Westleton
Encyclopedia
Westleton is a village in the English
county
of Suffolk
. It is located 4 miles (6 km) north of Leiston
and 5 miles (8 km) miles north-east of Saxmundham
near the North Sea
coast. The village is on the edge of the Suffolk Sandlings, an area of lowland heathland. The village lies along the B1125 road, 2 miles (3 km) to the east of the A12 and Darsham railway station
.
Westleton Heath National Nature Reserve is 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) north east of the village. The heath is crossed by a minor road from Westleton to the coastal village of Dunwich
, 2 miles (3 km) to the east. The famous Minsmere RSPB reserve lies immediately to the east of the village.
The fourteenth-century village church of St. Peter in Westleton was built by monks from Sibton Abbey
near Saxmundham. The church has twice seen the collapse of its tower: in 1776 under the strain of hurricane winds; and during World War II
, when the smaller wooden replacement fell under the weight of a bomb.
Westleton retains some other basic services, helped by it's proximity to the coast and Minsmere. A Post Office, two pubs, including an historic coaching inn dating to the 12th Century, a tea room, bookshop and garage remain. The bookshop, Chapel Books, has been immortalised in print in Julie Myerson
's 2003 novel, Something Might Happen
, as the location for a seduction scene.
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...
county
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...
. It is located 4 miles (6 km) north of Leiston
Leiston
Leiston is a town in eastern Suffolk, England. It is situated near Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, about from the North Sea coast and is northeast of Ipswich and northeast from London...
and 5 miles (8 km) miles north-east of Saxmundham
Saxmundham
Saxmundham is a small market town in Suffolk, England. It is set in the valley of the River Fromus, a tributary of the River Alde, approximately northeast of Ipswich and west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed by the A12 and is served by Saxmundham railway station on the East Suffolk...
near the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast. The village is on the edge of the Suffolk Sandlings, an area of lowland heathland. The village lies along the B1125 road, 2 miles (3 km) to the east of the A12 and Darsham railway station
Darsham railway station
Darsham is a railway station which serves the villages of Darsham and Yoxford in Suffolk, lying midway between the two communities, each of which is about one mile from the station. It is located on the East Suffolk Line between Lowestoft and Ipswich...
.
Westleton Heath National Nature Reserve is 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) north east of the village. The heath is crossed by a minor road from Westleton to the coastal village of Dunwich
Dunwich
Dunwich is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Dunwich was the capital of East Anglia 1500 years ago but the harbour and most of the town have since disappeared due to coastal erosion. Its decline began in 1286 when a sea surge hit the East Anglian coast, and...
, 2 miles (3 km) to the east. The famous Minsmere RSPB reserve lies immediately to the east of the village.
The fourteenth-century village church of St. Peter in Westleton was built by monks from Sibton Abbey
Sibton Abbey
Sibton Abbey, an early Cistercian abbey located near Yoxford, Suffolk, was founded about 1150 by William de Chesney, High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk...
near Saxmundham. The church has twice seen the collapse of its tower: in 1776 under the strain of hurricane winds; and 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...
, when the smaller wooden replacement fell under the weight of a bomb.
Westleton retains some other basic services, helped by it's proximity to the coast and Minsmere. A Post Office, two pubs, including an historic coaching inn dating to the 12th Century, a tea room, bookshop and garage remain. The bookshop, Chapel Books, has been immortalised in print in Julie Myerson
Julie Myerson
Julie Myerson is an English author and critic. As well as writing both fiction and non-fiction books, she is also known for having written a long-running column in The Guardian entitled "Living with Teenagers" based on her own family experiences...
's 2003 novel, Something Might Happen
Something Might Happen
Something Might Happen is a novel by Julie Myerson about a murder in a small English seaside town and how it affects the community as well as friends and family of the murder victim. The story is not a whodunnit although it incorporates various elements of the crime novel...
, as the location for a seduction scene.
External links
- http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/WestletonPC