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Footpaths
The boundaries of Little Horkesley have varied over the centuries as land has been ceded from or to Great Horkesley. The current boundaries were only agreed in 1955 when 260 acres around The Hay and Westwood Park were received from Great Horkesley and 38 acres went the other way.
The result was a broadly rectangular parish of 1, 261 acres.
This map shows the footpaths that crisscross the village. The maintenance of the footpath network is an important issue for the Parish Council given the continuing battle between modern agricultural methods and the ancient rights os way of the public.
Please report any footpath issues on
clerk@littlehorkesleypc.com
Playing Field
Like many rural parishes, the demographics of Little Horkesley have changed dramatically over recent decades; we have grown more elderly and the number of children has declined. These changes caused the Parish Council to begin questioning whether the funds spent maintaining the Playground could be justified in the long run. The community was consulted and the overwhelming response was that you, the village, wanted to keep these facilities.
The Playground is inspected annually by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) who produce a report on any aspects of the equipment that is deemed to be a potential risk. The Parish Council then take action to ensure the equipment is safe and pay for necessary repairs.
The Parish Council are, therefore, committed to the long term future of the playground but could a wider use be made of the whole Playing Field that we lease from the Borough Council for others in the village?
Three schemes have been put in place:
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Wildflower Meadow
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Scattered Orchard
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Pollinator patches
The Parish Council hopes to create an oasis of peace and interest for those of all ages which will be a real asset to the village
Wildflower Meadow
Bill Watson, Priory Cottage, has planted an absolutely magnificent Wild Flower Meadow in his garden and he has undertaken to turn a corner of the Playing Field into such a garden.
This is a long term project and it will be some years before this comes to full fruition but will be a joy to all in time.
Scattered Orchards
The Dedham Vale AONB & Stour Valley Project started this scheme a few years ago with the idea of spreading small orchards of Suffolk and Essex varieties of fruit throughout Suffolk and North Essex.
In the winter of 2014 we planted six trees - apple, pear, plum and a walnut. These were substantial trees which bore their first crop in 2016.
A stipulation was that all these scattered orchards were to be planted on public land to allow the crop to be available to all and free to those living nearby.
Pollinator Patches
We are all aware that bees and insects are vital to the pollination of all types of crops and their decline is a threat to the countryside. Again, the Dedham Vale AONB & Stour Valley Project have come up with a scheme to educate us all in the importance of pollination by providing a mixture of shrubs, small trees, flowers and bulbs which are all highly scented and will attract and feed the bees and insects so vital to the countryside.
The aim of this project is to make us all aware of how we can improve our gardens to make them attractive to our busy little friends.
For further information, click the poster to visit the Dedham Vale AONB & Stour Valley Project website.
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