From early times the richness and fertility of the land attracted people to the location. It abounds with relics. The earliest found dates from 3,500 BC. A great diversity of items from Celtic times and the Roman occupation onwards have been found in quantity. Great Canfield lies between two Roman roads that converge not far away. Hundreds of years after their construction the Normans re-used bricks from local Roman villas in the fabric of the church.

There was a manor in Great Canfield at the time of Edward the Confessor. By the time of Domesday it had moved into the hands of Alberic de Vere. His family, the Earls of Oxford, held it until the late sixteenth century when the Wisemans took over as Lords of the Manor. In the early eighteenth century the title passed to the Peers family, and from there by marriage and descent to the Maryon-Wilsons, who had acquired many holdings in the parish. Much of their estate was sold in 1900. A family member still holds the title.

The records of the manorial court start in 1346, the year of the Battle of Crécy. The book "At the Courts of Great Canfield" discusses some of the issues they dealt with. Apart from the odd assault and theft, most had to do with the land. Great Canfield has been a flourishing agricultural community from earliest times. The census of 1831 showed 80% of its working population on the land, and virtually all working within the parish. Today the great majority find employment outside. The population reached a peak of 520 in the early nineteenth century but is now 364. The number of households has however grown from 73 in 1900 to 135 now. Within living memory the village had a pub, post office and shop but all have now disappeared. Today, 96% of households have a car and 76% have two or more.

The borders of the manor of Great Canfield define those of today’s parish. Some of the ancient demesne woodland still exists at the eastern and western boundaries. The sketch at the foot of the page, from 60 years ago, shows the seven principal historical locations in the village.  They survive, still with open countryside between them.

The church is a perfect example of Norman architecture and dates back to the twelfth century. Inside is a thirteenth century mural of the Virgin and Child. The castle mound and outer bailey are from the same period as the church. Their buildings were of wood. They and the palisades that surrounded them disappeared long ago, having been reapplied to dwellings elsewhere in Great Canfield. The popular construction was of timber framing with wattle and daub or plaster infill. Many mentioned in historical records have gone. But plenty survive, with examples across every principal location in the parish. 46 dwellings and a total of 68 structures in the village are listed grade II, II* or I. They give a distinctive element to its character. 53 buildings originated in the 17^th century or before, with the oldest dwelling dating from 1300. Several ancient timber barns have been converted into dwellings. Some original buildings have been demolished to make way for newer structures which carry their own distinctive character: for example Stone Hall in the early nineteenth century and Badgers in the twenty-first. And since Victorian times, Great Canfield has continued its organic evolution through a rich variety of building styles.

In 1825 there were 93 houses in Great Canfield. By 1875 new builds took this number to 122. A decline to 75 in the 1920s followed, perhaps due to demolition or collapse of some of the more ancient dwellings. From then on the number rose steeply again to the current 139. Study of maps from different periods shows that much of this took place in Hope End.