Great Horkesley

Great Horkesley is a village in the City of Colchester district of Essex, England, approximately 3 miles north of Colchester.

Great Horkesley
The A134 road, Great Horkesley
Great Horkesley is located in Essex
Great Horkesley
Great Horkesley
Location within Essex
Population2,476 (2011)[1]
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townColchester
Postcode districtCO6
Dialling code01206
PoliceEssex
FireEssex
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament

Horkesley is located in what is known as "Horkesley Heath", which is a combination of two villages: Great Horkesley and, to the north, Little Horkesley which is an entirely different Parish. Horkesley is a modern name for the original Saxon name of "Horkaslay" which means "farm land for herds" (mainly sheep) though now it has many fields growing a variety of crops from corn to hemp. A few years ago an archaeological dig was made in woods on Coach Road, where a Bronze Age bronze smelting pit was found. Much Of Great Horkesley was a marsh, with very boggy ground, until it was drained by farmers. This is the reason why the main road is called "The Causeway" as it was a firm, and safe route of passage.

Development in the north of Colchester threatens to encroach on Great Horkesley. Housing targets set by the East of England Regional Assembly have led Colchester Borough Council to plan more than 2,200 new homes on the remaining green space between town and village along the A134 by 2021.

The Church of England has 2 churches in the parish.

There is a thriving Residents Association in the parish.

Great Horkesley Cricket Club was reformed in 1975 and played its home matches at The Chantry at the northern end of the village. Its origins can be traced back to at least 1861 when they were bowled out for 6 in the first innings against Layer Breton CC - home games then were played at Horkesley Park. Due to uncertainty over development plans for the area, the club has temporarily moved its games to Mile End Playing Fields just a short distance from the village. In 2014, Great Horkesley Cricket Club and Lexden Cricket Club merged to form a new club called Great Horkesley & Lexden Cricket Club and will have two teams playing in Division Two and Five of the North Essex Cricket League. They will play first team games at Mile End, and second team games at Spring Lane, Lexden.

The village has good bus links into Colchester, with services every 30 minutes from both Arriva Colchester’s route 2 and First Essex’s route 87.

Transport
Bus Service Operator Route Notes
2 Arriva Colchester Horkesley Heath - Colchester North National Rail - Town Centre - Highwoods Mon to Sat (every 30 minutes)
2A First Essex Highwoods - Colchester North National Rail - Horkesley Heath Sundays and Mon to Sat Evenings only (every 60 minutes)
84 Hedingham & Chambers Sudbury - Horkesley Heath - Colchester North National Rail - Colchester Bus Station Mon to Sat (Irregular)
87 First Essex Horkesley Heath - Colchester North National Rail - University of Essex - Wivenhoe - Brightlingsea Mon to Sat (every 30 minutes), Sundays (every 60 minutes)

References
  1. "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 29 September 2015.
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