Great Bardfield

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Great Bardfield is a village in Essex.

Great Bardfield is home to the Bardfield Cage, a 19th century village lock-up. There is a figure of a man in the cage and an audio tape player. Opening Hours: 3 Apr-26 Sep, Sat, Sun, Bank Hol Mon, 1400-1700.

The village is best known as the home of many important twentieth century English artists who hosted a series of important 'open house' exhibitions in the village during the 1950s. These exhibitions garnered national press attention and attracted thousands of visitors. The Great Bardfield Artists of the 1940s and 1950s were: John Aldridge (Royal Academician), Edward Bawden, George Chapman, Stanley Clifford-Smith, Audrey Cruddas, Walter Hoyle, Michael Rothenstein, Eric Ravilious (who lodged with Bawden at Brick House), Sheila Robinson and Marianne Straub. Other artists linked to the art community include Joan Glass, Duffy Ayers, Laurence Scarfe and the political cartoonist David Low.