Elmdon

The castle motte at Elmdon, known as 'castle hill', still exists. It was the Norman fortification of Robert de Lucy, brother to Richard de Lucy, Justiciar to King Stephen and Henry II. The church at Elmdon was granted by Robert de Lucy to Lesnes Abbey (founded by Richard de Lucy), around 1180.{{Cite book |author=Clapham, Alfred William |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1277161454 |title=Lesnes Abbey in the parish of Erith, Kent : being a complete report of the investigations, architectural and historical, carried out by the Works Committee of the Woolwich Antiquarian Society during the years 1909-1913. |date=1915 |publisher=Cassio Press |oclc=1277161454}} One mile to the west, at the highest point in Essex, Eustace de Boulogne (d.1125), father of Matilda of Boulogne (c.1103-1152), the future wife of King Stephen, built and occupied his moated house named 'Flanders' at Chrishall.{{cite web|url=https://opendomesday.org/name/count-eustace-of-boulogne/|title=Open Domesday: Count Eustace of Bouogne|accessdate=12 March 2022}}

Elmdon has two Grade II* listed buildings: the church, which was, apart from the 15th Century tower, rebuilt in 1852 and 1879, likely on old foundations;{{NHLE |num=1031384 |desc=Church of St Nicholas |accessdate=12 March 2022}} and Pigots, an early 1500s moated manor house, which was home to the Mead family from 1554 to 1770.{{NHLE |num=1322504 |desc= Pigots |accessdate=12 March 2022}}

The name Elmdon means 'hill of elms'.{{Cite book |author=Clapham, Alfred William |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1277161454 |title=Lesnes Abbey in the parish of Erith, Kent : being a complete report of the investigations, architectural and historical, carried out by the Works Committee of the Woolwich Antiquarian Society during the years 1909-1913. |date=1915 |publisher=Cassio Press |oclc=1277161454}} Elmdon includes a village hall, a church, and a recreation ground used for cricket and football.

Elmdon has an infrequent bus service with links to Bishop's Stortford. There are three roads out of Elmdon; two are minor roads leading to other villages, and the third provides access indirectly to the nearest station, Audley End on the West Anglia Main Line.

Elmdon is not served by mains gas; houses rely on individually supplied heating oil systems. The village is connected to British Telecom's backbone network through the Chrishall exchange which is ADSL-enabled. As of January 2007, speeds of up to 2mb ADSL and 3mb ADSL-MAX were available through broadband over copper phone cable. No cable television providers service the village.{{update|date=November 2017}}

Elmdon has sporting teams participating in local leagues. The village is a starting point for cross country running with trails of between 3 km and 30 km, some avoiding major roads. Tracks are passable on foot and bicycle between March and November, becoming waterlogged outside this range (passable but not to run on).{{Original research inline|date=November 2017}}

The Icknield Way Path passes through the village on its {{Convert|110|mile|km|adj=mid|order=flip}} journey from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire to Knettishall Heath in Suffolk. The multi-user route is open for walkers, horse riders and off-road cyclists.

• The Hundred Parishes

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book|title=Elmdon : continuity and change in a North-West Essex village, 1861-1964|author=Robin, Jean|date=1980|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521228206|location=Cambridge|oclc=5051677}}
• {{Cite book|title=Kinship at the core : an anthropology of Elmdon a village in north-west Essex in the nineteen-sixties|last=Marilyn.|first=Strathern|date=1981|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521105033|location=Cambridge|oclc=7594522}}

{{Commons category|Elmdon}}

• [http://www.recordinguttlesfordhistory.org.uk/elmdon/elmdon.html Elmdon village history]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20041127085201/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/i.rose/elmdon.htm Elmdon Parish Church]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110129125618/http://icknieldwayparish.com/ The Icknield Way Parish] (includes Elmdon)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060925141611/http://www.sundialsoc.org.uk/Dotm/jun2000.htm The Elmdon Dial sundial]
• [http://www.elmdonessex.org Elmdon Village Website]

{{Essex}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Villages in Essex

Category:Uttlesford