Little Dunmow

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

static_image_caption =
latitude = 51.866316
longitude = 0.404606
official_name = Little Dunmow
population =
civil_parish =
shire_district =
shire_county = Essex
region = East of England
constituency_westminster =
post_town = Dunmow
postcode_district =
postcode_area =
dial_code =
os_grid_reference = TL655215

Little Dunmow is a village situated in rural Essex, England, in the vale of the river Chelmer about three miles east-southeast of the town of Great Dunmow. It can be reached from the Dunmow South exit of the A120 by following the road towards Braintree (B1256) for 3.2km before turning right for the village. The old village, which has just 99 dwellings, is a further 0.6 km along the road. The new village, built on the site of a former sugar-beet factory, will be a self-contained community of 850 dwellings and is another kilometre along the road towards Felsted. The Flitch Way, a linear country park along the route of the old Braintree to Bishop's Stortford railway, links the old and new village.

Little Dunmow has an electoral population of about 1250 (2006) divided between the old village (250) and the newer development of Oakwood Park (1000). Oakwood Park will become the new Parish of Flitch Green in May 2009 under proposals submitted to the local authority, Uttlesford District Council.

History

The old village has a long history centred around the Parish Church which was founded in 1104 by Lady Juga Baynard, sister of Ralph Baynard, a Norman baron. After her death her son Geoffrey Baynard decided to found a priory in honour of St Mary. This Augustinian priory was founded in 1106, and one of its canons served as curate to the parish. The Lady chapel, now the parish church, became the east end of the choir of the large and stately priory church. It still has the magnificent columns and beautiful Gothic windows as evidence of its former grandeur. The monastic buildings stood to the southwest of the church but, along with much of the Priory, were razed to the ground after the Dissolution, when the priory site, with the manors of Little Dunmow and Clopton Hall, were granted to the patron of the priory, Robert Radcliffe, earl of Sussex. However many fine 14th, 15th 16th- and 17th-century buildings may still be found in the village - notably Priory Place (on the site of the old Priory), Brick House (fbeside the footpath to Barnston as it approaches the Chelmer valley), Ivy House (at the junction of The Street and Brook Street , Monks Hall (at the junction of The Street and Grange Lane) and Rose Farm(At the Junction of Grange Lane and the Street). A number of thatched cottages are scattered around the village. ['Houses of Austin canons: Priory of Little Dunmow', "A History of the County of Essex": Volume 2 (1907), pp. 150-54. [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=39845&strquery=little%20dunmow] ]

The Flitch Trials

Little Dunmow was the original home of the Flitch Trials which now take place in Great Dunmow every four years. This ancient custom rewarded a couple who had been married in church and remained 'unregreted' for a year, with a flitch of bacon. The claimants had to swear an oath kneeling on two sharp pointed stones in the churchyard. They were then carried through the village to be acclaimed. In later years they were carried in the Flitch Chair, thought to be made from pew ends from the Priory Church. The original Flitch chair and kneeling stones can still be seen within the church. [ [http://www.dunmowflitchtrials.co.uk/ Welcome to the official Dunmow Flitch Trials website ] ]

New 3,000 home Development Proposal ("Chelmer Mead")

On 13 December 2007, developers Chater Homes announced a proposal to build 3,000 houses in an area they intend to call "Chelmer Mead", which would greatly expand the settlement of Little Dunmow, which currently contains 90 houses.

They also supplied an alternative 1,000 house proposal, with the intention that either proposal would go some way to meet Uttlesford District Council's plans for an additional 4,000 houses in the District, as part of an ongoing Government housing initiative nationwide.

The Chater Homes proposal was announced two weeks after the Uttlesford District Council consultation period deadline of 30 November 2007 but before the residents' response deadline of 11th January 2008. According to local press, this four-week period for residents to respond was not well received by residents' campaign groups. Opponents of the scheme have expressed fears that it could link Little Dunmow with a number of surrounding settlements and erode the individual character of each.

* [http://www.dunmow-broadcast.co.uk/content/dunmow/news/story.aspx?brand=SAFOnline&category=NewsDunmow&tBrand=cambs24&tCategory=NewsDUN&itemid=WEED03%20Jan%202008%2015:43:52:810 Dunmow Broadcast news article on 3,000 house proposal in Little Dunmow/Chelmer Mead]

References