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Coggeshall has over 200 listed buildings which includes two important National Trust properties – Grange Barn and Paycocke House.
The remains of a 12th century Cistercian Abbey lie on the outskirts of the village and on Church Green stands the church of St Peter-ad-Vincula, an Essex 'wool' church.

St Peter-ad-Vincula

The 15th century Parish Church of St Peter-ad-Vincula is one of the largest churches in Essex and stands opposite the carved oak village sign which was erected to celebrate the millennium.
Just a mile or so outside of Coggeshall is Marks Hall, an outstanding country estate and arboretum. The River Blackwater flows through the village.

There are two other churches in Coggeshall - the church of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, in Stoneham Street which serves the Roman Catholic community and Christ Church, formerly the Congregational church. Christ Church is a large impressive building which stands opposite Coggeshall's library, the former Friends Meeting House (Quakers), and is made up of Congregational, Baptist and Methodist traditions. In the not-too-distant past these were all separate with their own buildings. In 1989 Christ Church was formed by the union of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed congregations and seeks to serve all who wish to worship in the Free Church tradition. Churches in Coggeshall come together at regular intervals for worship and there are several church groups who welcome members of any faith. St Peter's church has a choir who perform at various chorale events as well as leading the singing at services.

St Bernard of Clairvaux	Christ Church
The former Friends Meeting House (Quakers), now Coggeshall's library

Just a few years ago Coggeshall was famous for the number of shops selling antiques but the antique trade has declined. Now Coggeshall is fast acquiring a reputation for good food with a top-class restaurant, a starred 16th century hotel and a well-recommended Indian restaurant. There are four ancient public houses, a bistro café and an "olde worlde" teashop which is situated underneath Coggeshall's very distinctive Victorian clock.

The Victorian Clock Tower

Although the older inhabitants call Coggeshall a town (the local football team is called Coggeshall Town) and there is a weekly market, Coggeshall has a Parish Council and has won Essex's "Best Kept Village" in its category for the last three years, and in 2003 was the winner of the "The Village of the Year" for the East of England and Home Counties as well as Essex. Coggeshall has plenty of open spaces including a very pretty public garden that was constructed to commemorate the Millennium and planted entirely with plants and shrubs donated by local people.

The heart of the Village

In 2002 the public garden at the Gravel was restored by the Parish Council and re-named "The Tebbutt Garden" in memory of Brian Tebbutt who did so much for Coggeshall and its people. Various organizations to which Brian had belonged contributed picnic benches and seats, and the people of Coggeshall gathered to see the local MP unveil the name plaque. There is another public garden - the Doubleday garden, named for the famous Quaker family who were an influence in the town for well over 150 years. A picnic area by the river provides a spot to feed the ducks and watch the world go by over Stephen's Bridge, which contains some of the bricks made by the monks of Coggeshall's Cistercian abbey nearly 800 years ago.

There are two well-equipped children's playgrounds and allotments on three sites. In East street is a large Recreation Ground on which has recently been constructed an all-weather court for basketball and other sports. Coggeshall's granite war memorial, topped by a bronze figure of Victory stands here, and on it are the names of the Coggeshall men who never returned to their homes from the two World Wars. But the gratitude to those men doesn't end with the granite obelisk. The whole of the Recreation Ground was bought by public subscription after the Great War to be an open space in perpetuity for the enjoyment of the people of Coggeshall - a fitting tribute to those young men who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.


The museum, run entirely by volunteers, attracts around 4000 visitors a year and is open from April to October on Sundays and Bank Holidays. It gives an insight into Coggeshall's long and interesting history and guided walks around the town can be arranged for groups. The Museum also operates a tourist information point on behalf of the Parish Council, and the volunteer curator answers queries by letter, telephone and Email about Coggeshall and its history. Grange Barn and Paycocke House are in the care of the National Trust and open from April to October.

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Volunteers organize monthly footpath walks as well as helping to maintain the public gardens, both under the auspices of the Parish Council. Societies in the village include the Coggeshall Heritage Society, the Horticultural Society, the Coggeshall art Group and the Conservative Club. There is a thriving branch of the Women's Institute and the Royal British Legion has a branch and Women's Section branch, both of whom provide welfare for ex-service people and their dependants.

Link to Coggeshall Parish Council site: www.coggeshall-pc.gov.uk