Local Area
Great Bentley is a large and pleasant village, scattered round an extensive level or common, of 42 acres, on the eastern side of the vale of a rivulet, eight miles eastsouth-east of Colchester. A short stroll and you come to Great Bentley railway station on the Colchester to Clacton Line. The parish contains 2500 inhabitants, and 3,188 acres (13 kmÇ) of fertile land, pleasingly diversified with hill and dale, and extending southward to the Flag Creek, which empties into the Colne, near Brightlingsea. Pubs in the area include: The Plough Inn beside the village green and the Royal Fusilier in the nearby hamlet of Aingers Green which is in Aingers Green Road.
The village green covers some 42 acres and is reputed to be the largest in England. The village green was once the site of a steam mill which was built in 1886. The chimney was demolished in 1925, and what remains of the structure today has been converted into apartments. Just adjacent to the mill was a large pond which no longer exists, and a handful of willow trees mark the spot. To the north of the mill is a children's play area and a small nature reserve containing various species of grasses that can only be found in the local area. To the east of this is the old mill house where a Windmill once stood within the walled gardens of the house, but this was also demolished in the late 19th century. The green has long been used for various recreational and sporting events. In the Edwardian times, the green at Great Bentley was used as a golf course and today the local cricket and football teams can often be seen playing matches. During the last weekend of June, the green provides the venue for Great Bentley Village Carnival and Fete.
