Great Easton, Essex
| Great Easton | |
|---|---|
 Great Easton village |
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 Great Easton
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| Great Easton shown within Essex | |
| Population | 1,035 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TL604253 |
| • London | 35 mi (56 km) SE |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUNMOW |
| Postcode district | CM6 |
| Dialling code | 01279 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Great Easton is a village and civil parish in the Uttlesford district in Essex, England.
The village dates from the 12th century. Great Easton is about 2 miles (3 km) north of Great Dunmow, and the village of Little Easton is about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south. It has a population of a few hundred people, measured at 1,035 in the 2011 census and has one public house and a church.
The village used to be known as 'Easton ad montem' or 'Easton atte munte' to distinguish it from Little Easton. The suffix denotes the mound close to the church in the grounds of Easton Hall. It is believed to be the remains of a motte and bailey castle, around which the village has grown since medieval times. The mound is 130 feet (40 metres) in diameter at the base and 43 feet (13 metres) at the summit, and is 21 feet (6 metres) high. It is surrounded by a dry ditch 45 feet wide and 5 feet deep. The mound may have been pre-Roman, Saxon or perhaps a Norman defensive motte. It was definitely in place in Norman times, as this the period in which the name 'Eystone ad montem' appears. 15th century houses make up most of the village today.
In 1830 a murder befell the village and in the south porch of St John & St Giles church is an inscription (VII, pos. c. 1900) to a man found murdered in 1830 at Handless Spring. On the South wall of the churchyard there is an inscription which reads:
It is believed the only spring in the village is behind The Bell, and is the most likely site for the still unknown man's remains that were found, and that his haunted soul still roams the village. In fact there are many ghost tales and stories that circulate around this 12th-century village and the surrounding villages, such as the following:
The Headless Monk
There is a prevalent rumour that the ghost of a headless monk walks the bank along the river between Duton Hill and Great Easton in the hours of darkness. The archaeological dig on the site of the Abbey in 1942 turned up the stone tombs of two monks, thought to have been killed during the sacking of the Abbey in 1215. When their remains were examined before being reverently re-interred, it was found that one of the skeletons lacked a head.
Great Easton is part of the electoral ward called The Eastons. The population of this ward taken at the 2011 census was 1,577.
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Wikipedia