Great Waldingfield
Encyclopedia
Great Waldingfield is a village and civil parish
in the Babergh
district of Suffolk
, England
about two miles (3 km) north-east of Sudbury
and two miles (3 km) south-west of its sister village, Little Waldingfield
. The village is split into two separate parts; the older and smaller part around the St. Lawrence Church, and the newer and larger section along the B1115 road between Sudbury and Hadleigh. Most of the houses in the newer section were built after World War II
, including much council housing
. The population is estimated to be 1,460. The parish also includes the hamlet of Upsher Green
.
The village hall is the normal location of the halfway feeding station on the Dunwich Dynamo
overnight bicycle ride, whilst an episode of Lovejoy
(Fruit of the Dessert) was filmed in the village.
and the Roman occupation
of Britain, but the first record of the village's existence is from the Domesday Book
of 1086, in which the village was listed as Walingafella Magna with three Saxon manors and an area of around 3,000 acres (12 km²).
Located on the major thoroughfare between the wool town of Lavenham
and Sudbury, the village was well-placed to benefit from the trade boom in the late Middle Ages
.
An outbreak of Bubonic plague
in 1626 reduced the population by at least 10%, going from 513 in 1611 to 459 in 1631.
In 1648, during the siege of Colchester (part of the English Civil War
) Cromwell
's Ironsides
were billeted in the village, an area which became Garrison Lane. Soldiers were stationed in the village after the war before being demobbed.
The late 19th and early 20th Centuries saw a steady decline in population, caused by out-migration and a flu epidemic, from 659 in 1851 to 348 in 1931.
During World War II
an airfield was built adjacent to the village. Initially called Airfield 174, it was later renamed RAF Sudbury
. The airfield was completed in 1943 and handed over to the USAAF
on 23 March 1944. With three runways, the airfield was home to the 486th Bomber Group.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Babergh
Babergh
Babergh is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council headquarters is based in Hadleigh, whilst its largest town is Sudbury.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Sudbury, Hadleigh urban district, Cosford Rural District, Melford Rural District and...
district 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...
about two miles (3 km) north-east of Sudbury
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
and two miles (3 km) south-west of its sister village, Little Waldingfield
Little Waldingfield
Little Waldingfield is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. Located two miles from its sister village, Great Waldingfield, it is part of the Babergh district, and includes the hamlet of Humble Green....
. The village is split into two separate parts; the older and smaller part around the St. Lawrence Church, and the newer and larger section along the B1115 road between Sudbury and Hadleigh. Most of the houses in the newer section were built after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, including much council housing
Council house
A council house, otherwise known as a local authority house, is a form of public or social housing. The term is used primarily in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Council houses were built and operated by local councils to supply uncrowded, well-built homes on secure tenancies at...
. The population is estimated to be 1,460. The parish also includes the hamlet of Upsher Green
Upsher Green
Upsher Green is a hamlet in the parish of Great Waldingfield, in Suffolk, England, near Great Waldingfield, Little Waldingfield, Acton, Long Melford and Humble Green. It is in the Babergh district of Suffolk and is located near the town of Sudbury....
.
The village hall is the normal location of the halfway feeding station on the Dunwich Dynamo
Dunwich Dynamo
The Dunwich Dynamo is an annual semi-organised, through-the-night bicycle ride from London Fields park in Hackney, London, England to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. The distance is approximately 120 miles ....
overnight bicycle ride, whilst an episode of Lovejoy
Lovejoy
Lovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer and faker based in East Anglia, a less than scrupulous yet likeable rogue. The episodes were based on a series of picaresque novels by John Grant...
(Fruit of the Dessert) was filmed in the village.
History
The discovery of a number of artefacts suggests that the village existed during the Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and the Roman occupation
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
of Britain, but the first record of the village's existence is from 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, in which the village was listed as Walingafella Magna with three Saxon manors and an area of around 3,000 acres (12 km²).
Located on the major thoroughfare between the wool town of Lavenham
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is noted for its 15th century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walk. In the medieval period it was among the 20 wealthiest settlements in England...
and Sudbury, the village was well-placed to benefit from the trade boom in the late Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
An outbreak of Bubonic plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
in 1626 reduced the population by at least 10%, going from 513 in 1611 to 459 in 1631.
In 1648, during the siege of Colchester (part of the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
) Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's Ironsides
Ironside (cavalry)
The Ironsides were troopers in the Parliamentarian cavalry formed by English political leader Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century, during the English Civil War. The name came from "Old Ironsides", one of Cromwell's nicknames...
were billeted in the village, an area which became Garrison Lane. Soldiers were stationed in the village after the war before being demobbed.
The late 19th and early 20th Centuries saw a steady decline in population, caused by out-migration and a flu epidemic, from 659 in 1851 to 348 in 1931.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
an airfield was built adjacent to the village. Initially called Airfield 174, it was later renamed RAF Sudbury
RAF Sudbury
RAF Sudbury is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located between the villages Acton, Great Waldingfield and Chilton, around 2 miles east of Sudbury in Suffolk.-USAAF use:...
. The airfield was completed in 1943 and handed over to the USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
on 23 March 1944. With three runways, the airfield was home to the 486th Bomber Group.
Notable residents
- John Hopkins: Village rector who, together with Thomas SternholdThomas SternholdThomas Sternhold was an English courtier and the principal author of the first English metrical version of the Psalms, originally attached to the Prayer-Book as augmented by John Hopkins.-Life:...
, produced the first national English hymn book in 1562. The book has gone through over 600 editions, and has been outsold only by the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and the Book of Common PrayerBook of Common PrayerThe Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
.
Location grid
External links
- Village website
- School website
- St Lawrence's Church Suffolk Churches