April is usually considered as heralding the onset of spring, providing a welcoming uplift to everyone’s spirits and hope for the year ahead: the clocks have already gone forward, allowing more time in the evenings to enjoy the longer hours of daylight; there is the prospect of warmer weather (hopefully with fewer showers!); trees, plants, flowers and hedgerows are beginning to blossom and new animal and bird life is starting to emerge.
Easter, the celebration of renewed life, this year falls on the first weekend of April and is introduced by a full moon – traditionally called the Pink Moon –occurring at 3.12am on Good Friday, the 3rd. Another, perhaps more spectacular, astronomical event this month is the Lyrid meteor shower, a phenomenon that begins on the 16th and reaches its peak on the 22nd .
National anniversary days in April include those for Unicorns (9th) and Primroses (19th). The latter honours St Agatha – a virgin martyr – and is why, according to folklore, primroses form the traditional burial garlands for young girls who die in spring, the petals’ pale hues celebrating purity.
In addition to our regular gardening, book reviews and other articles, in this issue are: details of the new Local Plan Consultation (Page 5); Great Maplestead’s Parish Assembly (Page 7); developments at Halstead’s Community Centre (Page 11); an initiative to support Health and Wellbeing (Page 15); and welcome news about The Round Church (Page 25).
Our new series – Lost to Time, featuring former local places and people of interest, along with other aspects of parish life that have now disappeared –continues with Part One of a story of a philanthropic benefactor’s lost legacy: St Mary’s House of Mercy (Page 9), originally established as a safe haven for ‘fallen’ women. We would love to hear about other local things, people or crafts that have been similarly Lost to Time: please send your information, articles or pictures to the Editorial address (Page 27).
We look forward to hearing from you!
Cover Picture: An English Primrose by Robert Read
Letter from the Reverend Beverley Vincent
Happy Easter! The Easter message is one of hope, of new life, and of the reminder that God can bring light and possibility even out of the most difficult or uncertain moments.
The resurrection story is, at its heart, a story of transformation. The disciples moved from fear to courage, from grief to joy, from uncertainty to renewed purpose. Easter reminds us that endings are rarely simply endings; they are often the beginning of something new. The risen Christ meets people where they are and gently leads them forward into a future they could not yet imagine.
Across our four village churches, we see that same pattern of faith lived out in small but meaningful ways in worship offered week by week, in care shown to neighbours, in friendships formed, and in the quiet faithfulness that sustains rural church life. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my ministry to share in these moments with you all.
It is therefore with mixed emotions that I announce some personal news: I will be retiring on 4th September this year. This marks a significant change not only for me, but also for Barry and for all of us who share the life of these churches. Change can bring uncertainty, but the Easter message reassures us that God is always at work ahead of us, preparing new paths and fresh opportunities.
As I begin to look towards retirement, I do so with deep gratitude. Thank you for the kindness, encouragement, and support you have shown throughout my time here. You have welcomed Barry and me into your communities and lives in ways that have meant more than words can express. Together we have celebrated joys, supported one another through sorrows, and sought to serve Christ faithfully in these villages.
The months ahead will offer opportunities to reflect, to give thanks, and to prepare for the next chapter for you as churches, and for us as we enter a new season of life. My prayer is that the hope of the resurrection will continue to guide and sustain us all, reminding us that God’s faithfulness does not change, even as we do.
With gratitude and every blessing
Local Plan Review
Braintree District Council is in the process of reviewing its Local Plan which, once adopted, will provide the framework for development across the district for the next 15 years.
Following a 2025 consultation, which identified local issues and options, the Council has now published its Preferred Options for public consultation.
This Draft Plan focuses on the development allocations in the most sustainable existing locations or where development on a strategic scale can be achieved while providing high levels of sustainability. It does not propose development allocations in any of the smaller villages in the district, other than very modest infill, or in the open countryside.
From the four parishes’ point of view the proposed development allocation on land to the NE/SE of Halstead is probably of the most immediate interest. In the areas shaded red in the illustration, the proposals are for:
• Up to 2,850 homes
• A bypass linking the A131 south of Halstead to Colchester Road, then on to the A131 Sudbury Road north of Halstead
• A new primary school provision with early years and childcare
• Secondary school education contributions
• Community facilities, including new or expanded NHS facilities
• A new local centre
• Public open space
The Public Consultation runs until 5.00pm on Friday 17th April 2026.
How to view the consultation documents
Copies of the Draft, the Evidence Base and Background Studies used for the plan can be found at:www.braintree.gov.uk/localplanreview
Paper copies of the documents are available to view in libraries and at Causeway House, Braintree, Essex, CM7 9HB
How to submit your views
Online:
Visit www.braintree.gov.uk/consultlp
This is the quickest and easiest way of submitting comments. E-mail: Responses should be sent to planningpolicy@braintree.gov.uk. Post:
Following this consultation, BDC will consider all the comments and redraft the Plan to take account of the responses. Once agreed, the pre-submission document will then be published for a final Public Consultation period before it is submitted to the Planning Inspector later this year.
Things
to do
in the next couple of months…
Picking and Choosing in Great Maplestead
On Saturday 7th March fourteen Task Force volunteers, plus a couple of helpers, gathered in the Playing Field car park to conduct the first of this year’s community litter-picks. Doing three of these a year ensures that the Council receives its Street Cleaning Grant from Braintree District Council.
New equipment, including pickers, gloves and hi-vis jackets with appropriate logos, all funded by an Essex Association of Local Councils grant, was issued to the teams of volunteers, while specific areas of the parish were allocated to each team to ensure that all roads were properly covered.
During the morning, ten half-filled 60litre sacks were collected, meaning the litter pick cleared some 300 litres of detritus from the parish roadsides.
Participants gathered afterwards for welcome refreshments in St Giles’ Church. Rob Brudenell would like to thank all those who baked and provided the snacks, which were appreciated by everyone.
A donation from the grant was made to the Church for the use of its facilities and to cover the costs of the coffee and tea consumed.
This year’s Parish Assembly is being held in the Village Hall on Wednesday 15th April at 7.30pm.
This is an ideal opportunity to socialise, meet fellow parishioners, find out what is going on in the village and hear about plans for the future. Refreshments will be provided, so do come along and say hello.
The Parish Council will be reporting on its actions during the past year and the meeting will include contributions from village institutions and various local event and social activity organisers.
St Giles’ Church, along with the School, will each be reporting on their past year’s activities while contributions from the Village Hall trustees, the Knitting Circle, the Carpet Bowls Club, the Maple Leaves and the Autumn Show Society have been invited. PCSO John Thorne has also been asked to come along to report on and discuss rural crime.
Elections for Essex County Council will be taking place on Thursday 7th May 2026. Remember, you’ll need to show photo ID when voting, either at a polling station or by proxy.
For information on which forms of photo ID will be accepted, visit electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID or call: 0800 328 0280.
Steve Harris – Parish Council Chairman
A Concert Supporting
Lost to Time – St Mary’s House of Mercy (Part 1)
A short distance along Toldish Hall Road from Great Maplestead’s Church Street in is an imposingly high red brick wall. Behind this wall is now a small group of residential properties but, if you were able to travel back in time to the 1950s or earlier and look over the wall, you would have seen that it enclosed an imposing Victorian mansion at the centre of a larger campus, built around a quadrangle, the extensive grounds including a Wardens Lodge and a Chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalen Few clues now remain as to the history and evolution of the site apart from some of the house names that currently occupy it: ‘St. Mary’s’, ‘Chapel House’ and ‘St Mary’s Coach House’. There are, however, still a few life-long Maplestead residents with relatives who had connections with St Mary’s which, as it developed, served a number of ‘charitable’ causes.
The original house and buildings dated back to 1867. Built as a ‘House of Mercy’, at a cost of £10,000, it was funded by Elizabeth Barter, a companion and sole beneficiary of the estate of local philanthropist Mary Gee, who used her newly found wealth to continue Mary’s philanthropic work.
When opened, the House joined a wider group of ‘Houses of Mercy’, governed by the Anglican Church and run by Christian Nuns. The Mercy Houses were very Victorian institutions, following a long-standing Christian tradition of charitable works intended to address the consequences of poverty; the relative isolation of St Mary’s no doubt helped to create an environment in which the purpose of its mission could be achieved.
This mission focused specifically on women, in particular ‘Fallen Women’, a euphemism for those who had turned to prostitution – perhaps because of a lack of legitimate employment opportunities – or who were victims of sexual exploitation or had given birth out of wedlock. Whilst there was appreciation of their plight, such women were also seen as a social problem, their behaviour undermining the Victorian’s rigid moral and religious values.
Women entered ‘Houses of Mercy’ either voluntarily, seeking shelter, or through enforced confinement via religious institutions or the legal system. Whilst caring for their physical welfare, the Nuns also addressed the need for re-education and ‘reform’. St Mary’s accommodated up to fifty girls and young women, from age fourteen up to thirty, drawn from across the UK.
Residents were expected to remain for two years, to be trained in domestic duties and needlework, equipping them for future domestic service or independent employment. Their spiritual ‘reform’ was addressed through enforced daily religious observance in the Chapel. The 1871 Census confirms the residents’ employment on laundry and domestic work and, in the 20th Century, the House provided a commercial laundry service. However, a less than subtle insight to the regime can be drawn from the 1881 Census, which described the residents collectively as ‘inmates’ and puts the height of the surrounding wall into some context! [To be continued next month…]
Halstead Community Arts Centre
The team behind the Halstead Community Arts Centre — an ambitious extension of the successful Empire Theatre has announced that several major steps have been taken in the development of this landmark project for the town and its surrounding villages.
Specialist architects have now been appointed to lead the next stage of design work, marking a significant milestone in bringing this long-awaited community facility to life.
In addition, the newly-formed Halstead Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) is currently awaiting registration with the Charity Commission to establish the formal structure needed to deliver and sustain this project.
The Arts Centre will eventually provide creative studios, flexible community rooms, youth spaces, wellbeing activities and a welcoming café/bar, offering all communities access to high-quality cultural and social opportunities close to home. The project aligns strongly with Arts Council England’s Let’s Create strategy (2020–2030), supporting creative people and cultural communities, ensuring town and rural areas have access to inspiring cultural spaces.
A
Vision for Halstead and its Villages
Chair-designate Jim Bond says: “This is a long awaited opportunity to realise the ambition of having a community centre in the heart of the town. This centre will combine all the best that the arts can provide, along with spaces for the community to use for both formal and informal activities.”
Funding Applications and Support Needed
The project team is now preparing a series of grant applications to regional and national funders to support the next phase of development. To help strengthen this effort, the team will be calling on Parish Councils, community groups, and local residents to help raise awareness, build momentum and support fundraising initiatives.
Call for Volunteers
As the project grows, the Halstead CIO is seeking talented and enthusiastic individuals to join the team and help drive the project forward.
Roles may include:
• Community engagement
• Fundraising and events
• Communications and publicity
• Governance and project support
A Shared Community Effort
“We’re asking our local parishes and residents to join us in bringing this vision to life,” adds Bond. “Together, we can create a space where creativity, community and connection can thrive for generations to come.”
For more information or to find out how to get involved, please contact: townclerk@halsteadtowncouncil.org.uk
Help for Keeping Well
Essex County Council's Public Health team has launched a refreshed offer of free, friendly and flexible local services designed to help residents take small, achievable steps toward improving their health and wellbeing.
Life can be demanding, and many people juggle work, caring responsibilities, and busy households. With so much to manage, personal health can slip down the priority list. Essex Public Health wants residents to know they don’t have to cope alone.
Councillor John Spence, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Adult Social Care, Public Health and Integration, says: “We know life is busy, and it’s not always easy to look after your health. Small actions such as a short walk at lunchtime, booking a health check, or seeking support for stress can make a meaningful difference. Whatever small step someone wants to take, help is ready when they need it.”
A wide range of support and tools are available, which are easy to access, non-judgemental and designed to fit around everyday life. These include:
• helping residents to stop smoking
• mental health support
• ways to be more active.
Personalised support to help stop smoking is available through the Essex Wellbeing service. Since 2022 the service has helped 14,280 residents to quit. Stop smoking support includes:
• guidance and practical tools
• nicotine replacement therapy
• one-to-one advice.
Support to help people be more active includes the provision of a range of free activities, including:
• walking groups
• outdoor gyms
• family activities
• local sports clubs and teams.
Active Essex offers an online activity finder to help people discover free and low-cost activity options to choose from close to home.
As well as physical health, mental health wellbeing support is also available, including:
• workshops
• talking therapies
• online sessions
• services focused on listening, providing reassurance, and helping people move forward at their own pace.
More information about the Health and Wellbeing support available in Essex can be found at: https://www.essex.gov.uk/adult-social-care-andhealth/health-and-wellbeing-services
Gardening Corner
After the wet winter we have experienced we really don’t need a lot of April showers this spring!
Check that clematis are tied into any trellis fixed to walls and sheds. Use a soft brown or green string that will not cut into the delicate stems – the same goes for securing those plants growing on an obelisk.
Any shrubs or small trees leaning over at an angle are probably suffering from ‘wind rock’. They will have become unstable due to the force of the winter gales and will need a stake and tie to support them. Mulch and firm the soil around the base of each shrub and tree.
In the vegetable garden it’s time to erect runner bean canes and wooden frames for gourds and squash. You can grow this vegetable in the ground but it is better protected from slugs on a frame. Marrows and courgettes can be lifted off the ground with an old tile or slate – this will help stop them from rotting. Continue to sow radish, beetroot, lettuce and spring onions – a small amoiunt of seed at a time will ensure succession crops rather than, say, getting fifty lettuce all at once…
Try placing pots and containers in different locations in the garden before planting annuals or small shrubs to ensure you are happy with them being in the right place – it is far easier to move empty pots rather than ones full of compost and plants.
Two old favourites for plant of the month this April: firstly Photinia Red Robin (right) a shrub with a lovely red foliage at this time of the year, and secondly Daphne odora, a small shrub with fragrant pink flowers. Both of these shrubs are eye-catching and add interest to a garden now that the spring bulbs are coming to an end.
If you have a wet arera that only dries out in the summer months I would suggest planting with Dogwood [cornus family] iris sibirica, hardy geraniums and crocosmia, all of which are tolerant of wet, then dry, locations.
Before I sign off this month, perhaps consider establishing a wildlife corner or allocating an area of ground behind a shed and leaving it to go wild. Also try a packet of wildflower seeds – just a thought!
Enjoy the longer days. The Arborist
Book Reviews
The first of these I came across after hearing about it by accident and found it to be an absolutely compelling read; the second is a really interesting and gripping psychological thriller that I found very difficult to put down.
THE MERMAID OF THE BLACK CONCH : Monique Roffey
This one was a total surprise to me, quite unlike my usual choices, and I only downloaded it to my Kindle because I was intrigued by the few clips I heard from its Radio 4 serialisation.
The author, Monique Roffey, is an award-winning Trinidadian-born British writer and this book won the Costa Book of the Year in 2020.
Near the island of Black Conch, David, a fisherman, sings to himself while waiting for a catch. But he attracts a sea-dweller that he never expected – Aycayia, an innocent young woman cursed by jealous wives to live as a mermaid.
When American tourists capture Aycayia, David rescues her and vows to win her trust. Slowly, painfully, she transforms into a woman again. Yet as their love grows, they discover that the world around them is changingand they cannot escape the curse forever.
MAGPIE : Elizabeth Day
The author is an English journalist, broadcaster and novelist who was a feature writer for The Observer from 2007 to 2016.
This is a tense, twisting, cleverly written novel about mothers and children, envy and possession, and the dangers of getting everything you’ve ever dreamed of.
Marisa may have only known Jake a few months, but she has never felt this certain about anyone. When he asks her to move in with him and they start trying for a baby, she knows she has finally found the steadfast love and support she has been looking for all her life.
But their relationship is tested when they take in a lodger, Kate, who has little regard for personal boundaries and seems to take an uncomfortable interest in Jake – as well as the baby they are hoping to have. Why is Kate so obsessed with the couple? And, more worryingly, why doesn’t Jake share Marisa's concern?
In her determination to find the answers, Marisa risks losing everything she holds dear…
The Bookworm
A Community Event to Participate In…
GESTINGTHORPE
SATURDAY 16th May
10.00am to Noon
Meet at the Village Hall
The Gestingthorpe Grill will be serving Sausage Sizzle, tea & coffee. Free to all Litter Pick
All equipment will be provided by Gestingthorpe Parish Council.
Please wear suitable clothing and footwear.
Please come along and help tidy up our beautiful village.
Gestingthorpe Goings-on
Village Hall Coffee Morning & Book Exchange
Fortnightly on Fridays from 10.00am to 12 noon
Join friends and neighbours in the Village Hall for tea, coffee, cake and a chat. All cakes are homemade and served by our fabulous team of volunteers. Tea or coffee and cake £3.00 – pay by card or cash.
Bring a book to swap or buy a book for £1. Our bookcase is located next to the big window in the small hall. There is a large range of books and genres to choose from.
The next Coffee Mornings and Book Exchange will be on 10th & 24th April and 8th & 22nd May
All funds raised go towards running & maintaining the Village Hall.
Forthcoming Local Events
Hedingham Heritage Society
Our talks over the next couple of months are tenuously linked by flying – wild birds in April and drones in May. We do hope you can join us for both of these:
Thursday 2nd April: ‘The Peregrine – Soaring High with J. A. Baker’. This talk on J. A. Baker – who was born in Chelmsford and became a renowned authority on birdlife in Essex – is by David Simmons, who celebrates Baker’s love of the peregrine falcon and his book ‘The Peregrine’.
7.30pm – Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall
Thursday 14th May: ‘The Hedinghams by Drone’. Drones have revolutionised the way we see the world, giving photographers access to unique perspectives and compositions. Local drone photographer Simon Daw will showcase the power of this technology, with bird’s eye views of the Hedinghams’ distinctive landmarks and beautiful countryside.
7.30pm – Castle Hedingham Memorial Hall
Do join our local and natural history society. Annual membership for 2026 remains at £15.
Members come free to all walks and talks : Non-Members - £5. Everybody is Welcome. Contacts: Trudi: 01787 462 889 : Mark: 07906 472 636
E-mail: hedinghamheritage@gmail.com or visit www.hedinghamheritage.org.uk
Church Matters
Great News about the Round Church!
In last month’s article I wrote of a concern regarding the future of the Round Church. I must clarify that the Church finances are stable; our actual need was for new members to join the Parochial Church Council (PCC) to help maintain the governance of the Church.
I am therefore delighted to share that three residents of Little Maplestead have come forward and expressed their interest in joining the PCC. This is truly fantastic news and we are extremely grateful to those who have agreed to serve in this important role. Thanks to their commitment, the future of our Round Church is currently safe from closure and will continue to serve the community for the foreseeable future.
Looking ahead, the PCC will welcome volunteers to help with fundraising. We would also like to remind all residents of Little Maplestead that they are most welcome to attend the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM), which will be held on 23rd April at 7.00pm in the Church.
We hope to see you there.
Jane Stone – Vice-Chair, Little Maplestead PCC
Parish News Information
Advertising/Announcements/Articles
The 2026 Parish News Business Advertising Rates for the year (10 issues, pro-rated as applicable) and for monthly single issue advertisements and event announcements are shown below, along with the Copy/Artwork Deadline dates for the next seven issues of Parish News:
Articles
Please submit these by e-mail, preferably as a Word document attachment with separate images:
½ page: 150-160 words + images Full page: 400-420 words + images
Contacts: Advertising Ann Harris ann66harris@gmail.com Editorial Parish News Team parishnewsmaplestead@gmail.com
The Parish Representatives, to whom articles and event announcement submissions should be sent, are listed on the Inside Front Cover
