Leavenheath
Encyclopedia
Leavenheath is a village and civil parish
located on the Essex
- Suffolk
border. Located on the A134 between Sudbury
and Colchester
, it is part of Babergh
district. The parish also contains the hamlets
of Cock Street and Honey Tye
, and in 2001 had a population of 1,373.
The village was named after the Leaven Heath, an area of open land between Boxford
, Bures
, Nayland
and Polstead
. It does not have a village centre, but is separated into two parts around half a mile apart by Leaden Hall. The northern section is to the east of the A134, the southern section to the west. Such is the dispersed nature of the village, that it did not even have a church until 1836, and was not designated as a parish until 1952.
The south-eastern part of the parish is covered by the Dedham Vale
AONB
, whilst the south-west contains a section of the Arger Fen SSSI
. In the east of the parish are The Carrs, a set of four ponds that feed the River Stour
. Breach Grove and Leadenhall Woods are both designated nature reserve
s.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
located on the Essex
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...
- Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
border. Located on the A134 between 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:...
and 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...
, it is part of Babergh
Babergh
Babergh is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council headquarters is based in Hadleigh, whilst its largest town is Sudbury.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Sudbury, Hadleigh urban district, Cosford Rural District, Melford Rural District and...
district. The parish also contains the hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Cock Street and Honey Tye
Honey Tye
Honey Tye is a hamlet in the Babergh District, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is on the A134 road....
, and in 2001 had a population of 1,373.
The village was named after the Leaven Heath, an area of open land between Boxford
Boxford, Suffolk
Boxford is a large village and a civil parish in the Babergh district of Suffolk, England. Located around six miles east of Sudbury straddling the River Box and skirted by the Holbrook, in 2005 it had a population of 1,270.-History:...
, Bures
Bures, England
Bures is a village in eastern England. Because of its location straddling the Essex/Suffolk border, it is divided into two civil parishes: Bures Hamlet in Essex and Bures St. Mary in Suffolk. The village is thus served by two county councils, three district councils , two Members of Parliament and...
, Nayland
Nayland
Nayland is a village in the Stour Valley on the Suffolk side of the border between Suffolk and Essex in England.-History:From an article by Rosemary Knox, Wissington...
and Polstead
Polstead
Polstead is a small village and civil parish in the South of Suffolk, England.- History :It is noted for being the site of the Red Barn Murder in 1827...
. It does not have a village centre, but is separated into two parts around half a mile apart by Leaden Hall. The northern section is to the east of the A134, the southern section to the west. Such is the dispersed nature of the village, that it did not even have a church until 1836, and was not designated as a parish until 1952.
The south-eastern part of the parish is covered by the Dedham Vale
Dedham Vale
Dedham Vale is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Essex-Suffolk border in east England. It comprises the area around the River Stour between Manningtree and Bures, including the village of Dedham in Essex. It is part of the area known since the artist's lifetime as Constable...
AONB
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
, whilst the south-west contains a section of the Arger Fen SSSI
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. In the east of the parish are The Carrs, a set of four ponds that feed the River Stour
River Stour, Suffolk
The River Stour is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 76 km long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury and the Dedham Vale, and joins the...
. Breach Grove and Leadenhall Woods are both designated nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
s.