Great Dunmow is a small market town which can boast to being one of the few remaining High Streets in the country to only have independent retailers
Great Dunmow History
The town is steeped in history, dating back to Roman times, and is famous for its “Flitch Trials” which take place on every leap year. Mentioned in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, couples must convince a jury of six local bachelors and six local maidens that they have never wished themselves un-wed for a year and a day. If successful, the couple receive a flitch of bacon as a prize.
Read more about the Flitch Trials here.
Every third Saturday in September the town also hosts the family carnival, one of the largest rural carnivals in the UK.
Read more about the Dunmow Carnival here.
Visit the Great Dunmow Maltings, an award-winning restoration of a Grade 2* listed building, to learn more about the town’s history.
Read more about the Great Dunmow Maltings here.
Green spaces in Great Dunmow
Just outside the town centre are wonderful green, open spaces. The Doctors Pond is a great place to relax and while away the time feeding the ducks or trying your hand at angling. The pond acquired its name as the supposed breeding place for leeches used by doctors who lived in North Street, next to the pond. It is said that this was the place used by Lionel Lukin (1742-1834), the inventor of the first self-righting lifeboat, for his experiments using model boats.
Read more about the Doctors Pond here.
Take a walk along the River Chelmer or along the Flitch Way to take in the lovely Essex countryside. For families the recreation ground has play equipment and a skate park to keep the younger members of the family entertained.
