Kentford | |
---|---|
The Church of St. Mary in Kentford | |
Location within Suffolk | |
Population | 1,125 (2021) [1] |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Newmarket |
Postcode district | CB8 |
Dialling code | 01638 |
Police | Suffolk |
Fire | Suffolk |
Ambulance | East of England |
UK Parliament | |
Kentford is a village and civil parish located in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Situated on the banks of the River Kennet, the village is positioned on the B1506 road connecting Newmarket to Bury St. Edmunds. The village is served by the Kennett railway station, located just off the A14, which offers an indirect railway connection to London via Cambridge. Kentford is located about four miles northeast of Newmarket and nine miles west of Bury St. Edmunds. The village falls within the Bury St. Edmunds division of the county and is divided between the Lackford and Risbridge Hundred. Kentford is also part of the Newmarket petty sessional division, Mildenhall union and county court district, rural deanery of Newmarket, archdeaconry of Sudbury, and diocese of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich. [2] The population of Kentford was estimated to be 1125 as of 2021. [1]
The history of Kentford dates back many centuries. The village's name is recorded as early as the 11th century as Cheneteforde, and means "ford across the River Kennett". [3] Throughout its history, Kentford has experienced growth and expansion, transforming from a small settlement to a moderate-sized village. In 1674, the village consisted of only 12 houses, but by 2010, the population had grown to 457 residents living in approximately 250 houses. [4]
Historically, Kentford has been closely associated with farming and the horse racing industry, both of which have played a significant role in providing employment opportunities within the village. The village's proximity to Newmarket, a renowned center for horse racing, has contributed to its connection with the equestrian world. Additionally, the village hosts the presence of a tannery and two public houses: The Bell Inn and The Kentford. [4]
Regal Lodge, a notable building in Kentford, briefly operated as the Langtry Hotel, named after its former owner, Lillie Langtry, who was the mistress of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. [4]
Langtry Heavily modified and expanded a farmhouse in Kentford into a grand residence called Regal Lodge. [5] The property was purchased in 1893, [6] and built in 1863. [5] The house was the setting for Langtry's weekend parties, and it featured impressive rooms designed for large social gatherings, including a theatre-like drawing-room and servant quarters that have remained untouched since the Edwardian era. Regal Lodge also played a role in Langtry's passion for horse racing, hosting celebrations following her notable victories. After the First World War, the property operated as Langtry Hotel for a number of years. Eventually the property was sold and is now owned as private residence. [5]
Kentford gained recognition as one of the first villages in Suffolk to benefit from gigabit broadband through the Openreach scheme. In 2019, engineers worked to install the latest fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband, offering residents and businesses access to download speeds of up to one gigabit per second, 18 times faster than the national average. [7] This initiative was aimed to improve connectivity in rural communities and serve as a trial for Openreach to extend their FTTP network into more challenging or commercially less viable areas. [7]
The Church of St. Mary, located in the centre of the village, is an ancient stone building constructed in the Decorated style. [2] [8] The church consists of a chancel, nave, small south porch, and a small western tower that once held three bells. [8] Noteworthy features of the church include well-preserved 18th-century box pews, considered to be among the finest examples in Suffolk. Inside the nave, traces of paintings can still be observed on the north wall, including depictions of the "Three Quick and The Three Dead". [8] The church remains active offering regular service and as a hub for community events.
A prominent landmark in Kentford is the site of the village's old Packhorse Bridge, once one of only two such bridges in Suffolk. Only the wall leading to the bridge remains, with the remaining parts of the bridge vanishing by the 1970s. [9] The second packhorse bridge is located in the neighbouring village Moulton, which is in a almost-fully-intact state.
Emilie Charlotte, Lady de Bathe, known as LillieLangtry and nicknamed "The Jersey Lily", was a British socialite, stage actress and producer.
Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, 14 miles west of Bury St Edmunds and 14 miles northeast of Cambridge. In 2021, it had a population of 16,772. It is a global centre for thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse training, breeding, and horse health. Two Classic races and three British Champions Series races are held at Newmarket every year. The town has had close royal connections since the time of James I, who built a palace there, and was also a base for Charles I, Charles II, and most monarchs since. Elizabeth II visited the town often to see her horses in training.
Forest Heath was a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council was based in Mildenhall. Other towns in the district included Newmarket. The population of the district at the 2011 Census was 59,748.
Moulton is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England, located close to the town of Newmarket. It pre-dates the 1086 Domesday book and, in 2005, it was estimated to have a population of 1090. 1,033 people were recorded at the 2011 census.
West Suffolk is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Nick Timothy, a Conservative.
Chilworth is a village in the Guildford borough of Surrey, England. It is located in the Tillingbourne valley, southeast of Guildford.
Kennett is a railway station serving the villages of Kennett in Cambridgeshire and Kentford in Suffolk, England. It opened in 1854 when the railway was extended from Newmarket to Bury St Edmunds. At its peak during the period 1860 to 1890 there was a station master and three other members of staff. From 1929 onwards the four station staff were replaced by a 'Porter-in-charge' until 1967.
Red Lodge is a village and civil parish situated in rural Suffolk, England, between Mildenhall and Newmarket, and very close to the A11 and A14 roads.
Higham is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in the east of England. Located midway between Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket, in 2005 its population was 140. Higham is split into three parts: Upper Green, Middle Green and Lower Green.
Moulton Paddocks is a racing stable in Newmarket, Suffolk, UK operated by Godolphin Racing. It is said to have the capacity for around 200 horses, many of which are of extremely high quality. The stable is currently run by Charlie Appleby.
Stowlangtoft is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England two miles south-east from Ixworth. Located around five miles north-east of Bury St Edmunds, in 2005 its population was 270.
Chevington is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in East Anglia, England. Located around 10 km south-west of Bury St Edmunds, in 2005 its population was 630, reducing to 602 at the 2011 Census. The parish also contains the hamlets of Broad Green and Tan Office Green.
Ousden is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is located around 6 miles (10 km) west of Bury St Edmunds and 72 miles (116 km) 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.
Kennett is a small village and civil parish at the very eastern tip of Cambridgeshire, England. Situated around 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north-east of Newmarket and 4 miles (6.4 km) north-west of Bury St Edmunds, it falls into the county of Suffolk.
Snailwell is a small village and civil parish in East Cambridgeshire, England around 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of Newmarket.
The River Kennett is a river that runs through Suffolk and Cambridgeshire in eastern England.
Captain James Octavius Machell (1837–1902) was an influential figure in British horse racing during the final decades of the 19th century. He was a respected judge of horses and an astute and highly successful gambler. During a career that lasted almost forty years he managed and trained eleven English classic winners and was himself the owner of a record three Grand National winners.
West Suffolk District is a local government district in Suffolk, England. It was established in 2019 as a merger of the previous Forest Heath District with the Borough of St Edmundsbury. The council is based in Bury St Edmunds, the district's largest town. The district also contains the towns of Brandon, Clare, Haverhill, Mildenhall and Newmarket, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. In 2021 it had a population of 180,820.
Caroline Agnes Graham, Duchess of Montrose, styled Dowager Duchess of Montrose after 1874, was a notable British racehorse owner, aristocrat, and socialite.
CityFibre is an independent British telecommunications network provider, providing gigabit-capable FTTP broadband across the UK. They are the third-largest network provider in the UK, after Openreach and Virgin Media. It is considered one of the UK's "altnets", in reference to being an alternative to Openreach.
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