Pleshey Castle
| Pleshey | |
|---|---|
 Holy Trinity Church, Pleshey |
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 Pleshey
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| Pleshey shown within Essex | |
| Population | 373 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TL679063 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Chelmsford |
| Postcode district | CM3 |
| Dialling code | 01245 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
The village of Pleshey lies in Essex, England, just to the northwest of Chelmsford. The population of 373 includes Mashbury.
William the Conqueror gave Pleshey, in the parish of High Easter (southwest of Braintree) to Geoffrey de Mandeville in appreciation of his services; Mandeville was one of William's battle commanders at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. At Pleshey, Mandeville built his caput (centre of administration and main home) of the many villages in Essex given to him by the king. Later, his grandson, another Geoffrey, was made Earl of Essex by King Stephen.
Traditionally an agricultural community, most householders today are commuters. Although the village has lost its shop and post office within the last 30 years, Pleshey still has a village hall, playing field, tennis court, cricket pitch and children's play area. The attractive appearance of the village and the castle draws a manageable number of visitors, especially in the summer months. Pleshey is home to the Chelmsford Diocesan House of Retreat, which was established in 1927 in a former convent for Anglican nuns. The parish church, the Church of the Holy Trinity, retains some arches from the former chapel founded in 1394, but was otherwise totally rebuilt in 1868. It is a Grade II* listed building. The 19th century Leather Bottle Public House is Grade II listed and sits in a group of other listed houses.
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