Little Maplestead Preceptory
| Little Maplestead | |
|---|---|
 Church of St John the Baptist |
|
 Little Maplestead
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| Little Maplestead shown within Essex | |
| Population | 294 (2001) 270 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TL8234 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HALSTEAD |
| Postcode district | CO9 |
| Dialling code | 01787 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Little Maplestead is a village and civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, England.
Little Maplestead once had a Knights Hospitaller establishment called Little Maplestead Preceptory.
The round parish church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, is a Grade II* listed building dating from around 1335. It is one of only four medieval round churches in England now surviving and was built by the Knights of St John. In March 2013 the church was granted £5,000 by the National Churches Trust towards the repair of the gutters. A total of £42,000 has now been raised for a restoration project at the church, which was started by supporters two years ago, with a fund-raising target of £100,000. Some restoration took place in the 1850s, but the original design and composition of the rotunda that forms the nave remains, as do many of the earlier fittings. In 1836, William Wallen published The History and Antiquities of the Round Church at Little Maplestead, Essex.
Little Maplestead is the home of X Factor 2010 winner Matt Cardle and actress Barbara Hicks. and former World and European Bridge Champion David Price
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Wikipedia