Halstead is a market town on the River Colne in Essex, England.
Understand
Halstead was home to 12,000 people in 2011.
The wide High Street is dominated by the 14th-century Church of St Andrew, which was extensively renovated in the Victorian period, but retains much older decoration, including tomb monuments from the 14th century and earlier.
The historic core of Halstead can be viewed on a walk up the market hill.
Get in
Halstead is on the A131 in between Braintree and Sudbury and the A1124. Halstead no longer has a railway station, the nearest are in Braintree and Wakes Colne.
Get around
The town is small enough to see on foot.
See
- 🌍 Halstead Heritage Museum, Queen's Hall, Chipping Hill, ☏ +44 07765 406254. free.
- 🌍 Empire Theatre, Butler Road, CO9 1LL, ☏ +44 07778 025490, mike@empire-theatre.co.uk.
- 🌍 Halstead Library, Bridge Street, CO9 1HU, ☏ +44 0345 603 7628, halstead.library@essex.gov.uk.
- 🌍 St Andrew's Church, Parsonage Street, CO9 2LD, ☏ +44 01787 472171, halsteadparish@gmail.com. free.
- Halstead Public Gardens were established in 1900 and are noted for their floral displays.
Do
- There is a river walk running through the town from east to west.
- Just outside the town is Broaks Wood, a popular area for walking owned by the Forestry Commission.
- 🌍 Halstead Leisure Centre, Colne Road, CO9 2HR, ☏ +44 0345 260 1535.
- 🌍 Ramsey Road Skatepark, Juniper Close, CO9 1YF (accessible by car from Holmes Road).
Buy
- The Antiques Centre, The Causeway. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 10AM-4PM. It sells goods ranging from clothing to household items in an 18th-century silk mill.
- 🌍 Sainsbury's, 48a High Street, CO9 2JB, ☏ +44 01787 258200. M-Th Sa 8AM-9PM, F 8AM-8PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
- 🌍 Halstead Co-op, 12 Weaver's Court, High Street, CO9 2JN, ☏ +44 01787 472865. M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
Eat
- 🌍 Martins Road Fish Bar, 1 Martin's Road, CO9 1DJ, ☏ +44 01787 472324.
- 🌍 Coffee Kavern, 26 Bridge Street, CO9 1HT, ☏ +44 01787 478756. M-Sa 8AM-4PM, Su 9AM-3PM.
- 🌍 La Mezze, 5 Market Hill, CO9 2AR, ☏ +44 01787 474271.
Drink
Sleep
- 🌍 Gosfield Lake Resort, Church Rd, Gosfield CO9 1UD, ☏ +44 1787 475043. Lakeside campsite, open April-Sept W-Su. They also have a self-catering annexe of the mansion. Two-person tent £26, caravan £30.
Connect
As of May 2022, Halstead has 4G from all UK carriers, and you might get 5G with EE. Coverage is patchy on the surrounding highways and countryside.
Go next
- Coggeshall, south east, on the A120
- Witham, south, on the A12
- Colchester, east on the A12