This is the website of Broxted Parish Council
Broxted is a rural parish in west Essex. It comprises a number of scattered communities at various “Endsˮ – Chapel End, Brick End, Browns End, Church End, Moor End and Woodgates End. These, together with the hamlets of Sucksted Green and Cherry (or Chaureth) Green, make up the parish. The population in 2011 was 508.
It is thought that the name originated in Saxon times as “Brock’s headˮ. Broxted features in the Domesday Book when it had woodland for 250 pigs. The SSE wood, planted by Stop Stansted campaigners in 2004 on farmland that the airport had earmarked for part of a proposed second runway, hasn’t quite reached that capacity yet.
St Mary’s Church dates from the 13th century and the nave has original thin lancet windows. It has a shingled spire that dates from the 19th century. More recent additions are the two “Hostage Windowsˮ. The Window of Captivity and the Window of Freedom were installed following the release in 1991 of the journalist John McCarthy. McCarthy had been held captive for five years in Lebanon with other hostages including Terry Waite and Brian Keenan.
The McCarthy family used to live next to the church in the 16th century Church Hall, later known as the Whitehall Hotel. In 2019 the hotel and its outbuildings were transformed into a number of residential properties, now known as St. Mary’s Mews. Previously, Church Hall had been a hospital of the Knights Templar and in the 20th century it was the home of the local Member of Parliament and Deputy Prime Minister, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, better known as Rab Butler.
Despite its small population, Broxted has a total of 46 listed buildings. It is also a parish of ancient country lanes with fine views.
The SSE Wood was planted in 2004 as part of the robust local opposition to the proposal to build a second runway at Stansted Airport. The new runway would have cut across the parish and eventually sound argument led to the withdrawal of the plans in 2010.
Broxted’s village hall is a former WWI army hut and was donated to the village in about 1931. In recent years it has undergone much refurbishment and improvement.