Braintree is a market town in Essex, England, sitting on the River Brain with the older settlement of Bocking close by. It has a long history as a regional market and textile centre - particularly weaving and light industry - and the district contains older attractions such as the medieval barns at Cressing Temple, reflecting its agricultural and monastic links. The town still retains a compact high street and a regular market that speak to those medieval roots.
Today Braintree combines suburban housing and industrial estates with a strong retail presence, most visibly the Braintree Village designer outlet. It lies within easy reach of Witham, Chelmsford and Colchester and is within commuting distance of London, so the local economy mixes commuters, manufacturing and service sectors. Cultural life is centred on community groups and a modest arts scene, while the surrounding Essex countryside gives residents ready access to rural leisure.