12 males and 4 females in addition on Sundays." By 1867, attendance and facilities had increased: "There is both a day and night school in Fairstead, not in connexion with Government, held in a large room in a cottage, attended by from 40 to 50 children. The night school is taught by the rector, with the aid of the school-mistress." Nowadays, the nearest primary and secondary schools are located in: Great Leighs, Terling and White Notley. A lack of higher and further education is indicated as 23% of over 16s have no formal qualifications; whereas 13.5% of 16 year-olds have 5 or more GCSEs (A*-C). Present The nearest towns are Witham, approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) to the south-east, and Braintree, approximately 5 mi (8 km) to the north. Railway services are available from nearby White Notley and Cressing stations, on the Braintree Branch Line. Trains to London take between 45 minutes and an hour, terminating at Liverpool Street station. There are no sport clubs in Fairstead. The nearest are in: Braintree, Witham and Chelmsford; most notable are Braintree Town F.C who play football in the Conference league and Chelmsford City F.C who play football in the Conference South. The Square and Compasses pub dates back to 1652; it was originally two farming cottages. Fairstead sits on the Essex Way, a popular 81-mile waymarked long-distance footpath. References External links Villages in Essex Civil parishes in Essex Braintree District