Great Yeldham
Encyclopedia
Great Yeldham is a village in north Essex
, England, about 6 miles (10 km) from the Suffolk border. Surrounding villages and towns include Little Yeldham
, Tilbury Juxta Clare
, Toppesfield
, Stambourne
, Ridgewell
, Sible Hedingham
, Castle Hedingham
, Halstead
and Sudbury
(Suffolk). Great Yeldham is situated along the busy main A1017 road between Braintree
and Haverhill
.
Until 1962 it was served for passenger traffic by Yeldham railway station
on the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway
line between Chappel and Wakes Colne
and Haverhill
. The line crossed what was called Station Road at a level crossing
. The road has since been re-named 'Toppesfield Road'.
The village is where the infant River Colne
is joined by a stream from near Stambourne
and another that has flowed via Toppesfield
. The river flows via Colchester
on its 11-mile journey to the sea.
Great Yeldham contains the "Great Oak", an old preserved oak tree in the centre of the village, which was recorded in William the Conqueror's Doomesday Book.
From the 1950s to the 1970s Great Yelham was home to the Whitlock Bros, manufacturers and exporters of Dinkum Diggers (tractors with backhoes and fronthoes, often known these days as 'JCB's). In 1972 Whitlock Bros. was taken over by Hymac, and production subsequently moved to Rymmny in Wales. The Great Yeldham plant closed, resulting in many job losses for the region.
In 1967 Great Yeldham elected a Communist councillor, June Cohen, to the surprise of many in the area.
The land around Great Yeldham is principally used for arable farming and some livestock rearing. From the early 1950s until the mid 1980s Great Yeldham was also known for its apple and strawberry farm called Lark Hill Farm, to which people came from miles around to pick their own fruit.
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England, about 6 miles (10 km) from the Suffolk border. Surrounding villages and towns include Little Yeldham
Little Yeldham
Little Yeldham is a small village in north west Essex, approximately one mile north east of Great Yeldham.-External links:*...
, Tilbury Juxta Clare
Tilbury Juxta Clare
Tilbury Juxta Clare is a village and parish in Essex, England. It is part of the Stour Valley North parish cluster.-External links:*...
, Toppesfield
Toppesfield
Toppesfield is a small village, historically associated with arable farming, in north Essex, England.-Inhabitants:Toppesfield has approximately three-hundred inhabitants...
, Stambourne
Stambourne
- Etymology :Stambourne derives from an old local dialect term for 'stony brook'.Stambourne's closest neighbouring villages are Ridgewell, Toppesfield, Cornish Hall End and Great Yeldham.- History :...
, Ridgewell
Ridgewell
Ridgewell is a village and civil parish in the Braintree district of Essex, England, about six miles from Haverhill on the main road between Haverhill and Braintree....
, Sible Hedingham
Sible Hedingham
Sible Hedingham is a large village and civil parish in the Colne Valley in Braintree District of Essex, in England. It has a population of 3,665....
, Castle Hedingham
Castle Hedingham
Castle Hedingham is a small village in northeast Essex, England, located four miles west of Halstead and is situated in the Colne Valley on the ancient road from Colchester, Essex, to Cambridge....
, Halstead
Halstead
Halstead is a town and civil parish located in Braintree District of Essex, England, near Colchester and Sudbury. It has a population of 11,053. The town is situated in the Colne Valley, and originally developed on the hill to the north of the river...
and Sudbury
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
(Suffolk). Great Yeldham is situated along the busy main A1017 road between Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
and Haverhill
Haverhill, Suffolk
Haverhill is an industrial market town and civil parish in the county of Suffolk, England, next to the borders of Essex and Cambridgeshire. It lies southeast of Cambridge and north of central London...
.
Until 1962 it was served for passenger traffic by Yeldham railway station
Yeldham railway station
Yeldham railway station was located in Great Yeldham, Essex. It closed in 1962.-External links:*...
on the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway
Colne Valley and Halstead Railway
The Colne Valley and Halstead Railway is a closed railway between Haverhill, Suffolk and Chappel and Wakes Colne, Essex, in England.-History:...
line between Chappel and Wakes Colne
Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station
Chappel and Wakes Colne railway station is a railway station serving the villages of Wakes Colne and Chappel in Essex.The station itself is located in Wakes Colne. It has one platform station on the Marks Tey/Sudbury branch line...
and Haverhill
Haverhill, Suffolk
Haverhill is an industrial market town and civil parish in the county of Suffolk, England, next to the borders of Essex and Cambridgeshire. It lies southeast of Cambridge and north of central London...
. The line crossed what was called Station Road at a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
. The road has since been re-named 'Toppesfield Road'.
The village is where the infant River Colne
River Colne, Essex
The River Colne is a small river that runs through Colchester, England. It is not a tributary of any other river, instead having an estuary that joins the sea near Brightlingsea.-Source:...
is joined by a stream from near Stambourne
Stambourne
- Etymology :Stambourne derives from an old local dialect term for 'stony brook'.Stambourne's closest neighbouring villages are Ridgewell, Toppesfield, Cornish Hall End and Great Yeldham.- History :...
and another that has flowed via Toppesfield
Toppesfield
Toppesfield is a small village, historically associated with arable farming, in north Essex, England.-Inhabitants:Toppesfield has approximately three-hundred inhabitants...
. The river flows via Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
on its 11-mile journey to the sea.
Great Yeldham contains the "Great Oak", an old preserved oak tree in the centre of the village, which was recorded in William the Conqueror's Doomesday Book.
From the 1950s to the 1970s Great Yelham was home to the Whitlock Bros, manufacturers and exporters of Dinkum Diggers (tractors with backhoes and fronthoes, often known these days as 'JCB's). In 1972 Whitlock Bros. was taken over by Hymac, and production subsequently moved to Rymmny in Wales. The Great Yeldham plant closed, resulting in many job losses for the region.
In 1967 Great Yeldham elected a Communist councillor, June Cohen, to the surprise of many in the area.
The land around Great Yeldham is principally used for arable farming and some livestock rearing. From the early 1950s until the mid 1980s Great Yeldham was also known for its apple and strawberry farm called Lark Hill Farm, to which people came from miles around to pick their own fruit.