Great Horkesley

Great Horkesley is a small village approximately 3 miles north of Colchester in the county of Essex, UK, and is part of the borough of Colchester.

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 and their website has more information.

The village has good bus links into Colchester, with services every 15 minutes.