1. Braintree dates back to over 4000 years old when it was just a small village.
2. The oldest timber-framed barn in the world is at Cressing Temple near Braintree and it was built about 1206AD.
3. Braintree is twinned with Pierrefitte-sur-Siene, France and it even gives its name to the town of Braintree, Massachusetts, USA.
4. The town was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1085 where it was referred to as Branchetreu and that means “Town by the river”.
5. The town was badly affected by the Great Plague, which claimed the lives of 865 of Braintree’s 2,300 population.
6. Louie Spence – an English dance expert, TV personality and Pineapple Dance Studios personnell is from Braintree.
7. The Prodigy – Famous dance music group. The Prodigy are arguably Braintree’s best known export in recent years.
8. Giles Long MBE – Triple Paralympic Gold medallist and former world record holder in the 100m Butterfly. He swam for Braintree and Bocking Swimming Club from 1986-1996.
9. Braintree FC are nicknamed ‘The Iron’ and were formed in 1898 (116 years ago).
10. The club underwent a £600,000 refurbishment in order to meet the ground grading requirements for entry into the Blue Square Premier in 2011. This included new floodlights, six new turnstiles and total refurbishment of the dressing rooms. A further £200,000 was spent on improvements to the Amlin Stadium, including additional turnstiles, toilets, terracing etc. to ensure the club, if successful, could meet the ground requirements for the Football League.
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