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
The Great Race (rowing) the secondary school races, which has the top NZ school crews and girls) racing over a 3 km upstream course. The boys' race is traditionally between Hamilton Boys' High School and various other schools from around the Waikato and Auckland. The day culminates in the two international races – the Bryan Gould Cup (woman) and the Harry Mahon Trophy (men) – raced over the 4.2 km Great Race course. The event draws crowds of 20,000 + to the river banks in Hamilton and is covered by national radio and television. Spectator entertainment takes on a carnival atmosphere with corporate hosting,