Rattlesden
Encyclopedia
Rattlesden is a village and civil parish
in the Mid Suffolk
district of Suffolk
in eastern England
. Located around four miles west of Stowmarket
, the parish also includes the hamlets of Hightown Green and Poystreet Green. Its large and ancient church, St. Nicholas, dates from the 13th century and incorporates many additions and changes from over the centuries. In 1975, the historic core of the village was named a "Conservation Area" by the District Council under the guidelines of English Heritage
.
The village and the surrounding area, like much of East Anglia
, was a hotbed of Puritan
sentiment during much of the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1634, a local wheelwright, Richard Kimball led a relatively large company from Rattlesden to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
as part of the wave of emigration that occurred during the Great Migration
.
During World War II, Rattlesden was the site of a U.S. Army Air Force heavy bomber base known as RAF Rattlesden
. The site is now used by the Rattlesden Gliding Club.
In 2005 the population of Rattlesden was 900. The parish also contains the hamlets of Poystreet Green and Hightown Green.
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 Mid Suffolk
Mid Suffolk
Mid Suffolk is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council is based in Needham Market, and the largest town is Stowmarket.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Eye, Stowmarket urban district, Gipping Rural District, Hartismere 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...
in eastern 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...
. Located around four miles west of Stowmarket
Stowmarket
-See also:* Stowmarket Town F.C.* Stowmarket High School-External links:* * * * *...
, the parish also includes the hamlets of Hightown Green and Poystreet Green. Its large and ancient church, St. Nicholas, dates from the 13th century and incorporates many additions and changes from over the centuries. In 1975, the historic core of the village was named a "Conservation Area" by the District Council under the guidelines of English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
The village and the surrounding area, like much of East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, was a hotbed of Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
sentiment during much of the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1634, a local wheelwright, Richard Kimball led a relatively large company from Rattlesden to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
as part of the wave of emigration that occurred during the Great Migration
Great Migration (Puritan)
The Puritan migration to New England was marked in its effects in the two decades from 1620 to 1640, after which it declined sharply for a while. The term Great Migration usually refers to the migration in this period of English settlers, primarily Puritans to Massachusetts and the warm islands of...
.
During World War II, Rattlesden was the site of a U.S. Army Air Force heavy bomber base known as RAF Rattlesden
RAF Rattlesden
RAF Rattlesden is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 9 miles SE of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.-USAAF use:Rattlesden airfield was built in 1942 as a Class A bomber airfield. The airfield had three intersecting concrete runways, perimeter track and, for USAAF use,...
. The site is now used by the Rattlesden Gliding Club.
In 2005 the population of Rattlesden was 900. The parish also contains the hamlets of Poystreet Green and Hightown Green.