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WEST BERGHOLT PARISH WEBSITE |
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The Village
Village Location & SettingWest Bergholt lies in an attractive rural setting North West of Colchester. The generally flat landscape is bounded to the south and east by the sloping valleys of the River Colne and St Botolph’s Brook. To the north and east are arable farmlands interspersed with small woodlands and bushy hedgerows. The village is a largely compact settlement situated 3 miles north-east of Colchester with a population of 3294 persons. The village is conveniently placed for those residents who work in Colchester and its close proximity to the A12 means that it is well placed for people who work in Ipswich or Chelmsford. Being only 1.5 miles from the main railway line into London has meant that West Bergholt has become a desirable location for commuters. West Bergholt is served by several bus services, the principal ones are:
Village Origins and Latter Day ExpansionWest Bergholt name can be traced as far back as 1086 when it was known as Bercolta. The name Bergholt means “hill- wood” and is derived from “beorg” (hill) and “holt” (wood). It was named Bergholt Sackville after the Sackville family who held the main manor from the early 12th century until the late 17th century. It was called ‘West’ to distinguish it from East Bergholt in Suffolk. The village has grown considerably over the last 200 years as the table below reveals.
The village grew up originally around the vicinity of the Queen’s Head pub with more isolated buildings fronting the main routes through the village: Lexden Road, Colchester Road and Chapel Road. The village expanded significantly in the mid to late 1960’s and the recorded census population figures show this fact revealing an 80% increase in population between 1961 and 1971: Since 1971 the village has expanded by a further 42%. The growth in population was a result of new estates being constructed and a variety of styles mark this expansion such as those around Lexden and Mumford Roads, those around Pirie Road as well as the more recent development on the old brewery site. Village CharacterThe village has 34 buildings listed for their architectural merit. The only Grade 1 listed building is the Church of St Mary in Hall Rd. Now redundant but still consecrated the building was originally Saxon in origin. The 11th century masonry church, which overlies its timber predecessor, was heavily remodelled in the late 13th and 14th centuries with the addition of the squared chancel and south aisle. Other buildings of note are:
Part of the village is designated as a special landscape area and there are some seven sites of Importance for Nature Conservation. A village appraisal conducted in 1984 documents the various characteristics of the settlement and a reference is included in the appendices at the end of this document; the appendices also contain a plan of the village with the most relevant features highlighted. Village FacilitiesWest Bergholt is favoured with a number of useful facilities and services within its boundaries – a thriving primary school of between 350 to 400 children; a GP’s surgery; a pharmacy; a recently rebuilt and enlarged Co-Op general store from which operates the local Post Office; a hairdressers; a nursery group; a mobile library which visits fortnightly; a large village hall; three conventional children’s playgrounds; a village green; over 80 allotment plots; a cricket pitch; two open areas of green space for informal recreation and ball games; a multi-user games area; a Church and Methodist Chapel with halls attached; a scout hut; three public houses and a social club attached to the main Orpen Village Hall. Village surveys and research revealed nearly 50 businesses (mostly private individuals operating small family owned non retail companies and private concerns) and over 40 local clubs and societies. |
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