Danbury, Essex, UK

SEE MY TRAVEL WEBPAGES: http://www.motorhomefulltime.com/   / motorhomefulltime   Danbury is located close to Chelmsford in Essex. It is around 54km from the centre of London. Around 6,500 people live there, many of whom may well commute to the capital for work. The village was built on the site of a hill fort - being some 112m above sea level and offering views all around so that the early settlers would get advance warning of danger. It was later settled by the Romans and then the Dæningas tribe of Saxons. In the Domesday book of 1086 it is called Danengeberiam which means "stronghold of the family or followers of a man called Dene". Dene however was out of luck because alongside many other Saxons, his lands were expropriated and King William I gave them to one of his followers Geoffrey de Mandeville who became the Earl of Essex. In this film we can see the church of St John the Baptist which dates from the 13th century. There are three wooden effigies in the church which are from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. One is of William St Clere whose family were landowners in the region. In 1779 the tomb of a knight was discovered to be perfectly preserved in what was described as "pickle". Free parking is available for those arriving by vehicle, either off the village green or close to the church.