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
Taunton Racecourse Great Leighs hosted its first race in 2008, followed the subsequent year by Ffos Las. Taunton is a right-handed oval track, with two long straights and two tight bends. The course is 1mile and 2furlongs (2.01km) in length, and has both fences and open ditches to negotiate. The course was improved during the building of the M5 motorway, with the removed earth being used to extend the back straight and the bends. Taunton Racecourse Taunton Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Orchard Portman, two miles south of Taunton, Somerset, England. Opened in 1927, Taunton is the youngest