Home > Braintree, Essex
2 History
The origin of the name Braintree is obscure. It is believed by some scholars that the name of the River Brain came later, and so was named after the town, rather than the other way round. One theory is that Braintree was originally Branoc's tree, Branoc apparently being an old personal name. Another theory is that the name is derived from that of Rayne, which was actually a more important settlement in Norman times. Braintree was called Branchetreu in the Domesday Book.
The wool industry was important to the town for centuries, but silk manufacture became the dominant industry in the 19th century, thanks to George Courtauld's silk mill, which he opened in 1809.
3 Things in Braintree
Braintree has its own museum, which contains displays relating to the history of the town.
On the outskirts of the town, there is a fairly new Cineworld cinema. Before that opened, Braintree had been without a cinema for several years. There used to be one in Fairfield Road, opposite the bus park , but that building is now a Wetherspoons pub.
4 Freeport
Freeport is a new shopping area on the outskirts of Braintree, described as a "designer outlet village". It has roughly 80 shops where designer brands sell surplus stock for lower than normal prices. Freeport also has its own railway station, which is the first stop on the journey from Braintree to London Liverpool Street.
5 Neighbouring villages
Villages in the Braintree area include Black Notley , White Notley , Great Notley Garden Village (a very recent construction), Cressing , Felsted , Bocking Church Street and Rayne.
6 Notable people from the area
- The naturalist John Ray (1627 - 1705), born in nearby Black Notley , is perhaps the most talked about local person, among historians.
- The Courtauld family were one of the most prominent families of Braintree and Bocking during the 19th century. Their highly successful silk business made them very rich, and provided much employment in the area.
- The Prodigy, a famous dance music group, are probably Braintree's best known export in recent years. The band's leader Liam Howlett was the cause of much indignation among some residents when he criticised the town in an interview for the music magazine Q. He reportedly used "an abusive term"[2]. He and fellow band member Keith Flint moved out of the town around 1998, to live in seclusion in a small village five or six miles to the west.
7 External links
Towns in Essex
