Halstead is a market town on the River Colne in Essex, England.

Understand

Halstead was home to 12,000 people in 2011.

The wide High Street is dominated by the 14th-century Church of St Andrew, which was extensively renovated in the Victorian period, but retains much older decoration, including tomb monuments from the 14th century and earlier.

The historic core of Halstead can be viewed on a walk up the market hill.

Get in

Halstead is on the A131 in between Braintree and Sudbury and the A1124. Halstead no longer has a railway station, the nearest are in Braintree and Wakes Colne.

Get around

The town is small enough to see on foot.

See

• 1 Halstead Heritage Museum, Queen's Hall, Chipping Hill, ☏ +44 7765 406254. free. (updated May 2020)
• 2 Empire Theatre, Butler Road, CO9 1LL, ☏ +44 7778 025490, mike@empire-theatre.co.uk. (updated May 2020)
• 3 Halstead Library, Bridge Street, CO9 1HU, ☏ +44 345 603 7628, halstead.library@essex.gov.uk. (updated May 2020)
• 4 St Andrew's Church, Parsonage Street, CO9 2LD, ☏ +44 1787 472171, halsteadparish@gmail.com. free. (updated May 2020)
• Halstead Public Gardens were established in 1900 and are noted for their floral displays.

Do

• There is a river walk running through the town from east to west.
• Just outside the town is Broaks Wood, a popular area for walking owned by the Forestry Commission.

1 Halstead Leisure Centre, Colne Road, CO9 2HR, ☏ +44 345 260 1535. (updated May 2020)

2 Ramsey Road Skatepark, Juniper Close, CO9 1YF (accessible by car from Holmes Road). (updated May 2020)

Buy

The Antiques Centre, The Causeway. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 10AM-4PM. It sells goods ranging from clothing to household items in an 18th-century silk mill. (updated Oct 2022)

1 Sainsbury's, 48a High Street, CO9 2JB, ☏ +44 1787 258200. M-Th Sa 8AM-9PM, F 8AM-8PM, Su 10AM-4PM. (updated May 2020)

2 Halstead Co-op, 12 Weaver's Court, High Street, CO9 2JN, ☏ +44 1787 472865. M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 10AM-4PM. (updated May 2020)

Eat

1 Martins Road Fish Bar, 1 Martin's Road, CO9 1DJ, ☏ +44 1787 472324. (updated May 2020)

2 Coffee Kavern, 26 Bridge Street, CO9 1HT, ☏ +44 1787 478756. M-Sa 8AM-4PM, Su 9AM-3PM. (updated May 2020)

3 La Mezze, 5 Market Hill, CO9 2AR, ☏ +44 1787 474271. (updated May 2020)

Drink

1 Courtyard Tap, 24 Trinity St, Halstead CO9 1JA, ☏ +44 7713 433 131. noon-9PM. A cosy tap room with a rack of local cider and beer barrels. (updated Dec 2023)

2 The White Hart Inn, 15 High St, CO9 2AA, ☏ +44 1787 475 657. (updated Oct 2023)

3 The Three Pigeons, 6 Mount Hill CO9 1AA, ☏ +44 1787 274 392. (updated Oct 2023)

Sleep

1 Gosfield Lake Resort, Church Rd, Gosfield CO9 1UD, ☏ +44 1787 475043. Lakeside campsite, open Apr-Sep W-Su. They also have a self-catering annexe of the mansion. Two-person tent £26, caravan £30. (updated May 2022)

Connect

As of May 2022, Halstead has 4G from all UK carriers, and you might get 5G with EE. Coverage is patchy on the surrounding highways and countryside.

Go next

• Coggeshall, south east, on the A120
• Witham, south, on the A12
• Colchester, east on the A12