Halstead

For the village in Kent, see Halstead, Kent. For other uses, see Halstead (disambiguation).

Halstead
Halstead High Street
Halstead  Halstead shown within Essex
Population	11,053 (2001)
OS grid reference	TL816306
Civil parish	Halstead
District	Braintree
Shire county	Essex
Region	East
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	Braintree
List of places: UK • England • Essex

Halstead is a town and civil parish located in Braintree District of Essex, England, near Colchester and Sudbury. It has a population of 11,053. The town is situated in the Colne Valley, and originally developed on the hill to the north of the river. The name Halstead is said to have derived from the Old English hald (refuge, shelter, healthy) and stede (site, place or farm), meaning 'healthy farm' 'safe place' or 'place of refuge'.[1]

The single wide High Street is dominated by the 14th century church of St Andrew which was extensively renovated during the Victorian period but retains much earlier decoration including tomb monuments dating from the 14th century and earlier.

Halstead has been home to the well-known author, Sheila Jacobs (writer of various Christian novels, including Watchers), as well as Darts professional Bobby George and angler Bob Nudd. Its main attractions include a local Antiques Mill, the location of filming for some episodes of the television programme, Lovejoy. It is also the home of 2010's X Factor winner Matt Cardle and Richard Bryant who has lived here since 1957. Former Ramsey School pupil and White Horse Avenue resident, Steve Lamacq is a Radio 2 DJ.

Nearby Moyns Park, a Grade I listed Elizabethan country house, is said to have been where Ian Fleming put the finishing touches on his novel From Russia, with Love.

==owned by the Forestry Commission.

Christopher Portway, the famous war hero, explorer and author, was born in Halstead in 1923. After leaving school he joined the Army and fought in the Second World War. Captured in Normandy, he later escaped from three prison camps in Eastern Europe. Whilst on the run from the Germans in Czechoslovakia he met Anna who was later to become his wife. After 1945 he made repeated attempts to reach Anna though her home was sealed off behind the Iron Curtain. On one such attempt Christopher was caught after cutting his way through electrified fences and crawling over a minefield, to be awarded 104 years in jail by the Communist authorities. Christopher Portway was a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, as well as being a recipient of the Winston Churchill Award for biography and travel. He was a frequent contributor to various magazines and newspapers and was the author of no less than seventeen books. His brother Michael Portway is the chairman of Halstead in Bloom, a local charity dedicated to floral displays in Halstead.

Football in the Town

Halstead's largest football club is Halstead Town F.C.. The club play in the 10th tier of the English football league system, in the Eastern Counties Football League Division One.

Cricket in the Town

The town is also home to Halstead Cricket Club. They field three Saturday sides, the first eleven playing in the East Anglian Premier League, the highest level of club cricket in the area. The second eleven are in the Third Division of the Two Counties Championship whilst the third eleven compete in Division 7 of the same league. The Sunday side play in the Piri Piri Premier League. The club also fields a midweek side as well as having a burgeoning youth set up. During the 2011 season the club, with the help of club member and former Bangladesh bowling coach Ian Pont brought in Bangladeshi international cricketer Syed Rasel. Other players to have played both first class cricket and for the club include former Essex and Leicestershire man Darren Robinson and New Zealand U-19 and Canterbury bowler Matt Henry.

See also

• Holy Trinity Church, Halstead

External links

• Halstead Then and Now in Old & Current Photography
• Halstead and District Local History Society Website
• Connect Halstead
• Halstead Webcam
• Halstead Residents' Association
• Halstead Gazette
• Braintree District Council
• Pensions
• Halstead Town FC
• Halstead CC
• British National Party