Great Leighs Great Leighs Great Leighs is a village in the City of Chelmsford district of Essex, England, halfway between Chelmsford itself and Braintree. It is part of the parish of Great and Little Leighs. Great Leighs is the location of arguably the oldest Inn in England. The Castle was called the St. Anne's Castle until its temporary closure for refurbishment at Easter 2015. It was on the junction of Main Road and Boreham Road. Another Pub, the Dog & Partridge, is at the other end of the village, on Main Road. The full history of The Castle has been lost. However,
Oswestry Race Course enabled both horses and racegoers to travel further afield to the larger racecourses. The final meeting was held in September 1848, the same year that the Shrewsbury to Chester railway line opened. Today, significant evidence of the old racecourse remains, including the remains of the figure-of-eight course and grandstand. Due to its elevation, there are extensive views of the surrounding countryside from the site. It has a variety of different habitats including, scrub, woodland, heathland, ponds, wildflowers and unimproved, and marshy grasslands. This supports a wide assortment of birds and insects, including willow warbler, chiffchaff and linnets. Oswestry Race Course