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West Bergholt PC is pleased to welcome you to its website

Welcome to West Bergholt sign

West Bergholt is a large rural Essex village lying near the border of the English counties of Essex and Suffolk.  It is situated just outside and to the North-west of Colchester – Britain’s Oldest Recorded town. The village:

Covid-19 Virus

In 2016 West Bergholt won the Class 2 prize in the RCCE Village of the year competition and overall 2nd place, read the news item for more.

If you need support locally during the COVID-19 pandemic click here for information about our local enhanced Care Network service.  More general COVID-19 support and advice is here.

To find out more about us click here.  Scroll down to see recent news from the village.

What’s Happening

Bear in mind some activities might still be affected due to COVID-19

See more events here.

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Return of the Village Quiz a Resounding Success

Success for The Invincibles at the Village Quiz

The Village Quiz Challenge Cup

Eleven teams vied for the Village Quiz Challenge Cup last week and raised £310 towards the cost of a new Friendly Bench from Plastecowood – that’s well over half way!

Quizmaster Mike Morrisey, with support from Anita & Pauline, delivered a quiz with 10 rounds of 10 questions and a bonus picture round of 45 famous places (like Angel Falls). The halfway point was time for the Raffle which contributed £90 to the overall sum raised. The rounds were:

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Are Your Children Starting School in September 2022?

October & November Tours for September 2022 Starters

Heathlands C of E Primary School in West Bergholt would like to invite families with children starting school in September 2022 to one of their school tours. Contact the school office on 01206 240288 for further details and to book a place. Please book your tour in advance.

  • Tuesday 19th October at 9.30 am,
  • Wednesday 20th October at 1.45 pm,
  • Tuesday 16th November at 1.45 pm,
  • Friday 19th November at 9.30 am.
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Digs at Jacks & the Mercury Theatre

Adam Wightman Reporting on the Digs & Jacks & the Mercury

Following the success of their last meeting, Adam Wightman (Senior Project Manager of The Colchester Archaeological Trust), is going to update the Local History Group on these digs this Wednesday. Both digs were possible because of refurbishment works.

In the case of Jacks, just off the High Street, builders dug six shafts to create foundations to stabilise this 17th century building. This gave the Trust 6 windows on the past; find out what they found in Shaft C at Jacks.

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New Parish Councillor – Joel Fayers

Joel Fayers

Meet Joel Fayers – New Parish Councillor

The Parish Council co-opted Joel as a councillor in July 2021 & he has joined the Planning Committee. He has lived in West Bergholt with his wife and son since 2017.

He is a Director and Partner of a PR and consultation agency which specialises in the built environment.  Prior to working in this sector, he spent several years working in Parliament in Westminster and similar work with District Councils.

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Fairfields Farms start their harvesting

Fairfields Farms Tractors and Other Vehicles on the Roads and Lanes

Fairfields Farms Potato Harvester
Harvesting Potatoes at Fairfields Farms

Fairfields Farms are now starting to harvest their potatoes and maize. This means that you will be seeing an increase in agricultural vehicles on local roads for the next month. Operations will typically be underway between 7 am – 8 pm (or a little later if weather pressures demand it).

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Environment & Highways 9th September 2021

Highlights of Environment & Highways Meeting on 9th September 2021

Environment - butterfly on flower

The Environment & Highways Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 9th September 2021 with topics including:

  • Handymen undertook activities from tree -trimming to churchyard-tending. Additional help required October – November. Their new vehicle is now in operation,
  • The Cherry trees at Orpen Hall are dying, what to do?
  • Environmental plan, volunteers needed to maintain ponds. Hall Road pond overgrown,
  • Problems & surveys on Colchester Road.
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The Village Quiz Returns

The Annual Quiz Returns for Friendly Benches

The annual quiz returns - 2016 winners pictured
The defending champions from 2016

This erstwhile annual quiz event returns after a four-year ‘hiatus’ and offers the opportunity to test your knowledge against fellow villagers. The winning team will be walking away with the ‘prestigious‘ West Bergholt Local Organisations Challenge Cup. Everybody, though, will have the satisfaction of knowing that they have helped towards securing another Friendly Bench for the village.

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Charlie Haylock Coaches Ralph Fiennes

Charlie Haylock & Ralph Fiennes

Charlie Haylock talk about his role in the Netflix film “The Dig”

Local Suffolk celebrity, Charlie Haylock returns to the Local History Group for their first talk in person since March last year. This time it is to talk about his work as the dialect coach in the production of the recently released film “The Dig”.

The film tells the story of how local amateur archaeologist Basil Brown, played by Ralph Fiennes, discovered the Anglo Saxon Royal ship burial at Sutton Hoo. Suffolk Landowner, Edith Pretty, employed Basil, an amateur archaeologist, in 1939 to satisfy her suspicions that the numerous mounds on her property had secrets to tell.

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Who Was Constable William Raven?

Find out about William Raven, Buried in Old St Mary’s Churchyard

Constable William Raven
Constable William Raven

William Raven, a resident of West Bergholt, was born in Coggeshall in 1817, joined the Essex Constabulary in 1844 and died in 1911. You can now visit his, & his wife’s, grave in (Old) St Mary’s Churchyard but what happened in between those years?

Find out when Professor James Raven, from the Universities of Cambridge & Essex, gives a talk about his ancestor. He will touch on a number of topics that bear comparison with today such as:

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