Thornham Magna
Encyclopedia
Thornham Magna is the sister village of Thornham Parva
, ("Big Thorny Village" and "Little Thorny Village"") about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Eye, Suffolk
and close to the A140 main road
from Norwich
to Ipswich
, the county towns of Norfolk
and Suffolk
.
The twin villages of Thornham Magna and Thornham Parva lie within a mile or so of each other through wooded country lanes. The surrounding area is mostly arable farming & cattle on the water meadows through which the River Dove
flows. The combined population in 2001 was about 170. Both villages are mentioned in the Magna Carta
in 1215.
Magna is the larger of the villages with a pub, a forge workshop and village hall while Parva has a rare thatched church but only a few scattered houses. Thornham Magna's church is the St Mary Magdalene and includes a window which has glass by Morris and Co and the figures (Christ flanked by two Mary's) by Burne Jones is said to be one of the finest Pre-Raphaelite windows in Suffolk.
Thornham Parva's church is St Marys. Both churches are from around the 14th century but both also have parts that date from Norman times. However, Thornham Parva's church also has a very rare 12ft (3.7 m) long retable – a painted panel at the back of the altar – thought to have been made for Thetford Priory
in the 1330s. The Henniker family historically owned most of the land in and around these villages, the last Lord Henniker dying in 2004. St Mary Magdalene is considered the Henniker’s church. Both have war memorials that name the local residents who died in World Wars I & II.
Its main pub, the Four Horse Shoes, has existed on that site in one form or another since 1150 and most of the houses in the village are between 100 to 600 years old including a lot of oak-beamed, mud-walled straw-thatch roofed Tudor
farm houses.
Thornham Parva
Thornham Parva is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located to the north of sister village Thornham Magna and around five miles south of Diss, in 2005 its population was 50....
, ("Big Thorny Village" and "Little Thorny Village"") about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Eye, Suffolk
Eye, Suffolk
Eye is a small market town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove.Eye is twinned with the town of Pouzauges in the Vendée Departement of France.-History:An island...
and close to the A140 main road
A140 road
The A140 is an 'A-class' road in Norfolk and Suffolk, East Anglia, England partly following the route of the Roman Pye Road. It runs from the A14 near Needham Market to the A149 south of Cromer. It is of primary status for the entirety of its route. It is approximately 56 miles in length...
from Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
to 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...
, the county towns of 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...
and 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...
.
The twin villages of Thornham Magna and Thornham Parva lie within a mile or so of each other through wooded country lanes. The surrounding area is mostly arable farming & cattle on the water meadows through which the River Dove
River Dove, Suffolk
The River Dove is a river in the county of Suffolk.-References:...
flows. The combined population in 2001 was about 170. Both villages are mentioned in the Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
in 1215.
Magna is the larger of the villages with a pub, a forge workshop and village hall while Parva has a rare thatched church but only a few scattered houses. Thornham Magna's church is the St Mary Magdalene and includes a window which has glass by Morris and Co and the figures (Christ flanked by two Mary's) by Burne Jones is said to be one of the finest Pre-Raphaelite windows in Suffolk.
Thornham Parva's church is St Marys. Both churches are from around the 14th century but both also have parts that date from Norman times. However, Thornham Parva's church also has a very rare 12ft (3.7 m) long retable – a painted panel at the back of the altar – thought to have been made for Thetford Priory
Thetford Priory
Thetford Priory is a Cluniac Priory located at Thetford, Norfolk, England.One of the most important East Anglian monasteries, it was founded in 1103 by Roger Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk and dedicated to Our Lady....
in the 1330s. The Henniker family historically owned most of the land in and around these villages, the last Lord Henniker dying in 2004. St Mary Magdalene is considered the Henniker’s church. Both have war memorials that name the local residents who died in World Wars I & II.
Its main pub, the Four Horse Shoes, has existed on that site in one form or another since 1150 and most of the houses in the village are between 100 to 600 years old including a lot of oak-beamed, mud-walled straw-thatch roofed Tudor
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
farm houses.
External links
- Diss Express - village's local newspaper website