Broxted brings together countryside and architectural history. Two Hundred Parishes walks start and finish at Broxted Village Hall; the Church of St Mary the Virgin and several historic houses add an architectural dimension. This gives you countryside and architectural history as distinct focuses for planning your trip. The houses date from the late 15th or early 16th century through to the early 18th century. The church also brings together several building phases, from its origins in the early 13th century to extensive restoration in the 19th century.

Routes with a shared starting point

The Hundred Parishes Quiet Lane Walk No. 332 starts and finishes at Broxted Village Hall. The Hundred Parishes Circular Walk No. 120 also starts and finishes there. It is a 5.5-mile (9 km) circuit through the countryside. It explores parts of the parish of Broxted and the hamlet of Tilty in the adjacent civil parish of Great Easton & Tilty. The 9 km distance gives you a concrete measure for planning your walk; at the same time, the circuit includes a settlement outside Broxted. If you are choosing a route based on its length and geographical extent, you can consider both of these details for No. 120.

A church with several building phases

The Church of St Mary the Virgin dates from the early 13th century. Its north arcade was built in the early 15th century; the building was extensively altered in the 14th and 15th centuries and comprehensively restored in 1875–1876. This sequence distinguishes the early church building from later alterations and restoration. The church can therefore be understood in terms of several historical phases, rather than reduced to a single date of origin.

The church has two Hostage Windows: the Window of Captivity and the Window of Freedom. Both were installed after the release of journalist John McCarthy in 1991. This adds an event from the late 20th century to the church’s older building phases. The windows broaden the story of St Mary’s beyond architecture and restoration to include more recent history.

Timber framing, brick and varied roofs

Knowles is a timber-framed house dating from the late 15th or early 16th century. Exposed exterior timbers and a thatched half-hipped roof define its form. The Flying Rat also has a thatched half-hipped roof, but dates from the early 17th century and is a plastered timber-framed house. Walkers in Chaureth Green combines plastered timber framing with a thatched half-hipped roof; the house dates from the late 16th century. Water Hall, dating from the late 16th or early 17th century, is also a plastered timber-framed house and has a thatched roof.

Chaureth Hall dates from the 17th century and was extended in the 19th century. Its hipped roof is covered with red clay tiles and grey slate. Brick House in Church End offers a different look: this red-brick house dates from the early 18th century and has a red-tiled half-hipped mansard roof. The comparison shows just how much the houses differ in appearance: exposed or plastered timber framing sits alongside red brick, while roof styles range from thatched half-hips to tiled and slate roofs. Alongside its walks, Broxted therefore offers concrete points of reference for comparing building periods and materials.

Discover more destinations: Tiptree, Rayleigh, Maldon, Great Dunmow, Brightlingsea, Burnham-On-Crouch, Tolleshunt Knights, Birchanger

For the wider travel overview: Essex.