Wethersfield | |
---|---|
Church of St Mary Magdalene and St Mary the Virgin, Wethersfield | |
Location within Essex | |
Population | 1,269 (2011 Census)[1] |
OS grid reference | TL7131 |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | BRAINTREE |
Postcode district | CM7 |
Dialling code | 01371 |
Police | Essex |
Fire | Essex |
Ambulance | East of England |
UK Parliament | |
Wethersfield is a village and civil parish on the B1053 road in the Braintree district of Essex, England.[2][3] It is near the River Pant. Wethersfield has a school, a social club, a fire station and one place of worship. Nearby settlements include the town of Braintree and the village of Finchingfield. The village probably gets its name from a Viking invader named Wuthha or Wotha, who controlled that particular "field" or clearing.[citation needed] Reverend Patrick Brontë, father of the Brontë sisters, was a young curate here in 1807, as was the Rev. John West, missionary to Canada, who married Harriet Atkinson here in 1807.[4]
MDP Wethersfield was the headquarters and training centre for the Ministry of Defence Police until 2022, located at the former RAF Station Wethersfield, and was used by the RAF, United States Army Air Force (USAAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF). It is now used to house asylum seekers.
The village is also one of The Hundred Parishes.
The civil parish includes the hamlets of Beazley End, Blackmore End, and Brickkiln Green.
Wethersfield, Essex is the namesake of Wethersfield, Connecticut.[5]