Coggeshall West

Coggeshall was already an established little market town even before the Romans arrived. Now it offers the perfect opportunity to put down roots in a charming, historic location, away from the hustle and bustle of big town life, yet within easy reach of Colchester and London.

Coggeshall prides itself on being one of the oldest towns in Essex. The locals like to describe it as a village and it has a true rural feel. The new community of houses at Coggeshall West fits neatly in with the surrounding architecture.

Living at Coggeshall you’ll be within a few minutes’ walk of pubs that trace their ancestry back to the middle ages, past timbered buildings that lean forward into the street, groaning with history. You can stroll by the little river that runs through the town, or head out for a country walk amidst the surrounding farmland. Then, at the end of the day, you can return to your own beautiful home offering all the style, technology and benefits of contemporary living.

Essex’s most historic village has very modern transport links with the journey time from nearby Kelvedon Station to Chelmsford in 17 minutes and London is only 53 minutes away. By road, the A120 offers swift access to Colchester and Braintree, the A12 provides a direct link right to the centre of London and out to the coast of East Anglia. The M11 offers you a quick route to the M25 and the national motorway network.

That’s what Coggeshall West is all about. Whether you are looking to get onto the housing ladder, start a family or find a tranquil place to retire, this is exactly the home you’ve been looking for.

Why Coggeshall

Coggeshall is the charming and historic market town of Essex that is petite in population but with bucket loads of charm. Gorgeously unspoilt with easy accessibility to both Colchester and London, there are many reasons why house hunters are now noticing its unique appeal.

Community

The year 2020 has shown us that the need for community is greater than ever before. Lockdown highlighted how isolated some people can become and the importance of being involved in your neighbourhood. Coggeshall has an incredible number of local organisations and groups to join. From football to flower arranging, from bingo to bellringing, there is something for everyone to be a part of. ArtSpace supports the Coggeshall community to encourage arts and culture to flourish and Coggeshall in Bloom is a small team with the objective of fostering the ‘Britain in Bloom’ philosophy. Even if you don’t want to get involved in a group, there’s opportunity for friendly interaction every Thursday at the specialist food market. Stalls include fruit and veg, fresh fish, cheese, locally made jam, bread and pastries and freshly made Indian delicacies.

The great outdoors

One of the biggest learnings of the pandemic is that access to outdoor space is imperative to health and happiness. Living in this wonderfully picturesque town on the River Blackwater, midway between Braintree and Colchester, you are truly spoilt for choice. Dog walkers and joggers will love Chalkney Woods, especially in the Spring when the woodland floor has huge swathes of bluebells. The Owen Martin Nature Reserve has recently undergone a revamp with the planting of fruit trees and creation of new paths to walk around. This quiet and secluded spot is perfect for a picnic or just to enjoy the peace. Families will enjoy the recreation ground, or rec as it is known locally. There is a playground and basketball court and in the summer months, there are often events such as a fete and carnival. There’s a huge garden to explore at Paycocke, a Tudor merchant house owned by the National Trust. There is also a little coffee shop where you can buy plants.

Work from home or the office

Whether you are working at home or need to commute into a London office, living in Coggeshall can come out on top in both scenarios. You can have a quiet homeworking spot together with good local amenities and access to lovely lunchtime walks on work from home days. When you need to go into the office, Kelvedon Station is just under two miles away and there is a reliable bus to get you there. Trains go to Liverpool street in as little as 48 minutes, less than an hour door to door. Other local stations include Marks Tey and Braintree.

Family friendly

For families moving to the area, Coggeshall is home to plenty of schools, with many rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. Should you wish to privately educate your children, there are also various options nearby. It’s easy to immerse yourself in the community with the various local playgroups and the Coggeshall Youth Project offers different groups for children to attend so they can make friends and take part in various activities.

Live local

Embrace the wonderful local culinary scene in Coggeshall where you will be within a few minutes’ walk of pubs that trace their ancestry back to the middle ages. From vegan to award-winning, Coggeshall delivers a huge range of options for every taste and budget. Ranfield’s Brasseries is a 2AA rosette restaurant on Stoneham Street. A sophisticated interior, the restaurant offers a number of different menus including light lunch bites, Sunday lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. Gin connoisseurs should head to Copper and Cask where they offer a tasting service for their craft gins including Coggeshall Gin made with lavender and citrus. At The Chapel Inn, the fresh produce is sourced locally and is cooked to order by Head Chef who has trained under and worked alongside a British TV MasterChef. Pub classics alongside quality specials at affordable prices. Not to be missed is West Street Vineyard, a family-owned restaurant and winery with great local sustainable wine and food. The ultimate in English fine wines, combined with delicious local food in a contemporary wine barn to create a memorable experience with family and friends.

Sights to see

With a rich wealth of history, Coggeshall boasts many noteworthy buildings including two owned by the National Trust. Grange Barn is a huge 13th-century timber-framed building associated with a long lost Cistercian abbey. The second is Paycockes, a medieval timber-framed merchant’s house. One of the most iconic sights in Coggeshall is the blue and white painted Clock Tower, just a few steps up from the market place. To find out more about the area, take a trip to Coggeshall Museum, which houses a collection of genealogical resources, historic artefacts, old photographs and other historic objects donated by local people. For a bit of a grisly look back in history, at the bottom of Stoneham Street is the site of the Black Horse, once an inn frequented by the Coggeshall Gang, a band of violent criminals whose grip over the town in the 1840s has been described as a ‘reign of terror’. Today, the village could not be further away from this as residents and visitors can sit by the River Blackwater to feed the ducks and soak up the tranquillity. Afterwards, browse the boutiques and independent shops on the high street and enjoy the very best that Coggeshall has to offer.

Becoming Part of Coggeshall

Coggeshall West comprising just 48 three, four and five bedrooms houses is due to be launched late October with first occupations taking place in the summer of 2021.

Local area

Living here you will be within easy distance of all that Coggeshall has to offer. Village life may be different from the urban buzz, but this is a town that offers everything you need. There’s a local Co-op for everyday shopping and two historic pubs to choose from.

Coggeshall has a Doctors’ surgery and school, with a choice of further primary and secondary schools (all with Good Ofsted reports) in the surrounding area.

Even the local football club has a longer tradition than most. Coggeshall Town Football Club was founded in 1878 and today runs teams for all ages from adult to reception class children. The town also has a community swimming pool.

Essex’s most historic village has very modern transport links. From nearby Kelvedon Station, the journey into Colchester takes 13 minutes, Chelmsford 17 minutes and London Liverpool Street is only 53 minutes away. There are regular bus services to Colchester, Braintree and other nearby towns and villages.

By road, the A120 offers swift access to Colchester and Braintree, with the A12 providing a direct link right to the centre of London and out to the coast of East Anglia. The M11 offers you a quick route to the M25 and the national motorway network. Stansted is the nearest airport, less than half an hour by car.

Directions to Coggeshall West

By road.

From Colchester or Braintree, take the A120 turn into West Street and follow the road past Coggeshall Town Football Club (on the right). Coggeshall West is located approx. 175 yards on the right hand side.

From Kelevedon, take the B1024 (Kelvedon Road) and turn left onto The Gravel. Then turn first left onto West Street. Coggeshall West is located approx. 175 yards on the left past West Street Vineyard.

By rail.

The nearest station is Kelvedon Station approx. 3 miles.

By Bus.

Bus route 70 between Chelmsford, Braintree and Colchester serves Coggeshall Monday to Saturday and runs along West Street.