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Kelvedon is a village and civil parish in the Braintree District of Essex in England, near to the town of Witham. The parish was part of the Braintree Rural District from 1894 until 1974. It had a population of 4,717 in the UK census of 2001. Kelvedon expanded significantly in the Victorian era. The reason was the Norwich to London railway making it a place to live yet get to work as rail was the only fast method of transport. Victorian Kelvedon was set along one street, High Street. In the 1930s, with the advent of the automobile, High Street became the A12, the main road through Essex. Ribbon development saw houses sprawl along the road for miles. The village suffered major congestion until a bypass was built in the 1960s. Kelvedon is situated next to the village of Feering and is separated from it by the River Blackwater. The River Blackwater was spanned by a packhorse bridge, built around 1750, which was an essential part of the main road carrying traffic from Norfolk and Suffolk to London and this feature was significant in making Kelvedon an important staging post on the main route to London, as could be seen from the numerous inns and hostelries which served the area. In the late 19th century, Kelvedon became famous for seed growing, and two firms, both now part of conglomerates, became famous for the production of flower and vegetable seeds. [edit] Research Tips
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