The Area

Braintree (and its neighbour Bocking) has a long and interesting history.

A Bronze Age settlement developed into a flourishing market town located at the crossroads of two roman roads. King John issued the Market Charter of 1199, which still rules todays’ twice weekly market held on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The 14th Century woollen trade first brought wealth to the area whilst the 18th and 19th centuries saw silk weavers adding to the prosperity and leaving a legacy of fine architecture and listed buildings. This history is captured in the new Warner Textile Archive and Braintree District Museum.

George Yard Shopping Centre sits centrally in the shopping area which is compact but lively, including the High Street, Bank Street and surrounding smaller streets. Designed to fit into the conservation area, the Centres’ variety of bricks, shiplap and canopies - known as “Essex vernacular” - makes an appealing place to in which to shop and enjoy the tree lined outside space.

The buildings at the Bank Street entrance are grade II listed and you are welcome to pick up a Historic Tour leaflet (available from the first floor Management Suite.) Notable buildings within George Yard include the white duck-boarded building which was the original Crittalls window factory - see the blue commemorative plaque on the exterior.

A special feature of Braintree are the “gants” - the local name for a passageway, a corruption of the silk weavers Flemish word “eingang”, another reminder of one of the important elements of Braintrees' history.

More information about the history of Braintree is available from the Braintree Museum, located in the centre of the town, which houses an interesting exhibition and substantial records about Braintrees' past.