Broxted: Walking Routes and Historic Timber-Framed Houses

Broxted is a parish with old country lanes and lovely views. Walking routes and historic buildings give the village two distinct focal points: its countryside and architecture. If you are planning a hotel stay in Broxted, these themes can help you get a sense of the destination and weigh up your interests for your stay.

Walking routes through the countryside

There are two Hundred Parishes walks for ramblers, both with the same point of reference: Broxted Village Hall. Hundred Parishes Circular Walk No. 120 is a 5.5-mile (9 km) circular route through the countryside. It passes through parts of the parish of Broxted and the hamlet of Tilty in the neighbouring civil parish of Great Easton & Tilty. It starts and ends at the Village Hall.

Hundred Parishes Quiet Lane Walk No. 332 also starts and ends at Broxted Village Hall. Having the same start and end point makes it easier to orient yourself between the two options; the distance of 5.5 miles (9 km) applies to Circular Walk No. 120. This makes it clear which route the stated distance refers to, rather than attributing it to both walks.

The two walks connect Broxted with different aspects of its surroundings: for Circular Walk No. 120, both the distance and the route through parts of the parish and Tilty are specified. Quiet Lane Walk No. 332 is also anchored at the Village Hall. Together, the routes give a concrete sense of how walks in the countryside connect with Broxted itself.

Church and historic houses

The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Broxted dates from the early 13th century. Its north arcade was built in the early 15th century, and the church was substantially altered in the 14th and 15th centuries. A comprehensive restoration followed in 1875–1876. Two Hostage Windows add a later chapter to this history: the Window of Captivity and the Window of Freedom were installed after journalist John McCarthy was released in 1991.

The houses also showcase a range of building styles and periods. Knowles is a timber-framed house dating from the late 15th or early 16th century. Exposed external beams and a thatched half-hipped roof are among its defining features. A half-hipped roof combines sloping roof surfaces with a shortened hip at the gable end; at Knowles, it is finished with traditional thatch.

Other timber-framed houses date from later centuries. The Flying Rat is a plastered timber-framed house from the early 17th century with a thatched half-hipped roof. Walkers in Chaureth Green dates from the late 16th century and also has plastered timber framing and a thatched half-hipped roof. Water Hall, from the late 16th or early 17th century, is also plastered and has a thatched roof.

Chaureth Hall is a timber-framed house from the 17th century, extended in the 19th century. Its hipped roof is made of red plain tiles and grey slate. Brick House in Church End offers a contrast: this red-brick house dates from the early 18th century and has a half-hipped mansard roof covered with red tiles. Together, the houses show how timber framing, brick construction and different roof forms coexist in Broxted’s architectural history.

Discover more destinations: Castle Hedingham, Great Easton, Nazeing, Elsenham, Coggeshall, Little Waltham, Colchester, Manningtree.

For the wider travel overview: Essex.