Birch is a village and civil parish in the City of Colchester district of Essex, England. It is located approximately 5 mi south-west of Colchester and 17 mi north-east of the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the parliamentary constituency of North Essex. There is a parish council. The parish incorporates the hamlet of Heckfordbridge. It is only 2.5 mi from Abberton Reservoir. The parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul is a Grade II listed building, but has been derelict since it closed in the late 20th century. In 2023 it is threatened with demolition as the Church of England cannot afford to repair it. According to the 2001 census, Birch had a population of 817, increasing to 873 at the 2011 Census.

Governance

Birch forms part of the electoral ward called Birch and Winstree. The population of this ward at the 2011 Census was 5,651.