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ST ANDREWS PARISH CHURCH

In the heart of the town where the main roads from Colchester and Sudbury meet stands the elegant parish church, its lofty tower very much a feature of the shopping centre. It is built on the site of a Saxon or early medieval building and it is thought that it dates from around 1276. Most of the church, constructed of flint rubble, was rebuilt in the 14th century with the north vestry and porches being added a century later. The tower, between existing aisles, was also added at this period so that the church has an architectural unity that is quite distinctive.

Of particular interest in the church’s south aisle are the Bourchier tombs with effigies of the knight and his lady each under a separate canopy. They seem to date from the middle of the 14th century. Nearby is the richly decorated tomb-chest of John, Lord Bourchier and his wife (of around 1400) and, set in the floor, a brass dated 1409 to Bartholomew, Lord Bourchier and his wives. These monuments with their sculpted effigies are the main feature of the church but also of note are the reredos by Sir Arthur Blomfield and dating from 1893 and, in the south aisle, a stained glass window of 1891 that clearly shows in its design and colour the influence of Brune-Jones.

THE COLLEGE OF CANNONS

In 1340 Albert Bourchier was granted a licence to found a college for a master and eight priests. It was, however, some years before the building was completed and even then there were only a master and a companion in residence. Part of the College of Cannons still survives as numbers 26 - 30 High Street and was probably erected in the late 15th century. The building is an in-line house with an open hall. The hammerbeam roof and the original hall can still be seen in fragments.

THE LIBRARY

In 1864 - 65 a large grey gault and brick corn exchange was erected in Bridge Street in the hope of generating income. The venture, however, failed and the building went through various uses including those of a technical school and a youth centre. In 1970 it became the Halstead Public Library.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH

Holy Trinity’s 150ft high tower and broach spire form a prominent and handsome feature of Halstead’s skyline. The church was built in 1843-4 by the famous architect Sir George Gilbert Scott to serve the community which had grown up on the western side of the River Colne. It is one of his earliest works and one of the first examples of a Gothic Revival church in the early English 13th century style.

Inside there are graceful arcades dividing the nave from the aisles. Local families and previous vicars during the 19th and 20th centuries donated some fine woodcarving by Essex craftsmen and the colourful stained glass.

In 1988 Holy Trinity Church ceased to be used for regular worship. Because of the church’s architectural and historical importance, it is now in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust for the benefit and enjoyment of visitors and the local people of Halstead.

TOWNSFORD MILL

In the heart of Halstead’s river front, the long elegant white wooden facade of Townsford Mill has long been a major feature of the town. The nucleus of Courtaulds’ activities, Townsford Mill’s three storey white weatherboarded frontage has impressive bands of continuous window on two floors beside the waters of the Colne. It was erected in the 18th century (round about 1740) but ceased to be a mill when Courtaulds pulled out in the 1900s. The nearby gatehouse, with its conical roof and half timbered walls, still stands at the entrance to the Mill. Today Townsford Mill is an antiques centre (established in 1984), one of the largest in the country, selling thousands of items of furniture, porcelain, war memorabilia, coins, stamps, postcards, dolls, old lace, clocks, glass, ceramics and paintings. It is open to the public every day from 10 am until 5 pm Monday to Saturday and 11 am until 6.00 pm on Sunday. There is a large restaurant on the ground floor. The Mill House, originally the Courtaulds Mill Manager’s home, now houses the Town Council Offices and Council Chamber and there are proposals for a small museum.