Great Thurlow

Last updated

Great Thurlow
Collis Mill, Great Thurlow.jpg
Collis Mill, Great Thurlow
Suffolk UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Great Thurlow
Location within Suffolk
Population213  2011 Census
Civil parish
  • Great Thurlow
District
Shire county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Haverhill
Postcode district CB9
Police Suffolk
Fire Suffolk
Ambulance East of England
List of places
UK
England
Suffolk
52°07′30″N0°27′00″E / 52.125°N 0.450°E / 52.125; 0.450 Coordinates: 52°07′30″N0°27′00″E / 52.125°N 0.450°E / 52.125; 0.450

Great Thurlow is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is situated in the far south-west of Suffolk, with the River Stour passing through the centre of the village.

Contents

A few rural villages are relatively close by, with a sister village of Little Thurlow immediately to the north, and Haverhill, the closest urban location, just over 3 miles to the south. The nearest train station is in Dullingham, almost 6 miles to the north, and HMP Highpoint prison is past the parish boundaries to the east.

History

In the 1870s, Great Thurlow was described as:

"THURLOW (Great), a parish, with a village, in Risbridge district, Suffolk; 3¼ miles N by E of Haverhill r. station. It has a post-office under Newmarket, and a fair on 11 Oct.; and it gives name and title to the descendants of Lord Chancellor Thurlow." [1]

A 20th Century map showing Great Thurlow. Great Thurlow Historical Map.png
A 20th Century map showing Great Thurlow.

Great Thurlow can be seen recorded as far back as the Domesday Book in 1086, where it is combined with the adjacent village of Little Thurlow under the names "Tridlauua", "Tritlawa" or "Thrillauura". [2] The name of Great Thurlow and its sister village have evolved over time, having previous names such as Thurlow Magna and Thurlow Parva, respectively. [3]

The similar name and close proximity of Great and Little Thurlow gives an indication of their close relationship as each has developed. Both villages have been part of large estates throughout their lengthy existence, where prosperity often shifted from one to the other and depended on the fortunes and preferences of the estates which owned them. [4] The villages did, however, develop subtle differences which contributed to their separate identities. Today they are different parishes, with their own church in each.

Roman and Saxon

Great Thurlow is thought to have been inhabited in Roman times. A network of Roman roads are known to have existed nearby and numerous artifacts dating back to the Roman period have been found. Professor Hughes, of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, suggested the Romans followed the valley from Haverhill to the Thurlows and on towards Newmarket, with more sites of Neolithic and Roman remains also found on route within the valley. [5]

Evidence of moated sites, used as Saxon defence systems, are visible in the area in the Glebe, the Island, Wadgells and Sowley Green. [6] These defences provide evidence of Great Thurlow having continuous occupation since Roman times.

Norman and Medieval

The Domesday Book includes the first record of Great Thurlow, where the village is shown to be in the possession of a "freewoman called Edred". [7] The first reference to the manor of Temple End, in the west of Great Thurlow, is also included. This site has long been associated with the Knights Templar, to which the owner was later awarded. This record of the name predates their foundation by over 30 years however, which leads some to believe a temple of a previous age once stood there. Further support is given to this theory as remnants of building have been uncovered at Temple End, although no further excavations have taken place. [5]

The Soame Family

The wealthy Soame family became a major influence in the late 16th century. Great and Little Thurlow became one under the Soame family, and would remain so during their ownership which lasted three centuries. [8] Great Thurlow prospered for much of this era, with the Soame family having keen interests in agriculture, while also contributing to new properties and building renovations. The Parish Book holds a record of meetings held for the care of villagers and, under Sir Stephen Soame, almshouses were built and a school for the male children of Thurlow was founded. [9] Many of Great Thurlows now historical buildings were built or repaired during this time, such as the introduction of Collis Mill to Great Thurlow and an extension to the Cock Inn.

The nineteenth century saw much less prosperity for the Soame family, and subsequently for the Thurlow villages, with the later generations of the Soame family being less successful in maintaining family wealth. In 1809, the mansion house of the Soames in Little Thurlow burned down, and when the last of the Soame family in the village died, the family's connection to the villages ceased. [10] Great Thurlow received considerably more attention towards the end of the Soame's dynasty, and this trend of investment continued through the nineteenth century.

The Smith Family

William Henry Smith, the politician, became lord of Great Thurlow in 1885. This saw the separation of Great and Little Thurlow once again, and continued the significant building developments in Great Thurlow. Great Thurlow Hall is thought to have been restored in this period, while many Georgian style houses were built. Among the new buildings were notable areas of the village today, such as the Rectory, Hill House, Red House, the Estate Office and the Meeting House. [11]

The 20th Century

Great Thurlow saw much less development in the 20th century. The population declined as availability of farming jobs decreased, and many moved to cities. As a result, very few modern buildings exist in the village. While population and occupations have changed, the villages itself has remained largely the same.

Demographics

Population

Great Thurlow population, 1801 to 2011 Great Thurlow Population Graph.png
Great Thurlow population, 1801 to 2011

Great Thurlow had a population of 213 according to the 2011 census, with 101 males and 112 females living in the parish. [12] In 1801, the population was 299 and this increased rapidly to 462 in 1821. After this however, there has generally been a negative trend in population, with the recorded population being the same or lower in each successive census up to 1961, where the population was 239.

A significant change was seen in the 2001 census, with the recorded population being 951. [13] These were only temporary residents however, with the 2001 census showing 723 of the 2001 population living in communal establishments as opposed to 0 in 2011. Additionally, 540 of the 2001 population were classed as economically inactive, while this was only 3 for the 2011 population. [12] The population has decreased again since, and the population in the last census was the lowest recorded yet for Great Thurlow.

Occupations

Great Thurlow occupations in 1881. Great Thurlow Occupation Bar Graph..jpg
Great Thurlow occupations in 1881.

The village has a long history of employment in the agricultural sector which is seen with over a third of village occupations being in agriculture in 1881. [14] Food, accommodation and construction also provided jobs for a small number of residents. Most of the employed population at this time were males, with many women having their occupations listed as unknown or unspecified. The female population that did work were mainly spread between employment in domestic services, tailoring and agriculture.

The prominence of agriculture in Great Thurlow was driven by the villagers need to be self-sufficient and led to numerous small farms surrounding the area. Over time trade and new technology has lessened this need for agriculture. Most small farms were absorbed into larger ones and the number of agricultural jobs available consistently decreased. [15] Employment in Great Thurlow is now much more varied, with a relatively small number of people still employed in agriculture. Administration and manufacturing occupations are now as common as agricultural, with construction, retail trade and health/social work having all overtaken agriculture in terms of occupation numbers. [16]

Notable Places

Church of All Saints, Great Thurlow All Saints Church, Great Thurlow - geograph.org.uk - 1067199.jpg
Church of All Saints, Great Thurlow

- Church of All Saints, a grade II listed building since 1961. The building date of the church is not fully known, with the church being mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086, but materials of the building suggesting that it may have been an Anglo-Saxon timber church which was rebuilt after the Norman Conquest. [17]

- The Cock Inn. Now a restaurant and bar, the building dates back to 1614 but the hall of the building may be even older, possibly from earlier medieval times. [18] Its current appearance is closer to that of a Georgian establishment, however, due to numerous instances of remodeling.

- Great Thurlow Hall, a grade II listed building dating back to the 18th century. [19] The hall is surrounded by gardens and more historical features, such as a barn and brick wall, which are also grade II listed.

- Collis Mill, a smock mill moved to Great Thurlow from its building place, Slough, Berkshire, in 1807. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rickinghall Inferior</span> Human settlement in England

Rickinghall Inferior is a civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. According to the 2011 census there were 233 males and 216 females in this civil parish, for a total population of 449. It includes the western part of the village of Rickinghall and is adjacent to the village and parish of Wattisfield. The old road from the market town of Bury. St Edmunds to the City of Norwich and the town of Great Yarmouth passes through the centre of the village but the new road, the A143, uses a by-pass to the East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hargrave, Suffolk</span> Human settlement in England

Hargrave is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England, located about 7 miles (10 km) away from south west of Bury St Edmunds. Lying at the crossroads from Ousden and Lady's Green (west) and Chevington (east). Barrow, Suffolk (north) and Wickhambrook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnardiston</span> Human settlement in England

Barnardiston is a village and parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. The village is located about four miles north-east of Haverhill off the A143.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boyton, Suffolk</span> Human settlement in England

Boyton is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, about eight miles east of Woodbridge, and close to Orford Ness. Boyton is a small village in South East England and is part of the heritage coast. In the Domesday Book of 1086 Boyton was recorded under the name "Bohtuna". The village has a number of facilities within the surrounding area, for instance Hollesley primary school, a village primary school for children aged 4–11 years. Boyton village hall is becoming a focus for new village activities, and HM Prison Hollesley Bay is also located not far from the village centre. In the 1870s Boyton was described by John Marius Wilson as:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Bradley</span> Human settlement in England

Little Bradley is a small village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. According to Eilert Ekwall, the meaning of the village name is "the wide clearing." The Domesday Book records the population of Little Bradley in 1086 to be 57. It lies in the valley of the River Stour, north of Haverhill. The population at the 2011 Census was included in the civil parish of Great Bradley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farnham, Suffolk</span> Human settlement in England

Farnham is a village and civil parish about 3 miles (4.8 km) south-west of Saxmundham in the English county of Suffolk on the A12 road. Farnham is located west of Friday Street, south of Benhall Low Street and north-east of Stratford St Andrew.

Trimley St. Mary is a parish and village on the outskirts of Felixstowe, on a low-lying peninsula between Harwich Harbour and the River Deben, in Suffolk, England. It lies on the Roman road between Felixstowe and Ipswich. Its eastern border is Spriteshall Lane. The village, and its neighbour Trimley St. Martin, are famous for their adjacent churches, which were built as the result of a historical family feud. St. Mary's church is the southerly church. The village has a number of shops, and two pubs. Trimley railway station serves the village on the Felixstowe Branch Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Wratting</span> Human settlement in England

Great Wratting is a village and civil parish in England, about four miles from Haverhill, Suffolk, in the valley of the River Stour. There is a ford across the Stour in the centre of the village, where bathing and fishing are common pursuits. The river here is heavily populated by crayfish, a non native species long since escaped from farms near the mouth of the Stour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clopton, Suffolk</span> Human settlement in England

Clopton is a village and civil parish in Suffolk. It is located between Ipswich and Debenham two kilometres north of Grundisburgh on the River Lark. The village is no larger than a series of houses either side of the B1078, surrounded by farm land. The village itself has no clear centre; houses and other buildings are concentrated around the four manors of Kingshall, Brendhall, Rousehall and Wascolies, all of which are mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winston, Suffolk</span> Human settlement in England

Winston is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located around 8 miles (13 km) east of Stowmarket, the 2011 Census showed that the population of the parish of Winston is 159. The parish also contains the settlements of Winston Green and Fenn Street. There is a church and an old school room, and every year there is a Winston Village Fete. A lot of the village of Winston is based around 14th Century Church, with multiple 16th Century cottages and farmhouses along church lane, showing the villages agricultural past, the area of Winston is still agricultural based with farms and fields all over the parish. Winston and the surrounding area is approximately 45m-50m above sea level making the area unlikely to flood, unless in exceptional circumstances. In the 1870s Winston was described as:

Winston, a parish, with a village, in Bosmere district, Suffolk; 1 mile SSE of Debenham, and 7 NE of Needham r. station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fakenham Magna</span> Human settlement in England

Fakenham Magna is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. The meaning of the word 'Fakenham' can be split into two: 'Faken' and 'ham', both of which derive from Old English. The former refers to somebody by the name of 'Facca', with the latter meaning 'a village / a homestead', making the direct translation 'Facca's homestead'. 'Magna' translates from Latin as 'great', hence the alternative name of the village of 'Great Fakenham'. During World War Two, however, the village was referred to as 'Little Fakenham', which was used to avoid confusion with the larger civil parish of Fakenham in Norfolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Livermere</span> Human settlement in England

Great Livermere is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is located around four miles north-east of the borough's largest town Bury St Edmunds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Thurlow</span> Human settlement in England

Little Thurlow is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England, located around a mile north-east of its sister village Great Thurlow, and four miles north of Haverhill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Withersfield</span> Human settlement in England

Withersfield is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. In 2011 its population was 450. It has a public house and a village hall, and centres on the parish church, St. Mary the Virgin. It is in a rural location, surrounded by farmland, yet only a mile north of the busy market town of Haverhill. Surrounding villages include Great Wratting, West Wickham and Great Thurlow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westley, Suffolk</span> Human settlement in England

Westley is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is located south of Junction 42 of the A14 providing primary access to adjacent market towns Bury St Edmunds (East) and Newmarket (West). The village consists of two central roads: Fornham Lane and Hill Road running north and south through the parish, with adjoining roads accommodating Westley's total population of 183.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ousden</span> Human settlement in England

Ousden is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is located around six miles west of Bury St Edmunds and 72 miles north of London, and as of 2011, its population is 266. The village has an Anglican church of St Peter's and a chapel in the cemetery dedicated to St Barnabas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denston</span> Human settlement in England

Denston is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located around eight miles south-west of Bury St Edmunds, in 2005 its population was 120. The entire village is designated as a conservation area. There is an Anglican church whose dedication is to St Nicholas. Denston is located just south of Wickhambrook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratford St Andrew</span> Human settlement in England

Stratford St Andrew is a small village and a civil parish just off the A12 road, in the East Suffolk district, in the English county of Suffolk. It is located 3 miles south west of Saxmundham, which is the nearest town to the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntingfield, Suffolk</span> Human settlement in England

Huntingfield is a village near the B1117 road, in the East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The village is close to the source of the River Blyth and the parish is 12 miles from the seaside town of Southwold. Nearby settlements include the town of Halesworth and the villages of Walpole, Heveningham, Cookley and Laxfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radwinter</span> Human settlement in England

Radwinter is a village and a civil parish on the B1053 road, in the Uttlesford district of the county of Essex, England. The population in the 2011 Census was 612 with 306 males and 306 females living in the parish. At re centre of the village is the 14th-century church dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, and a primary school. The village has four outlying hamlets in the district of Uttlesford, between the market town of Saffron Walden (Essex) and Haverhill (Suffolk).

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, John Marius (1870–1872). Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales. Edinburgh: A.Fullerton & Co.
  2. ↑ Green, Tony. "About Great Thurlow". The Suffolk Real Ale Guide. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "History of Great and Little Thurlow - Introduction". The Thurlows. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "History of Great and Little Thurlow - Conclusion". The Thurlows. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  5. 1 2 Hughes, Professor (1892). "On some antiquities found at Great Thurlow" (PDF). Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. 7 (3): 252–253.
  6. ↑ "History of Great and Little Thurlow - Roman and Saxon Times". The Thurlows. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  7. ↑ "History of Great and Little Thurlow - Norman and Medieval Times". The Thurlows. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  8. ↑ "History of Great and Little Thurlow - The Soame family". The Thurlows. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  9. ↑ Mimardière, A. M. "SOAME, Sir Stephen (c.1544-1619), of London". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "History of Great and Little Thurlow - Nineteenth century". The Thurlows. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  11. ↑ "History of Great and Little Thurlow - The Smith family of Great Thurlow". The Thurlows. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Great Thurlow (Parish):Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. March 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  13. ↑ "Great Thurlow (Parish): Key Figures for 2001 Census: Key Statistics". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. March 2001. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  14. ↑ "Great Thurlow CP/AP - Occupations". A Vision of Britain Through Time. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  15. ↑ Newman, Dave. "Landscape and Geography". The Thurlows. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  16. ↑ "Area: Great Thurlow (Parish) - Industry, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  17. ↑ "Church of All Saints". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  18. ↑ "The Cock Inn". The Thurlows. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  19. ↑ "Great Thurlow Hall". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  20. ↑ Dolman, Peter (1978). Windmills in Suffolk: A contemporary survey. Ipswich: Suffolk Mills Group. p. 43. ISBN   0-9506447-0-6.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Great Thurlow at Wikimedia Commons

Stour Valley Path, Great Thurlow. - panoramio (1).jpg
Great Thurlow Hall, Suffolk-geograph.co.uk-2475870.jpg
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.