Bridge Street

The annual Boxing Day meet in Bridge Street around 1900. The meet still takes place but changed traffic conditions have forced a move to a nearby side street. The building on the right was erected in 1782 to serve as a House of Correction. It had 35 cells for both men and women, a laundry, kitchen, brew house, exercise yard, infirmary, magistrates room and a treadwheel. The upper floor comprised the Governors quarters. In 1841 the prisoners were transfered to Chelmsford gaol and the building was then converted to serve as Halstead's first police station, in fact one of the first in the country. In 1850 the police moved to a newly built station in Trinity Street where they still are -(to view the station click here) and the old House of Correction became a flour mill. It was demolished in 1965 to be replaced by shops. Note the rough state of the road in the foreground which was quite normal in those times.