A storied hotel where history meets heartfelt hospitality

The Saracen’s Head is nestled elegantly in the heart of Great Dunmow. The inn’s story stretches back to the 15th century, when weary travellers and bold coachmen would rattle into the courtyard, horses steaming, passengers cloaked against the Essex chill. The inn, solid and dependable, would offer not just shelter and sustenance but warmth in the truest sense, flickering fires, hearty ale, and a good tale shared by the hearth.

By the Georgian era, the Saracen’s Head had taken on a new face, literally. A splendid brick façade appeared, dignified and symmetrical, reflecting the style of the age and the rising status of Great Dunmow itself. Coaches came more often now, bearing not just merchants and messengers, but ladies in bonnets and gentlemen with urgent business in London or Cambridge.

The innkeeper, always ready, would see to horses and hunger alike with admirable grace.

And still, through centuries of change the Saracen’s Head remained a fixed point in the life of the town. During the Second World War, stories were exchanged in whispers, and one suspects more than one soldier passed through its doors, leaving behind laughter and longing in equal measure. Today, it’s a true gem, though thoroughly updated for modern comfort and the inn retains a sense of poise and character. You can feel the layers of history in the polished wood, the old beams, the occasional creak on the stair. It’s not just a place to stay, it’s a place to feel part of something timeless.