Henham

{{Short description|Village in Essex, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}

{{about|the village in Essex|the place in Suffolk|Henham, Suffolk}}

{{Infobox UK place

|country = England

|official_name= Henham

|static_image_name= Cock Inn Henham Essex England.jpg

|static_image_caption= The Cock Inn

|coordinates = {{coord|51.9334|0.251962|display=inline,title}}

|os_grid_reference= TL549285

| population = 1,233

| population_ref = (2011)

|civil_parish = Henham

|shire_district= Uttlesford

|shire_county = Essex

|region= East of England

|constituency_westminster= Saffron Walden

|post_town= BISHOP'S STORTFORD

|postcode_district = CM22

|postcode_area= CM

|dial_code=01279

|london_distance_mi = 35

|london_direction = SSE

}}

__NOTOC__

Henham, or Henham-on-the-Hill is a village and civil parish in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. The village is situated {{convert|2.5|mi|km|0}} north from London Stansted Airport. The parish includes the hamlets of Little Henham and Pledgdon Green. Parish population at the 2011 Census was 1,233.{{NOMIS2011|id=1170214006|title=Henham Parish |accessdate=14 February 2019}}

Henham's parish church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. The community Village Shop & Post Office situated opposite the Village ponds is run totally by volunteers. The local public house is The Cock Inn.

A dragon legend at Henham began with the 1669 pamphlet The Flying Serpent or Strange News Out of Essex, which promoted further alleged sightings of the dragon.{{cite web |title=Parish of Henham Essex - Henham Dragon |url=http://www.henham.org/FlyingSerpent.html |publisher=Henham.org |accessdate=22 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826161159/http://www.henham.org/FlyingSerpent.html |archivedate=26 August 2014 |df=dmy-all }} Today, many signs in the village contain dragon motifs.

Henham was a station on the Elsenham to Thaxted branch line.

The village holds a bi-annual 10 kilometre run in the final weeks of May.

There is a Tennis Club, Village Hall and OSCA (Hall & rooms for local activities).

A monthly magazine "The Dragon" is distributed free to all residents.

There is a bi-annual pantomime which takes place in the village hall in early January. Restarted in 2014{{Cite web|url=http://www.henhamhistory.org/2014Pantomime.html|title = 2014 Pantomime}} after a 10 year break,{{Cite web|url=http://www.henhamhistory.org/2004Pantomime.html|title = Henham History Essex - 2004 Pantomime}} appearances so far have included "Cinderella", "Snow white and the Seven Princes", "Jack and the Beanstalk", and "Alice in Pantoland"

Current notable residents include comedian Ed Byrne{{Cite news|url=https://www.saffronwaldenreporter.co.uk/news/tv-comedian-makes-unexpected-appearance-at-county-high-school-students-great-british-bake-off-event-1-2014225|title=TV comedian makes unexpected appearance at County High School students' Great British Bake Off event|last=Tonkin|first=Sam|date=11 April 2013|website=Saffron Walden Reporter|language=en|access-date=14 February 2019}} and actor John Savident.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} Hertfordshire, Minor Counties and Cambridgeshire cricketer Timothy Smith was born in the village.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}