Great Bentley
| Great Bentley | |
|---|---|
The village sign | |
Great Bentley Location within Essex | |
| Population | 2,517 (Parish, 2021) |
| OS grid reference | TM110215 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Colchester |
| Postcode district | CO7 |
| Dialling code | 01206 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | greatbentleyparishcouncil.co.uk |
Great Bentley is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of north east Essex, England, located seven miles east of Colchester. The parish includes the hamlets of Aingers Green and South Heath. It is home to the second largest village green in the country, at a size of 43 acres (17 ha), behind Duncan Down and has won 'Essex Village of the Year' and 'Daily Telegraph/Calor Gas Village of the Year' awards. Great Bentley railway station provides the village with frequent rail services along the Sunshine Coast Line to London Liverpool Street, Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester and Walton-on-the-Naze.
Great Bentley is scattered round an extensive level or common, of 43 acres (17 ha), on the eastern side of the vale of a rivulet, seven miles (11 km) east-south-east of Colchester. The parish has an area of 3,188 acres (12.90 km2) and extends southward to Flag Creek, a tidal creek that connects with the Colne, near Brightlingsea. At the 2021 census the parish had a population of 2,517.