Coggeshall – eight miles east of Braintree and about a 50 minute drive from Romford – has a “unique charm”, according to Visit Essex.
Once dedicated to the wool and cloth trade, its listed buildings include a clock tower, “wool church”, and two National Trust properties – Paycockes House and Grange Barn.
Once you have exhausted these, more history on the village’s other past industries of silk weaving, tambour lace making and brewing can be discovered at Coggeshall Museum.
While Visit Essex describes the village as a “lovely little olde worlde” place, it also mentions some “bizarre and obscure” events linked to ley lines crossing the town.
Ley lines are “energy” lines often believed to link important landmarks and sites, and those in Coggeshall have “attracted the investigations of ghost busters from across the country”.
But, this has not put people off moving there.
Lifestyle blogger Muddy Stilettos named Coggeshall one of the best places to live in 2025, as part of its top 300 list with estate agent Knight Frank.
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The Muddy Stilettos post said: “Bursting at the seams with listed buildings, restaurants and a good dose of community spirit, Coggeshall has it all.
“Just eight miles from Braintree and with great links to Colchester and Chelmsford, it has award-winning restaurants, a range of indie shops, top-notch education and lots of events to enjoy and cement yourself as part of the community.”
One of the events mentioned is the Coggeshall Summer Festival, while the village also has a market every Thursday, selling fruit and veg, fresh fish, cheese and pastries.
For foodies, there are lots of choices, including artwork-filled Ranfield’s Bar and Brasserie and gastropub The Chapel Inn, which serves ales from its traditional Roman beer cellar.
But Visit Essex sums up why people come here: “With meandering streets, where houses lean erratically on to the pavement, specialist shops, eating places, historic buildings, mysteries, ley lines, witches and stories of the past, this small town has a unique charm.”
