Great Leighs the nearby Leez Priory, and Great Leigh's church. At The Castle, various references can be read on the walls that tell more of the history. Local folklore also tells that the inn is haunted by the troubled spirit of a witch burned at the stake and buried beneath a stone at the nearby crossroads. In December 2009, a £730,000 project to renovate the Village Hall was completed. It was aided by money associated with a new housing development within the village, extensive fund raising and help from funding bodies and Essex County Council. The incumbent priest during the First World
Great Urban Race In 2007, Reynolds organized and launched Great Urban Race, LLC which held its first race on September 15 in Chicago, Illinois. After the Chicago race, Reynolds, with the help of friend and business partner Ryan Kunkel, put on seven more races around the country that year. By 2008, Great Urban Race had expanded to 20 cities nationwide, including a national championship race held in Las Vegas for a $10,000 grand prize. Throughout the first four years of the event, Great Urban Race has had over 34,000 participants. After the growth of Great Urban Race, Reynolds and Kunkel launched another race