HALSTEAD, market-town, consisting of urban and rural parish, in Saffron Walden parliamentary division of Essex, England, on the Colne, 17 m. N.N.E. from Chelmsford. Pop. (1931) 5,878. The church of St. Andrew is mainly Perpendicular. The grammar school dates from 1594. There are large silk and crape works. Two miles north of Halstead is Little Maplestead, where the church is the latest in date of the four churches with round naves extant in England, being of 12th-century foundation, but showing Parly Decorated work. The chancel, which is with out aisles, terminates in an apse. Three m. N.W. from Halstead are the large villages of Sible Hedingham and Castle Hedingham. At the second is the Norman keep of the De Veres, of whom Au brey de Vere held the lordship from William I. The keep dates from the end of the I ith century, and exhibits much Norman work. The church of St. Nicholas, Castle Hedingham, is Norman, Transitional and Early English.