About

Situated in the Braintree district, this north-west Essex village of Great Bardfield, which is just under ten miles from Braintree and 12 miles from Saffron Walden, is located in a conservation area and has a significant number of medieval and later listed buildings in the village.

Once the site of an important horse fair, traders would bring their horses from all across the country. The layout of the streets and wonderfully varied houses and cottages make it a place of enormous charm. Great Bardfield was the favoured home of renowned artists such as Edward Bawden, John Aldridge and Eric Ravilous. The Great Bardfield Cottage Museum gives you an insight into rural life and crafts.

For the Botanists amongst you may like to know that Bardfield has also played a key role in the history of the Oxlip known locally as the "Bardfield Oxlip". A carving of the plant appears over the village hall entrance, it appears on the pupil's sweatshirts in the village school, and is in the village's coat of arms.