Boxted | |
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Boxted shown within Essex | |
Population | 1,379 (Census 2011) |
OS grid reference | TL995333 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | COLCHESTER |
Postcode district | CO4 |
Dialling code | 01206 |
Police | Essex |
Fire | Essex |
Ambulance | East of England |
EU Parliament | East of England |
UK Parliament | |
Boxted is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Colchester and 24 miles (39 km) northeast of the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the borough of Colchester and in the parliamentary constituency of North Essex. There is a Parish council. The village was the site of a series of skirmishes between Parliamentary and Royalist troops in July 1648, known as the Battle of Boxted Heath.
Two historic manors are located in the parish: Boxted Hall and Rivers Hall, which are both mentioned in the Doomsday records. Boxted was split into two settlements, 'Boxted' and 'Boxted Cross', during the plague when non infected villagers moved across the valley from 'Old Boxted' to escape infection. A timber framed cottage called Songers is reputedly the oldest private dwelling in Essex dating back to 1280.
In 1630 the village vicar, George Phillips, and many other Boxted residents emigrated to America as part of the Great Migration. Phillips subsequently founded a church at Watertown on the Charles River in Massachusetts. Other Boxted residents went to Ipswich, Massachusetts.
Today Boxted can be easily reached from Colchester along Boxted Straight Road, which is often mistaken for a Roman road but is in fact a relatively modern road based upon an old heathland track, many other local roads are much older. Parts of the Boxted parish - such as Old Boxted - are within the Dedham Vale conservation area where development of buildings etc. is tightly controlled. Old Boxted is not developing as fast as Boxted Cross which contains a broad mix of modern housing developments and has now extended considerably along Straight Road. Recently the school has moved from Old Boxted to Boxted Cross.
At Boxted Cross is a Village hall overlooking the George V playing fields where Boxted Lodgers football team and Boxted Cricket club play.