The Saints, Suffolk
Encyclopedia
The Saints are a group of villages in Suffolk
, England
, between the rivers Blyth and Waveney near to the border with Norfolk
. The villages are all named after a saint (that of their parish church
), and either South Elmham or Ilketshall named after the 'hall of Alfkethill'. Known by locals as 'up the Parishes' the area is found between the small towns of Halesworth
, Harleston, Bungay
and Beccles
. During WW2 signposts were removed which resulted in many US Airman having difficulty finding the way back to RAF Bungay at Flixton and other local airfields including Metfield
.
South Elmham comes from the Anglo-Saxon " hamlet
where elms grew" and is first mentioned in Domesday Book as Almeham; North Elmham
is in Norfolk, thirty miles away.
The Saints are
Each of the villages also constitutes a civil parish
, apart from All Saints and St Nicholas, which are joined together in the All Saints and St Nicholas, South Elmham parish.
St Michael is one of the Thankful Villages
. It is unclear whether North Elmham or South Elmham, Suffolk
is the site of East Anglia's second See ("Helmham"), founded in the reign of King Ealdwulf
(c.664-713) according to Bede.
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...
, between the rivers Blyth and Waveney near to the border with Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. The villages are all named after a saint (that of their parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
), and either South Elmham or Ilketshall named after the 'hall of Alfkethill'. Known by locals as 'up the Parishes' the area is found between the small towns of Halesworth
Halesworth
Halesworth is a small market town in the northeastern corner of Suffolk, England. It is located south west of Lowestoft, and straddles the River Blyth, 9 miles upstream from Southwold. The town is served by Halesworth railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line...
, Harleston, Bungay
Bungay, Suffolk
Bungay is a market town in the English county of Suffolk. It lies in the Waveney valley, west of Beccles on the edge of The Broads, and at the neck of a meander of the River Waveney.-Early history:...
and Beccles
Beccles
Beccles is a market town and civil parish in the Waveney District of the English county of Suffolk. The town is shown on the milestone as from London via the A145 Blythburgh and A12 road, northeast of London as the crow flies, southeast of Norwich, and north northeast of the county town of...
. During WW2 signposts were removed which resulted in many US Airman having difficulty finding the way back to RAF Bungay at Flixton and other local airfields including Metfield
Metfield
Metfield is a village in Suffolk, England, but its name is derived from Medefeld or 'Meadow feld' . It is situated close to the border with Norfolk, being approximately 5 miles south east of Harleston and 7 miles north west of Halesworth...
.
South Elmham comes from the Anglo-Saxon " hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
where elms grew" and is first mentioned in Domesday Book as Almeham; North Elmham
North Elmham
North Elmham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 1,428 in 624 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of Breckland....
is in Norfolk, thirty miles away.
The Saints are
- All Saints South ElmhamAll Saints South ElmhamAll Saints South Elmham belongs to The Saints, Suffolk, a group of villages near the border with Norfolk.- Church :All Saints Church is one of 38 existing round-tower churches in Suffolk.- External links :*, a round-tower church...
- St Cross South Elmham (church actually dedicated to Saint GeorgeSaint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
) (also known as Sancroft St George, and Sancroft). - St James South Elmham - Benjamin FranklinBenjamin FranklinDr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
's great-great-grandmother was Alice Elmy born at Frenze Hall near DissDissDiss is a town in Norfolk, England close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk.The town lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers . The mere is up to deep, although there is another of mud, making it one of the deepest natural inland lakes...
on the SuffolkSuffolkSuffolk 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...
/NorfolkNorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
border in EnglandEnglandEngland 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...
, but her family were from St James. - St Margaret South Elmham
- St Mary South Elmham (known as Flixton) (Correction - this village was never known as St Mary South Elmham. It is not part of that ancient grouping)
- St Mary South Elmham (known as HomersfieldHomersfieldSouth Elmham St Mary, known as Homersfield, is a small village and civil parish located on the banks of the River Waveney in Suffolk, UK, on the border with Norfolk. It is one of The Saints. It is the home of the oldest surviving concrete bridge in Britain, a 50-foot span built in 1870 by the...
) - St Michael South Elmham
- St Nicholas South Elmham (church no longer present)
- St Peter South Elmham
- Ilketshall St John
- Ilketshall St Lawrence (aka Stone Street)
- Ilketshall St. AndrewSt. Andrew, IlketshallIlketshall St. Andrew belongs to The Saints, Suffolk, a group of villages near the border with Norfolk.- Church :Ilketshall St. Andrew is one of 38 existing round-tower churches in Suffolk.-External links:*, a round-tower church...
- Ilketshall St Margaret
Each of the villages also constitutes a civil parish
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...
, apart from All Saints and St Nicholas, which are joined together in the All Saints and St Nicholas, South Elmham parish.
St Michael is one of the Thankful Villages
Thankful Villages
Thankful Villages are settlements in both England and Wales from which all their then members of the armed forces survived World War I. The term Thankful Village was popularised by the writer Arthur Mee in the 1930s...
. It is unclear whether North Elmham or South Elmham, 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...
is the site of East Anglia's second See ("Helmham"), founded in the reign of King Ealdwulf
Ealdwulf of East Anglia
Ealdwulf or Aldwulf was an obscure King of East Anglia who reigned from 663 to around 713.Ealdwulf's reign of forty-nine years was extraordinary in length: only Ethelbald of Mercia's and Offa of Mercia's reigns are comparable...
(c.664-713) according to Bede.
External links
- Where it all began — South Elmham Minster
- The Saints from suffolkchurches.co.uk
- The Mystery of the two Elmhams
- The Brewery and Hall — St Peters
- Flixton Parish — aka St Mary South Elmham