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Witham (pronounced Wittam) is a town in the county of Essex, in the South East of England. The population (2001 census) is 22,500.
Witham is twinned with the town of Waldbrol, in Germany.
Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford
( 7 miles to the South-West )
and Colchester ( 15 miles to the North-East )
The River Brain runs through the town to join the River Blackwater
Witham is a pleasant Georgian town with a history that dates back to the time of King Alfred, and before ...
Excavations of the Witham Lodge area of the town unveiled remains of a Roman temple as well as of a pottery kiln. This would have been alongside the main Roman road from London to Colchester.
The parish of Witham appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. The manor of Witham was given to the Knights Templar in 1148. To the north of the current town is Cressing Temple which was the earliest foundation of Templar lands in Britain, built over 700 years ago.
The town started life on 'Chipping Hill', where the old forge and the church still exists to this day. As the years went by, the hamlet grew to become 'Witham' and St Nicolas Church of England Church (a unique spelling) serves a congregation of around 150 people each Sunday.
Witham briefly enjoyed a period as an affluent spa town after the discovery of a mineral-bearing spa in the town by Dr Taverner in the 18th century. Witham was also a centre of the wool trade until the decline of the industry in the late 17th century.
Taking a stroll around Witham you will discover a wealth of 16th century buildings, in particular the timber-framed Spread Eagle Inn. Witham's current Town Hall was once the George Coaching Inn and has a history spanning 500 years. Now it holds the Town Heritage Centre and Tourist Information Centre, with an exhibition of local history.
The celebrated novelist and playwright Dorothy L. Sayers lived and wrote in Witham from 1929 to 1957.
Dorothy L Sayers was one of the first women to receive a degree from the University of Oxford. She was most famed for her detective novels featuring the characters Lord Peter Wimsey, Harriet Vane, and Montague Egg, but she was also a successful playwright, noted theologian, and scholar of Dante's poetry.
She moved to Witham in 1929 after her marriage to Arthur Fleming, and lived in Newland Street until her death in 1957.
Witham Library holds a reference collection of her works, press-cuttings, reviews and letters in the Dorothy L Sayers Centre, jointly managed by Essex Libraries and the Dorothy L Sayers Society, held in a specially furnished room on the upper floor (tel 01376-519625).
The statue of Dorothy L Sayers and her cat Blitz, who reputedly followed her about the town is located in Freebournes Court, opposite Witham Library and close to her home on Newland Street, the house now bears a Blue Plaque .
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