Birchanger is a small ancient village in northeast Essex on the boundary of Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire.
The village is based around a hill, which is part of the East Anglian Heights (the eastern end of the Chilterns). At the foot of the hill is the river Stort, which is a tributary of the River Lea which in turn is a tributary of the River Thames. The village was recorded in the 1086 Domesday book with the name Bilchangra. The village is much earlier than this date as can be seen from St Mary's Church, parts of which date back to Saxon times. The position of the church and the village had an important situation overlooking the Stort and its valley.
In the 12th Century the village name in ancient british was recorded as "Bircehangra" which means "Wooded slope growing with Birch trees". This name is still appropriate today as parts of Birchanger Wood still exist (and are protected) which still contain many Birch trees.
This CD is a brief potted history and photograph archive of our village. By clicking here you can explore some of the history and photographs of our village.