Summary

Medieval town, market granted 1205.

Full description

Medieval town, market granted 1205. Away from lines of communication so couldn't have had a promising future but for the town becoming the centre of a cutlery industry 100yrs later, the town expanded rapidly in the 14th century. Town topography shows multi-phase morphology, 3 possible market areas suggested, forming the core from which settlement spread out. Temporal relationship of the 3 market areas not clear. West side of Town Street, until 1348, was occupied by the Manor House which seems to have been a double- courtyard building. After 1348 the area was developed for houses and shops. 2 major other buildings in the town centre, the 15th century church and the guildhall of c1380, are both magnificent. <1> <2> 1348-rents of burgesses listed, 1483 manor and borough of Thaxted granted by Richard III to Cecily, Duchess of York. <3> <4> <5>

Site Assessment = "The guildhall is the most impressive survivor of a market feature once common throughout the county". Development in the town centre most unlikely, limited residential development may occur on the fringes of settlement. <1> "Thaxted is not rich in houses of special qualities...Yet the town as a whole is very perfect, chiefly because there is truly not one house in it that would appear to be violently out of place". <6>

The market (TL 6121 3090)
The encroachment of the western frontage of Town Street into the market area and the infilling at Stoney Lane and Mill End had largely been completed by the end of the medieval period. The area immediately to the south of the church had been incorporated into the graveyard by this date also. The market area at Mill Row had been abandoned as a trading-place by the sixteenth century and was instead used as the ‘town bombey’ or midden. In the mid-nineteenth century the present row of cottages was built there. The market has been held in Town Street since the post-medieval period. <8>

<1> Eddy, MR with Petchey, MR, 1983, Historic Towns in Essex: An Archaeological Survey, pp85-88 (DESC TEXT). SEX874.

<1> Eddy, MR with Petchey, MR, 1983, Historic Towns in Essex:An Archaeological Survey, pp85-88 (DESC TEXT). SEX1685.

<2> unknown, 1960 0nwards, SMR form unknown (DESC TEXT). SEX4.

<3> Beresford, MW and Finberg, HPR, 1973, English Medieval Boroughs - A Handlist, p110 (DESC TEXT). SEX4993.

<4> unknown, unknown, Cal Close Rolls, p529, 533, 536, 539, 540 (DESC TEXT). SEX4994.

<5> Morant, P, unknown, History of Essex, Vol 2, p439 (DESC TEXT). SEX3797.

<6> Pevsner, N, 1954, The Buildings of England, Essex, p350 (DESC TEXT). SEX83.

<8> Medlycott, Maria, 1999, Thaxted Historic Town Assessment Report (DESC TEXT). SEX61563.

Monument Types

• GREAT HOUSE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MANOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• MARKET (C13, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• TOWN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

• Conservation Area: Thaxted

Sources and further reading

Images

Medieval town, market granted 1205 © Essex County Council	Medieval town, market granted 1205 © Essex County Council
Medieval town, market granted 1205 © Essex County Council	Medieval town, market granted 1205 © Essex County Council
Medieval town, market granted 1205 © Essex County Council

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