Myland (also called Mile End) is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. It is now a northern suburb of

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

. The original village began approximately one mile north of the centre of Colchester which probably accounts for its name. This has varied over the centuries but essentially with the same meaning. It is the only part of Colchester to be a

. Myland rises from about 19 metres in the south to about 50 metres in the north. It is within 30 minutes driving time of Sudbury and Ipswich. The earliest record of the original village is from 1254 when Mile End became a separate church parish. In the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, Colonel Fothergill's fort, a major

Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

stronghold was located in the village.

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, merchant and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translati ...

held a long lease on Tubswick, an ancient house in the village which burned down on 7 December 2009. He is said to have leased Tubswick for his daughter. His book "Moll Flanders" mentions Mile End. Colchester Borough Council has granted planning consent to two major housing developments in Myland, totalling more than 3,000 homes. These decisions have provoked strong local opposition. The larger development, of 1,600 homes, is on former rose grower

Cants of Colchester Cants of Colchester was a firm of commercial rose growers, and was the oldest in Great Britain, Britain at the time of its closure in 2023. The company was established as a general nursery by Benjamin Cant in 1765 in Myland, Essex. The family nur ...

greenfield land Greenfield land is a British English term referring to undeveloped land in an urban or rural area either used for agriculture or landscape design, or left to evolve naturally. These areas of land are usually agricultural or amenity properties ...

and is to include a new primary school, secondary school, and a retail area. The smaller development will add some 1,500 new homes on the former Severalls Hospital site, plus a primary school and community centre. Myland Community Council, founded in 1999, represents the Myland community. Its Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer is Katherine Kane. The council is chaired by Alison Jay. The parish has two public houses, 'The Bricklayers' and 'The Dog and Pheasant', as well as three churches/chapels. These are St. Michael's Parish Church (Church of England), a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

chapel and a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

church. There are three primary schools: Myland Community Primary School (in Mill Road), Queen Boudica Primary School (off Turner Road) and Camulos Academy (off Via Urbis Romanae). There is also a new secondary school, The Trinity School, which opened in September 2023. Both Colchester General Hospital and the private Oaks Hospital are to be found in the parish. Despite its size, Myland has no community centre but does have two areas of playing fields, both of which are owned and maintained by Colchester City Council. To the west, Mile End Playing Fields offer facilities for football and cricket; while to the east, Mill Road Playing Fields are the former home of Colchester Rugby Club, with a 350-home housing development set to be built on the site. Weston Homes Community Stadium

Colchester United F.C.'s ground,

Colchester Community Stadium Colchester Community Stadium, known as the JobServe Community Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Myland, England. It is the home of Colchester United Football Club. It has a capacity of 10,105 and opened in August 2008 ...

, is situated on former Cuckoo Farm land in the north of the parish. The stadium holds 10,105 spectators, and has been home to the club since 2008. The stadium is located beside the Colchester Northern Gateway Leisure Park, a £65million development featuring a variety of restaurants, a bowling alley, indoor golf, climbing centre, cinema, and a hotel. The development spans 10-acres, with the first establishment opening in July 2023. Colchester Sports Park is also located in Mile End, featuring 76-acres of both indoor and outdoor sporting facilities, including a cycle track, archery range, sports hall, gym, and both grass and artificial multi-use pitches. The facility opened in July 2021, and is also the home to both Colchester Rugby Club following their relocation from Mill Road Playing Fields, and Colchester & District Archery Club. Mile End was also home to

, the oldest commercial rose growers in Great Britain, founded in 1765. The family-run nursery originally sold a variety of plants, seeds, bulbs and trees, until then-owner Benjamin Cant initiated a rose breeding programme in 1875 to cater for the increasing popularity of roses in the 1800s. By 1880, Cant had become a very successful rose exhibitor in England, with the firm becoming a household name in the horticulture industry, having introduced more than 130 new rose varieties since 1875. The business remained family-run from its 18th century inception until its closure in September 2023, with a 1,600 housing development built on the business’ former rose growing fields.

References

External links

Myland Community Council Website

Parish Church Website
{{Colchester Civil parishes in Essex Colchester