Finchingfield - see & do
Finchingfield Pond and Green
At the heart of the village the pond and green are a lovely place to sit and relax. From here you can easily walk to the church and Guildhall at the top of the hill, have lunch and a drink at one of our several eateries, or visit one of our shops for some retail therapy.
Guildhall
Dating from 1470, the historic Guildhall is in the heart of Finchingfield. Over time it has been used to house the village priest with shops or workshops on the ground floor. It has been used for celebrations, the village school, the relief of need and hardship, the local bridewell, civic administration, exhibitions and meetings.
Today, the Guildhall is a venue for heritage visits with an interactive museum, the village library, a resource centre and the Guild Room, which can be hired for events and exhibitions.
The Museum is open at weekends from 2pm-4pm
The Guildhall is available for heritage tours and to hire for events.
Please email newmail@finchingfieldguildhall.org.uk to hire the Guildhall or organise a group tour (minimum group size is 10). Tours include a talk about the history of the Guildhall, an overview of its architecture and access to the museum. Tours take approximately 1½ hours.
Parish Church of St John the Baptist
Located next to the Guildhall in Finchingfield, the church consists of a large Norman tower from around 1170, with other parts of the building dating back to the late 13th and 14th centuries. The church is open every day from 9am to 4pm. Sunday services are currently usually at 11am on the first and third Sundays of the month, with an early service at 8am on the fourth Sunday and other services for special festivals in the Christian year.
Inside are a number of interesting things to see, including medieval carvings and brasses and some beautifully decorated organ pipework, and it is also a wonderfully peaceful and prayerful place in which to find some stillness or light a candle.
The church stands on a hill overlooking the village, and is surrounded by an extensive churchyard, which offers a lovely alternative place to sit, away from the village green. News from the church can be found on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/The-Benefice-of-Finchingfield-Cornish-Hall-End-Wethersfield-Shalford-101731828287512
Windmill
The oldest windmill in Essex stands on a hill overlooking Finchingfield, the most photographed village in the county.
The Grade II-listed post mill – also known as Duck End Mill and Letch’s Mill – is thought to have been built around 1756. It stopped operating in 1890.
The mill's four sails could be rotated to catch the wind, driving a pair of millstones. A tail pole was used to turn the mill.
This is the last of seven windmills that once stood in the village of Finchingfield. A windmill likely stood on this site since medieval times.
Finchingfield Rovers FC
Finchingfield Rovers were originally formed in 1920 after the First World War, the club was reformed after a dormant period but have quickly grown into a wonderful community club, who do a lot for the Village, apart from football. Join us after matches at The Three Tuns!
Fixtures can be found on our events page here
Finchingfield Community Library
There has been a library service running from within Finchingfield Guildhall since the early 1950s.
We are one of the few remaining community libraries in Essex. We moved into our current larger space following the restoration of the Guildhall in 2013.
We are supported by :
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Parish Council, Kempe Educational Trust
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Guildhall Trustees & ECC Libraries
Membership to ECC library is free for everyone and we can enrol you at the library on production of some form of identity.
Address: Finchingfield Community Library, The Guildhall, Church Hill Finchingfield Essex CM7 4NN
Email address: Finchingfieldvclibrary@gmail.com
Lee Mancha lives in Finchingfield (the closest location) and runs one car and takes cash and credit cards: mobile number 07867 971340
Peacock Cars in Sampford have two vehicles and take credit cards, bank transfers and cash: mobile number 07494 931899, website: https://www.peacockcars.co.uk; facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/peacock.cars.7