford, a Saxon scholar, whose family owned Clarence House. Whilst in Thaxted, he tutored the young [[Richard Sharp (politician)|Richard "Conversation" Sharp]] (1759-1835), who went on to become a famous wit, literary figure and a Member of Parliament.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simcoe|first=Ethel|title=A Short History of the Parish and Ancient Borough of Thaxted|publisher=Hart|year=1934|location=Saffron Walden|pages=117}}</ref>
*Alfred Paget Humphry (1850-1916), barrister, is buried in Thaxted. He bought Horham Hall in 1905 and lived there until his death. He was a renowned champion rifle shooter and wrote ''First Hints at Rifle Shooting'' (1876).<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Munro|first=Bruce|title=Some Stately Homes of North-west Essex|url=https://saffronwaldenhistoricalsociety.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/the-stately-homes-of-nw-essex.pdf|journal=Saffron Walden Historical Journal|volume=14, 15 & 17}}</ref>
*[[Conrad Noel]] (1869–1942), [[Christian socialism|Christian socialist]], was known as the town's 'Red Vicar', serving in the post from 1910 until his death.<ref name="Salt">{{cite web|url=http://www.henrysalt.co.uk/friends/conrad-noel|title=Conrad Noel|website=Henry S. Salt Archive|access-date=25 November 2014}}</ref> He played a key role in the [[Morris dance|morris dancing]] revival in the town. He enjoyed the patronage of [[Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick|Daisy, Countess of Warwick]], of [[Easton Lodge]].
*Launcelot Alfred [[Viscount Torrington|Cramner-Byng]] (1872-1945), [[Sinology|sinologist]] and author, lived at Folly Mill, near Monk Street. He translated many works of Chinese literature.
*[[Gustav Holst]] (1874-1934), the British composer of [[The Planets]], lived in The Manse (then called The Steps) in the High Street. His residency is marked by a [[blue plaque]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gustav Holst|url=https://www.thaxted.co.uk/index.php/tourism/ten-centuries-of-history/gustav-holst|access-date=2020-10-03|website=thaxted.co.uk}}</ref> His daughter, [[Imogen Holst]], also lived in the town in her youth.
*Alec Butler Hunter (1899-1958), textile designer, lived at Market Cross, a fine medieval house next to the Guildhall, from 1944 until his death.<ref>{{Cite web|title='Birthplace' of Morris revival comes onto the market|url=https://www.mullucks.co.uk/feature-news/birthplace-of-morris-revival-comes-onto-the-market/127101|access-date=2020-10-10|website=mullucks.co.uk}}</ref> He worked for [[Warner & Sons]], the textile manufacturer in nearby Braintree, and was a President of the [[Society of industrial artists|Society of Industrial Artists]].<ref>{{Cite journal|date=1958-02-01|title=Alec Butler Hunter|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/19447015808688328|journal=Journal of the Textile Institute Proceedings|volume=49|issue=2|pages=P84|doi=10.1080/19447015808688328|issn=1944-7019|url-access=subscription}}</ref> He was an active supporter of Morris dancing revival and the first Squire of the [[Morris Ring]].<ref name=":0" /> The [[Alec Hunter Academy]] in Braintree is named after him.
*[[George Binney|Sir George Binney]] (1900– 72), Arctic explorer, lived at Horham Hall from 1946 to 1969.
*[[W. E. Shewell-Cooper]] (1900–82), gardener and pioneer of organic gardening, lived and worked at Prior's Hall, outside the town, from 1948 to 1960, where he ran a training college promoting organic horticulture.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Conford|first=Philip|date=Summer 2009|title=Gardeners and Growers|url=https://www.organicgrowersalliance.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/OG9n.pdf|journal=The Organic Grower: Journal of the Organic Growers Alliance|number=9|pages=24}}</ref>
*[[Alan Rawsthorne]] (1904-1971), English composer, and his wife [[Isabel Nicholas|Isabel Rawsthorne (née Nicholas)]] (1912-1992), English painter and scenery designer, are both buried in Thaxted churchyard. They lived in a cottage in the neighbouring village of [[Little Sampford]]. 
*[[Isabel Alexander]] (1910-1996), artist and illustrator, lived in Thaxted  between 1949-1964 while working at Saffron Walden Teacher Training College.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Alex |first1=Robin |last2=er |date=2022-11-22 |title=Isabel Alexander: Artist and Illustrator |url=https://www.walesartsreview.org/isabel-alexander-artist-and-illustrator/ |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=Wales Arts Review |language=en-US}}</ref> Some of her works depict Thaxted and the surrounding landscape.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Now representing: Isabel Alexander |url=https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/now-representing-isabel-alexander/11883 |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=www.bridgemanimages.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Results for  |url=https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/search?filter_creator_id=43999 |access-date=2023-04-08 |website=www.bridgemanimages.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Isabel Alexander: Artist and Illustrator |url=https://www.parthianbooks.com/products/isabel-alexander-artist-and-illustrator |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Parthian Books |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Donald Hall]] (1928-2018), American poet and writer, spent a year in Thaxted between 1959 and 1960, during which time he wrote his collection of poems, ''A Roof of Tiger Lilies,'' and his short story collection, ''A String Too Short To Be Saved''.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hall|first1=Donald|last2=Hamilton|first2=David|date=1985|title=An Interview with Donald Hall|journal=The Iowa Review|volume=15|issue=1|pages=1–17|doi=10.17077/0021-065X.3148|jstor=20156112|issn=0021-065X|doi-access=free}}</ref> His poem, ''An American in an Essex Village,'' describes a walk around the town at that time, including the church and the then derelict windmill whose "ruin appals only an eye which invents a landscape which needs it."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hall|first=Donald|date=1962|title=An American in an Essex Village|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3848544|journal=The Hudson Review|volume=15|issue=2|pages=235–237|doi=10.2307/3848544|jstor=3848544|issn=0018-702X|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
*[[Evelyn Anthony]] (Evelyn Bridgett Patricia Ward-Thomas) (1926-2018), novelist, lived at Horham Hall from 1968 to 1976 and again from 1982 to her death.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kean|first=Danuta|date=2018-10-10|title=Evelyn Anthony obituary|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/10/evelyn-anthony-obituary|access-date=2020-10-03|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Her most successful novel was ''[[The Tamarind Seed]],'' which was made into a feature film.
*[[Diana Wynne Jones]], author of ''[[Howl's Moving Castle (novel)|Howl's Moving Castle]]'' and other novels, was raised in the town.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/diana-wynne-jones-doyenne-of-fantasy-writers-whose-books-for-children-paved-the-way-for-jk-rowling-2257675.html |title=Diana Wynne Jones: Doyenne of fantasy writers whose books for children paved the way for JK Rowling |last=Butler |first=Charlie |newspaper=The Independent |date=31 March 2011 |access-date=1 August 2018}}</ref>
*[[Genista McIntosh, Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall]], the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[life peer]], lived in Thaxted from 2002 to 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Friends of Thaxted Church|title=Friend's News: 2019|url=https://www.friendsofthaxtedchurch.com/copy-of-2017|access-date=2020-10-16|website=fotc|language=en}}</ref> She spoke in praise of [[Thaxted Parish Church]] in a debate in the [[House of Lords]] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=My Lords, I shall speak briefly in...: 12 Jun 2014: House of Lords debates|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2014-06-12a.566.0|access-date=2020-10-09|website=TheyWorkForYou|language=en}}</ref>

== Places of worship ==
[[File:Thaxted Baptist Church - geograph.org.uk - 845347.jpg|thumb|269x269px|Baptist Church in Park Street]]
The [[Thaxted Parish Church|Church of Saint John the Baptist with Our Lady and Saint Laurence]], the [[Church of England parish church]], is a large [[Perpendicular Gothic|English Perpendicular]] style medieval church which commands the town from the hilltop. The church was, in the twentieth century, the centre of so-called "Thaxted Movement", which combined High Church Anglo-Catholicism with Christian Socialism. The benefice has since 2017 been joined to the neighbouring parishes of Hempstead, Radwinter and the Sampfords.<ref name=":7" />
[[File:Church, Bolford Street, Thaxted - geograph.org.uk - 1363032.jpg|thumb|268x268px|United Reformed Church in Bolford Street]]
In the eighteenth century, Thaxted became a centre for [[Nonconformist (Protestantism)|non-conformity]] when an independent meeting house was established. This became a Congregationalist Chapel at which the minister was [[John Fell (tutor)|John Fell]]. The [[United Reformed Church]], in Bolford Street, was built in 1876 on the site of the earlier Congregationalist chapel.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last=Arman|first=Mark|title=An historical guide and brief tour of the Ancient Town of Thaxted in Essex|year=1983|isbn=0946943001|location=Thaxted}}</ref> The [[Baptists|Baptist Church]], in Park Street, occupies a Georgian building dating from 1832.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BAPTIST CHAPEL, Thaxted – 1322232 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1322232|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref> There was once also a [[Friends meeting house|Quaker meeting house]] at Mill End: the building was later incorporated into the sweet factory and still exists.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MP UNITED DRUG COMPANY (BUILDING ADJOINING TO SOUTH EAST OF PREVIOUS ITEM AND FRONTING ROAD), Thaxted – 1112946 {{!}} Historic England|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1112946|access-date=2020-10-31|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref> The [[Exclusive Brethren]] established a meeting house in the Tanyard in the 1940s.

In 1942, a [[Catholic Church in England and Wales|Roman Catholic Church]], dedicated to the English Martyrs, was built in Park Street. With the building recently condemned, the congregation are currently making use of the Lady Chapel in the Anglican parish church.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Holy Spirit Great Bardfield & English Martyrs, Thaxted : Homepage|url=https://bardfieldandthaxted.org.uk/|access-date=2020-10-31|website=bardfieldandthaxted.org.uk}}</ref>

== Industry and commerce ==
The prosperity of Thaxted was once built on the cutlery and wool trades but by the seventeenth century these had wained. By the nineteenth century, Thaxted was a depressed agricultural backwater. In 1870, George Lee opened a sweet factory in the town, which rapidly became the major employer.<ref name=":8" /> It saved Thaxted, became a major employer and led to the advent the [[Elsenham & Thaxted Light Railway|light railway]], with the support of the gin magnate, [[Walter Gilbey|Sir Walter Gilbey]]. Because the railway was promoted by a gin distiller and a confectioner, it was known by the locals as "The Gin and Toffee Line".<ref name=":9" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Crosby|first=Tony|url=http://esah1852.org.uk/images/pdf/eiag/thaxted-branch.pdf|title=THE THAXTED BRANCH LINE SURVEY: An Archaeological Assessment of the Former Elsenham – Thaxted Light Railway|publisher=Essex Society for Archaeology and History (ESAH)|year=2010|series=Essex Industrial Archaeology Group (EIAG) Reports|pages=5}}</ref> The sweet factory closed in 1969 and its site, at the eastern entrance to the town, was used by a tea packing company and, from 1976 to 2013, by a pharmaceutical company.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our history|url=https://www.molecularproducts.com/about-us/our-history|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Molecular Products|language=en-US}}</ref> It has since been redeveloped for residential use.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Old Sweet Factory|url=https://www.molearchitects.co.uk/projects/masterplans/the-old-sweet-factory/|access-date=2020-10-07|website=Mole Architects}}</ref>
[[File:The Swan - geograph.org.uk - 1355381.jpg|thumb|268x268px|The Swan Hotel, an old coaching inn]]
[[Cedric Arnold]], a [[Pipe organ|pipe organ maker]], had a workshop at Mill End for many years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biographical Dictionary of the Organ {{!}} Cedric Arnold|url=https://www.organ-biography.info/index.php?id=Arnold_Cedric_c1907|access-date=2020-10-07|website=organ-biography.info}}</ref><ref name=":8" /> He built one of the organs in the parish church.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Churches of Thaxted, The Sampfords, Radwinter and Hempstead|url=https://www.ttsrh.org/history|access-date=2020-10-07|website=ttsrh.org|language=en}}</ref> The business was eventually subsumed by [[William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Ltd.|Messrs. Hill, Norman & Beard Ltd]]. and relocated away from Thaxted. Another light industry that came and went was the wiremaker, Cowell & Cooper, which opened in 1946 but moved to Haverhill in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cowell and Cooper|url=http://www.cowellandcooper.co.uk/about.htm|access-date=2020-10-31|website=cowellandcooper.co.uk}}</ref>

Agriculture remains an important part of the local economy.<ref name=":8" />

The town maintains a modest selection of shops, including a supermarket, a post office, a long-established hardware shop and a bakery, as well as a petrol station. When Thaxted was a borough, it acquired the right to hold a weekly market on Fridays.<ref name=":4" /> Although this lapsed, the market was revived in the 1990s and continues to be held most Fridays in Town Street. Since 2008, the market has been administered by the Parish Office.

Thaxted once possessed a copious number of public houses, but many have been lost.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lost Pubs in Thaxted, Essex|url=https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/essex/thaxted.html|access-date=2020-11-01|website=closedpubs.co.uk}}</ref> ''The Fox and Hounds'' on the northern entrance of the town is now a care home. ''The Bull'' in Newbiggen Street has become a private house, as has ''The Cock Inn'' in Watling Street. ''The Saracen's Head'' stood on the site now occupied by Saracen's Filling Station in the southern entrance to the town. Lowe's hardware shop in Town Street was once ''The Duke's Head'', a coaching inn. Bell Lane gets its name from ''The Bell'', which occupied the house on the corner with Watling Street that was subsequently the post office and is now an Indian restaurant. The ''Butchers Arms'' at Bardfield End Green, which once sustained the cricket club, has also closed.

Three public houses remain in the town itself: the ''Swan Hotel'', opposite the Church, is an historic coaching inn in a Grade II listed building;<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Swan Hotel {{!}} Thaxted {{!}} Official Website|url=https://www.greenekinginns.co.uk/hotels/swan-hotel-thaxted/|access-date=2020-11-01|website=greenekinginns.co.uk|language=en-GB}}</ref> the ''Star'', in Mill End, occupies a Grade II listed hall house from the fourteenth century;<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Star {{!}} Thaxted {{!}} The Star Inn Thaxted|url=https://www.thaxtedstar.com/|access-date=2020-11-01|website=Mysite|language=en}}</ref> The ''Maypole'', formerly the ''Rose & Crown,'' is at the top of Mill End opposite the petrol station. Outside the town is the ''Farmhouse Inn'', formerly the ''Greyhound'', a fifteenth-century hall house in the hamlet of Monk Street, on the road to Dunmow.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200" heights="150">
File:Church of St John Thaxted, Essex England - from southeast.jpg|Parish church of St John
File:Thaxted guildhall.JPG|The Guildhall and Stoney Lane, leading to the Parish Church
File:The Guildhall, Thaxted.jpg|The Guildhall, Thaxted
File:St John the Baptist, Thaxted, Essex - East end - geograph.org.uk - 334931.jpg|Nave, Thaxted Parish Church, Essex
File:Cmglee Thaxted almshouses windmill.jpg|Almshouses at the church, with the sailless John Webb's Windmill in the background
File:Cmglee Thaxted The Manse.jpg|''The Manse'' where composer [[Gustav Holst]] lived from 1917 to 1925
File:Thaxted Dick Turpin cottage.JPG|[[Dick Turpin]]'s cottage, suggesting the supposed association of the highwayman with Thaxted
File:Another view of the photogenic windmill at Thaxted - geograph.org.uk - 673885.jpg|John Webb's Windmill
File:Thaxted windmill - geograph.org.uk - 1355374.jpg|Thaxted Windmill
File:Thaxted Windmill and Church - geograph.org.uk - 158193.jpg|Thaxted Church and Windmill, from the south
File:Watling Street - geograph.org.uk - 846193.jpg|Watling Street, Thaxted
File:Houses, Watling Street, Thaxted - geograph.org.uk - 1363075.jpg|Houses in Watling Street, including Clarence House.
File:The Recorder's House - geograph.org.uk - 845324.jpg|The Recorder's House in Town Street, Thaxted
File:Thelwall Morrismen at Thaxted Ring Meeting - geograph.org.uk - 263068.jpg|Thelwall Morrismen at the Thaxted Ring Meeting
File:Watling Street houses - geograph.org.uk - 846177.jpg|Houses in Watling Street, opposite the north porch of the Parish Church, Thaxted
File:Cottage in Thaxted - geograph.org.uk - 846187.jpg|Cottage in Thaxted, opposite the north porch of the Parish Church
File:Village sign at Thaxted, Essex - geograph.org.uk - 223477.jpg|Town sign in Thaxted, Essex
File:Post Office Thaxted Essex England.jpg|Post Office in Thaxted, Essex
File:Gustav Holst house Thaxted Essex England.jpg|The Manse, former home of Gustav Holst in Town Street, Thaxted
File:Portrait of Samuel Purchas 48.jpg|Samuel Purchas, writer, born in Thaxted
File:Conrad Noel, Prophet and Priest - geograph.org.uk - 847527.jpg|Conrad Noel, Vicar of Thaxted from 1910 to 1942
File:The Borough, Thaxted (listed building) (geograph 4758992).jpg|The Borough, farm on the outskirts of Thaxted and a reminder of the town's former status as a borough and centre of industry
File:Thaxted 1744092 55a2e00f.jpg|The centre of Thaxted has changed little since 1961
File:Park Farm House, Thaxted (geograph 5517539).jpg|Park Farm House, Park Street, Thaxted
File:Thaxted, from the southern approach road - geograph.org.uk - 1502603.jpg|Thaxted from the Dunmow road to the south
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[The Hundred Parishes]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Thaxted}}
* [http://www.essexchurches.info/church.asp?p=Thaxted&ty=e Thaxted Church on Essex Churches website]
* [http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/stations/t/thaxted/index.shtml Pictures and information on Thaxted station from subbrit.org.uk]

{{Essex}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Thaxted| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Essex]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Essex]]
[[Category:Uttlesford]]