Matching the Villages

You sometimes feel that Essex place names were designed to disorientate and confuse. Either that, or a Saxon cartographer got it all wrong when three tiny villages which form a triangle to the east of Harlow were named Matching Tye, Matching Green and Matching. Matching itself is the oldest of the trio and has changed little since Saxon times when the Maecca or Match people settled in what was then open forest. After the 5th century, this community expanded into Matching Tye and Matching Green.

In this walk we shall discover the flint-and-rubble Church of St Mary the Virgin, built in 1200 over the site of an original Saxon church at Matching. The church stands in an atmosphere of pastoral peace, while next to it is the recently restored Marriage Feast House. A generous Mr William Chimney built the Feast House in 1480 and allowed local brides and grooms to celebrate their happy day there, a tradition that continued right up until 1936. The large oak tree beside the church was planted to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1887. These days the Feast House is used as an annexe for church activities. Near by there is a splendid lake filled with waterfowl, a lovely 15th-century timber-framed manor house surrounded by a water-filled moat and a large aisled barn dating back to the 1600s.

Matching Green, to the south east of Matching, is another village barely touched by time save for a picturesque collection of 18th-century weather-boarded cottages overlooking the green. There used to be some shops and half a dozen pubs, but nowadays it is a quiet spot where local people down a pint at the village's only surviving pub, the Chequers. The celebrated portrait artist, Augustus John (1878-1961), whose subjects included Thomas Hardy and George Bernard Shaw, lived in Elm House, next door.

The third village in this trio is Matching Tye renowned for its attractive Conservation Area of historic dwellings clustered round the tiny green. As you wander through the village you'll see a range of building materials used which include weather-boarding, yellow stock and red brick, red plain clay tiles, slate and thatch. The oldest buildings are the 16th-century Ployters Farm and Little Brewers, just before reaching your journey's end at the Fox Inn.

While you're there

Down Hall stands on the site of a Tudor farmhouse, which was demolished in the 18th century. It was rebuilt in 1870 in classical style and is noted for its Italianate design. A once grand private residence, it became a military hospital during World War One, and then a girls' school and management training centre before becoming a hotel in 1986.

Where to eat and drink

Two fine watering holes with plenty of character on this route include the Fox Inn at Matching Tye and the Chequers at Matching Green. Both have car parks and serve home-cooked hot and cold meals, and a good selection of beer, wine and soft drinks. Otherwise try the upmarket Down Hall Hotel.

What to look for

During World War Two American airmen and their engineers were based at Matching Airfield. Most of the land has now been reclaimed and only the control tower and radar building remain, but you can look for the memorial, erected to those who never returned, to the east of Matching Green.