Great Yeldham

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Great Yeldham is a village and civil parish in north Essex, England. It is about 6 miles (10 km) from the Suffolk border, on the A1017 road between Braintree and Haverhill. The 2021 census recorded a population of 1,948.

History
Great Yeldham is home to the Great Oak, a large old tree in the village centre that is linked to the Domesday Book of 1086. In 1967, the village elected a Communist councillor, June Cohen.

Geography and economy
The River Colne flows through Great Yeldham, joined by streams from Stambourne and Toppesfield. The Colne eventually reaches the North Sea via Colchester. The surrounding countryside is mainly farmland with arable crops and some livestock. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Lark Hill Farm was known for apples and strawberries. Whitlock Bros., an agricultural equipment maker, was based here from the 1950s to the 1970s; in 1972 it was taken over by Hymac and moved to Rhymney, South Wales, after which the plant closed.

Transport
Until 1962, Yeldham had passenger trains on the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway, running between Chappel and Wakes Colne and Haverhill. The line crossed Station Road at a level crossing, which is now called Toppesfield Road.

Local amenities
The parish has St Andrew's Primary School and St Andrew’s Church. The post town is Halstead, the postcode district CO9, and the dialing code 01787. The OS grid reference is TL765385.