Great Horkesley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Horkesley |
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 The A134 road, Great Horkesley |
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 Great Horkesley
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| Population | 2,476 (2011) |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Colchester |
| Postcode district | CO6 |
| Dialling code | 01206 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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Great Horkesley is a village in Essex, England. It is about 3 miles north of the city of Colchester.
The village is part of an area called "Horkesley Heath." This area includes Great Horkesley and another village to the north, Little Horkesley. The name "Horkesley" comes from an old Saxon word, "Horkaslay." This means "farm land for herds," especially sheep. Today, many fields around the village grow different crops like corn and hemp.
Long ago, much of Great Horkesley was a marsh, with very wet and boggy ground. Farmers drained this land to make it usable. This is why the main road through the village is called "The Causeway." A causeway is a raised road or path built across wet ground, making it a safe way to travel.
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Discovering Great Horkesley's Past
Archaeologists once dug in the woods near Coach Road. They found a special pit from the Bronze Age. This pit was used for smelting bronze, which means melting metal to shape it. This shows that people lived and worked in this area thousands of years ago.
Life in Great Horkesley
The Church of England has two churches in the village. There is also a busy Residents Association. This group helps to make the village a better place for everyone who lives there.
Sports and Clubs
Great Horkesley has a cricket club that started again in 1975. They used to play their home games at a place called The Chantry. The club's history goes back even further, to at least 1861.
In 2014, Great Horkesley Cricket Club joined with Lexden Cricket Club. They formed a new club called Great Horkesley & Lexden Cricket Club. This new club has two teams that play in the North Essex Cricket League. They play their games at Mile End Playing Fields and Spring Lane.
Future Plans
There are plans to build more than 2,200 new homes near Great Horkesley. These homes would be built on the green spaces between Colchester and the village. This is part of a bigger plan to build more houses in the region.
Getting Around
Great Horkesley has good bus connections to Colchester. Buses run every 30 minutes, making it easy to travel to and from the city.
| Bus Service | Operator | Route | Notes |
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| 2 | Arriva Colchester | Horkesley Heath - Colchester North  - Town Centre - Highwoods |
Runs Monday to Saturday (every 30 minutes) |
| 2A | First Essex | Highwoods - Colchester North - Horkesley Heath |
Runs on Sundays and Monday to Saturday evenings (every 60 minutes) |
| 84 | Hedingham & Chambers | Sudbury - Horkesley Heath - Colchester North - Colchester Bus Station |
Runs Monday to Saturday (times vary) |
| 87 | First Essex | Horkesley Heath - Colchester North - University of Essex - Wivenhoe - Brightlingsea |
Runs Monday to Saturday (every 30 minutes), and Sundays (every 60 minutes) |
See also
Want to read this in Spanish? Check out: Great Horkesley para niños
