Halstead

For the village in Kent, see Halstead, Kent.

Halstead
OS grid reference	TL816306
District	Braintree
Shire county	Essex
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HALSTEAD
Postcode district	CO9
Dialling code	01787 47
Police	Essex
Fire	Essex
Ambulance	East of England
UK Parliament	Saffron Walden

Halstead is a rural town located in Essex, England, near Colchester and Sudbury. The town is situated in the Colne Valley, and originally developed on the hill to the north of the river. The name Halstead is derived from the Old English hald (refuge, shelter) and stede (site, place), meaning 'safe place' or 'place of refuge'.

Halstead has been home to several well-known authors, such as J. Daniel Cooper (writer of Tales of Ereth), Sheila Jacobs (writer of various Christian novels, including Watchers) and David Sugden (writer of The Jacob Coburn Mysteries), 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.

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.

Culture

There are several bars and pubs in the town including: Scenarios in Trinity Street; The Locomotive in Butler Road; The Bull Hotel in Bridge Street; The White Hart and Whispers Wine Bar in the High Street. The Empire Theatre in Butler Road formerly showed films but recently closed; however, it does still host theatrical productions, live music and bingo nights. Halstead enters the annual Anglia in Bloom competition. The local Halstead Town Football Club are in the Eastern Counties Football League Premier Division.

The electronic music label Bad Sekta was originally setup in the town.

External links

• Halstead unofficial website
• Connect Halstead
• Halstead - White's Directory of Essex, 1848