In the heart of Essex county, just east from Chelmsford City, sits the picturesque and historic village of Danbury. This village’s origins are antiquated, and the heart of the village is steeped in British history stretching back thousands of years. Situated within areas of vast woodland and heathland protected by the National Trust, Danbury is well known for its unparalleled beauty. As well as this, the village is also known for its significant affluence; with current market offerings including an eight bedroom Georgian mansion priced at £4.5 million!

Danbury’s origins can be traced back even further than neighbouring Chelmsford. Most notably with Danbury Camp, an area which now cover the church and cemetary yard. The Danbury Camp is believed to have been an Iron Age Hillfort, and the earthwork uncovers the boundaries of this ancient settlement! The Iron Age is dated between 1200 B.C. and 600 B.C, predating the Roman occupation of Britain by over 1,000 years. The Romans did settle at Danbury, followed by the Saxons, and then the Normans. Following the Norman Conquest of Britain, Danbury was recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as ‘Danengeberia’. It was gifted by William the Conquerer to Geoffrey De Mandeville - the then Earl of Essex.

The area the hillfort covers is now the site of the St John The Baptist church, which itself is dated to the 13th century - but is most likely much older. St John the Baptist is also the site of a curious folklore tale recorded in the 16th century text ‘Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland’. The tale speaks of the Devil visiting the church on the day of Corpus Christi, and raged throughout the church leaving it in pieces. Upon leaving, he stole one of the six church bells and dropped it upon being chased - the site of which is still known as Bell Hill. It is also said the impact of dropping the bell caused a pond to appear, and people would visit this pond out of curiosity, to see if the Devil would appear!

Operating under Chelmsford City Council, Danbury’s development has been limited due to its semi-rural status and historic lineage, meaning that infrastructural and housing development has often been slow. However, owing to Chelmsford City Council’s adopted local plan for the period up to 2033, the council has acknowledged the necessity for housing development in the Danbury boundary. The council has allocated provisions for the construction of over 100 new mixed-use and mixed-price houses in the local Danbury area, meaning that development to the locale is imminent!