Little Easton
Coordinates: 51°53′33″N 0°20′07″E / 51.892597°N 0.33534°E
Little Easton is a small village in Essex, England, which dates from the 12th century. The village has a population of just a few hundred people, one pub, "The Stag", and one church.[1] The village of Great Easton lies one mile (1.6 km) to the north.
Little Easton is recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Estaines Parva.[2]
During the second world war the US Air Force created an airfield at nearby Easton Lodge, which was the base of the 386th Bomb Group (Marauders) of the 9th AF USAAF. Although the airfield has long been transformed back into fields, the outline of the airport can still be seen from the air, as can be witnessed through Google Earth, just to the right of the current Stansted Airport.
Easton Lodge itself was built in 1597 by Henry Maynard, to replace a medieval manor house which was situated by the church. Most of the original house has been destroyed over the years by fires, but there is a project underway to restore the gardens.[3] Easton Lodge was the home of Frances Evelyn Maynard (1861-1938), also known as Daisy, who became Countess of Warwick and a noted 'champagne socialist'. The Lodge gave its name to a railway station on the now-closed line between Braintree and Bishops Stortford. There is also an impressive Manor house in the village, which is not open to the public, although there are several ornamental lakes which are open to the public and can be used for recreation, including fishing.
The village's parish church is St Mary the Virgin. Mike Reid, the actor and comedian, was buried in the churchyard following his death on 29 July 2007.[4]
See also
References
External links
Media related to Little Easton at Wikimedia Commons