Elmswell, Suffolk
Encyclopedia
Elmswell is a village in the County
of Suffolk
, England
. It is situated halfway between Bury St. Edmunds
and Stowmarket
and lies just to the north of the A14 road.
The history of the village can be traced as far back as the Roman times based on a site containing a pottery kiln dated around the third century.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names the origin of Elmswell or in its Old English form Elmswella, as referred to in the Domesday Book
of 1086 comes from 'Spring or Stream where elm-trees grow'. The old English elm+wella
A huge village green – Butten Haugh Green – once formed the centre of Elmswell. However, the arrival of the railway in 1846 and the bacon factory in 1911, meant the green now has houses built on it.
The 1881 census showed that the number of dwellings in the village was 196 and the population was 761.
Church of St John the Divine in Church Hill was mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Sir Robert Gardener, lord of the manor who died in 1619, built almshouses next to the church and left them to three women from Elmswell and three from the nearby village of Woolpit
.
Elmswell has had a railway station since 1846, on the line between Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich
.
There is a wildlife area at Kiln Meadow, and two pubs – The Tavern and The Fox - exist in the village.
Elmswell was named Suffolk's village of the year in 2008 beating Cockfield and Fressingfield into second and third place respectively.
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated halfway between Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds is a market town in the county of Suffolk, England, and formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and known for the ruined abbey near the town centre...
and Stowmarket
Stowmarket
-See also:* Stowmarket Town F.C.* Stowmarket High School-External links:* * * * *...
and lies just to the north of the A14 road.
The history of the village can be traced as far back as the Roman times based on a site containing a pottery kiln dated around the third century.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names the origin of Elmswell or in its Old English form Elmswella, as referred to in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 comes from 'Spring or Stream where elm-trees grow'. The old English elm+wella
A huge village green – Butten Haugh Green – once formed the centre of Elmswell. However, the arrival of the railway in 1846 and the bacon factory in 1911, meant the green now has houses built on it.
The 1881 census showed that the number of dwellings in the village was 196 and the population was 761.
Present Elmswell
Currently, the number of houses is over 1300 and the number of inhabitants is over 3350.Church of St John the Divine in Church Hill was mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Sir Robert Gardener, lord of the manor who died in 1619, built almshouses next to the church and left them to three women from Elmswell and three from the nearby village of Woolpit
Woolpit
Woolpit is a village in the English county of Suffolk, midway between the towns of Bury St. Edmunds and Stowmarket As of 2007 it has a population of 2030. It is notable for the 12th-century legend of the green children of Woolpit and for its parish church, which has especially fine medieval woodwork...
.
Elmswell has had a railway station since 1846, on the line between Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
.
There is a wildlife area at Kiln Meadow, and two pubs – The Tavern and The Fox - exist in the village.
Elmswell was named Suffolk's village of the year in 2008 beating Cockfield and Fressingfield into second and third place respectively.