The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Suffolk,and East Anglia generally,occurred on a large scale,[3] possibly following a period of depopulation by the previous inhabitants,the Romanised descendants of the Iceni.[4] By the fifth century,they had established control of the region. The Anglo-Saxon inhabitants later became the "north folk" and the "south folk",from which developed the names "Norfolk" and "Suffolk".[5] Suffolk and several adjacent areas became the kingdom of East Anglia,which later merged with Mercia and then Wessex.
Beginning in February 2008,the Boundary Committee again reviewed local government in the county,with two possible options emerging. One was that of splitting Suffolk into two unitary authorities –Ipswich and Felixstowe and Rural Suffolk;and the other,that of creating a single county-wide controlling authority –the "One Suffolk" option.[9] In February 2010,the then-Minister Rosie Winterton announced that no changes would be imposed on the structure of local government in the county as a result of the review,but that the government would be:"asking Suffolk councils and MPs to reach a consensus on what unitary solution they want through a countywide constitutional convention".[10] Following the May 2010 general election,all further moves towards any of the suggested unitary solutions ceased on the instructions of the incoming Coalition government.[11] In 2018 it was determined that Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury would be merged to form a new West Suffolk district,[12] while Waveney and Suffolk Coastal would similarly form a new East Suffolk district.[13] These changes took effect on 1 April 2019.
In the east of the county is Sutton Hoo,the site of one of England's most significant Anglo-Saxon archaeological finds,a ship burial containing a collection of treasures including a sword of state,helmet,gold and silver bowls,jewellery and a lyre.[15]
In 1992 a famous hoard of late Roman gold and silver was discovered in the village of Hoxne. It is still the largest hoard of its kind to have been discovered in Britain.
While carrying out surveys before installing a pipeline in 2014,archaeologists for Anglian Water discovered nine skeletons and four cremation pits,at Bardwell,Barnham,Pakenham and Rougham,all near Bury St Edmunds. Neolithic,Bronze Age,Iron Age,Roman and medieval items were also unearthed,along with the 9 skeletons believed to be of the late or post-Roman era (AD 300–500). Experts said the 5-month project had recovered enough artefacts to fill half a shipping container,and that the discoveries had shed new light on their understanding of the development of small rural communities.[16]
A number of 6th century Anglo-Saxon "grub huts" were also found nearby,which are believed to be cellars beneath Saxon buildings.[17]
In 2019,an excavation of a 4th-century Roman cemetery in Great Whelnetham uncovered unusual burial practices. Of 52 skeletons were found,a large number had been decapitated,which archaeologists claimed gave new insight in to Roman traditions. The burial ground includes the remains of men,women and children who likely lived in a nearby settlement. The fact that up to 40% of the bodies were decapitated represents "quite a rare find".[18]
A survey in 2020 named Suffolk the third best place in the UK for aspiring archaeologists,and showed that the area was especially rich in finds from the Roman period,with over 1500 objects found in the preceding year.[19]
In July 2020,metal detectorist Luke Mahoney,found 1061 silver hammered coins estimated to be worth £100,000 in Ipswich. The coins dated back to the 15th–17th century,according to experts.[20]
In September 2020,archaeologists announced the discovery of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery with 17 cremations and 191 burials dating back to the 7th century in Oulton,near Lowestoft. The graves contained the remains of men,women and children,as well as artefacts including small iron knives and silver pennies,wrist clasps,strings of amber and glass beads. According to Andrew Peachey,who carried out the excavations,the skeletons had mostly vanished because of the highly acidic soil. They,fortunately,were preserved as brittle shapes and "sand silhouettes" in the sand.[21][22]
Suffolk Pink
Villages and towns in Suffolk are renowned for historic pink-washed halls and cottages,which has become known far and wide as "Suffolk Pink". Decorative paint colours found in the county can range from a pale shell shade,to a deep blush brick colour.[23]
According to research,Suffolk Pink dates back to the 14th century,where these shades were developed by local dyers by adding natural substances to a traditional limewash mix. Additives used in this process include pig or ox blood with buttermilk,elderberries and sloe juice.
Locals and historians often state that a true Suffolk Pink should be a "deep dusky terracotta shade",[24] rather than the more popular pastel hue of modern times. This has caused controversy in the past when home and business-owners alike have been reprimanded for using colours deemed incorrect,with some being forced to repaint to an acceptable shade. In 2013,famous chef Marco Pierre White had his 15th century hotel,The Angel,in Lavenham,decorated a shade of pink that was not traditional Suffolk Pink. He was required by local authorities to repaint.[25][26]
16th century cottage in Ixworth,with pargetting and traditional Suffolk Pink limewash
In another example of Suffolk taking its colours seriously,a home-owner in Lavenham was obligated to paint their Grade 1 listed cottage Suffolk Pink,to make it match a neighbouring property. The local council said it wanted all of the cottages on that particular part of the road to be the same colour,because they were a single building historically (300 years earlier).[27]
County landmarks that are painted Suffolk Pink include the cottages in front of St Mary's Church in the village of Cavendish.
The historic Suffolk Pink colour has also inspired the name of a British apple.[28]
Located in the East of England,[29] much of Suffolk is low-lying,founded on Pleistocenesand and clays. These rocks are relatively unresistant and the coast is eroding rapidly. Coastal defences have been used to protect several towns,but several cliff-top houses have been lost to coastal erosion and others are under threat. The continuing protection of the coastline and the estuaries,including the Blyth,Alde and Deben,has been,and remains,a matter of considerable discussion.[30]
The coastal strip to the East contains an area of heathland known as "The Sandlings" which runs almost the full length of the coastline.[31] Suffolk is also home to nature reserves,such as the RSPB site at Minsmere,and Trimley Marshes,a wetland under the protection of Suffolk Wildlife Trust. The clay plateau inland,deeply intercut by rivers,is often referred to as 'High Suffolk'.[32]
The west of the county lies on more resistant Cretaceouschalk. This chalk is responsible for a sweeping tract of largely downland landscapes that stretches from Dorset in the south west to Dover in the south east and north through East Anglia to the Yorkshire Wolds. The chalk is less easily eroded so forms the only significant hills in the county. The highest point in the county is Great Wood Hill,with an elevation of 128 metres (420ft).[33] It is the highest point of the Newmarket Ridge and is near the villages of Rede and Chedburgh.
According to estimates by the Office for National Statistics,the population of Suffolk in 2014 was 738,512,split almost evenly between males and females. Roughly 22% of the population was aged 65 or older,and 90.84% were "White British".[35]
Historically,the county's population has mostly been employed as agricultural workers. An 1835 survey showed Suffolk to have 4,526 occupiers of land employing labourers,1,121 occupiers not employing labourers,33,040 labourers employed in agriculture,676 employed in manufacture,18,167 employed in retail trade or handicraft,2,228 'capitalists,bankers etc.',5,336 labourers (non-agricultural),4,940 other males aged over 20,2,032 male servants and 11,483 female servants.[36] The same publication records the total population of the county at 296,304.
Most English counties have nicknames for people from that county,such as a Tyke from Yorkshire and a Yellowbelly from Lincolnshire. A traditional nicknames for people from Suffolk is 'Suffolk Fair-Maids' referring to the supposed beauty of its female inhabitants in the Middle Ages.[37] Another is 'Silly Suffolk',often assumed to be derived from the Old English word sælig in the meaning 'blessed' referring to the long history of Christianity in the county.[38] However,use of the term 'Silly Suffolk' can actually be dated to no earlier than 1819,and its alleged medieval origins have been shown to be mythical.[39]
There are several towns in the county with Ipswich being the largest and most populous. At the time of the 2011 census,a population of 730,000 lived in the county with 133,384 living in Ipswich. The table below shows all towns with over 20,000 inhabitants.
Willis building in Ipswich,a landmark office building in the town
The majority of agriculture in Suffolk is either arable or mixed. Farm sizes vary from anything around 80 acres (32 hectares) to over 8,000. Soil types vary from heavy clays to light sands. Crops grown include winter wheat,winter barley,sugar beet,oilseed rape,winter and spring beans and linseed,although smaller areas of rye and oats can be found growing in areas with lighter soils along with a variety of vegetables.
The continuing importance of agriculture in the county is reflected in the Suffolk Show,which is held annually in May at Ipswich. Although latterly somewhat changed in nature,this remains primarily an agricultural show.[40]
Below is a chart of regional gross value added of Suffolk at current basic prices published by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.
Suffolk has a comprehensive education system with fourteen independent schools. Unusually for the UK,some of Suffolk had a 3-tier school system in place with primary schools (ages 5–9),middle schools (ages 9–13) and upper schools (ages 13–16). However,a 2006 Suffolk County Council study concluded that Suffolk should move to the 2-tier school system used in the majority of the UK.[42] For the purpose of conversion to 2-tier,the 3-tier system was divided into 4 geographical area groupings and corresponding phases. The first phase was the conversion of schools in Lowestoft and Haverhill in 2011,followed by schools in north and west Suffolk in 2012. The remainder of the changeovers to 2-tier took place from 2013,for those schools that stayed within Local government control,and did not become Academies and/or free schools. The majority of schools thus now (2019) operate the more common primary to high school (11–16).
Many of the county's upper schools have a sixth form and most further education colleges in the county offer A-level courses. In terms of school population,Suffolk's individual schools are large with the Ipswich district with the largest school population and Forest Heath the smallest,with just two schools. In 2013,a letter said that "...nearly a fifth of the schools inspected were judged inadequate. This is unacceptable and now means that Suffolk has a higher proportion of pupils educated in inadequate schools than both the regional and national averages."[43]
The Castle Partnership Academy Trust in Haverhill is the county's only All-through Academy Chain. Comprising Castle Manor Academy and Place Farm Primary Academy,the Academy Trust supports all-through education and provides opportunities for young people aged 3 to 18.
The county has one university,with branches spread across different towns. University of Suffolk was,prior to August 2016,known as University Campus Suffolk. Up until it became independent it was a collaboration between the University of Essex and the University of East Anglia which sponsored its formation and validated its degrees.[44][45] UOS accepted its first students in September 2007. Until then Suffolk was one of only four counties in England which did not have a university campus.[44] The University of Suffolk was granted Taught Degree Awarding Powers by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in November 2015,and in May 2016 it was awarded University status by the Privy Council and renamed The University of Suffolk on 1 August 2016.[46][47]
The university operates at five sites with its central hub in Ipswich. Others include Lowestoft,Bury St. Edmunds,and Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.[48] The university operates two academic faculties and in 2019/20 had 9,565 students. Some 30% of the student body are classed as mature students and 68% of university students are female.[49]
Culture
Arts
Snape Maltings Concert Hall;formerly a Victorian maltings,now converted into a world-famous concert venue
Founded in 1948 by Benjamin Britten,the annual Aldeburgh Festival is one of the UK's major classical music festivals. Originating in Aldeburgh,it has been held at the nearby Snape Maltings since 1967.[50] Since 2006,Henham Park,has been home to the annual Latitude Festival. This mainly open-air festival,which has grown considerably in size and scope,includes popular music,comedy,poetry and literary events. The FolkEast festival is held at Glemham Hall in August[51] and attracts international acoustic,folk and roots musicians whilst also championing local businesses,heritage and crafts. In 2015 it was also home to the first instrumental festival of musical instruments and makers.[52] More recently,LeeStock Music Festival has been held in Sudbury.[53] A celebration of the county,"Suffolk Day",was instigated in 2017.[54]
A TV series about a British antiques dealer,Lovejoy,was filmed in various locations in Suffolk.[68] The reality TV series Space Cadets was filmed in Rendlesham Forest,although the producers fooled participants into believing that they were in Russia.[69] Several towns and villages in the county have been used for location filming of other television programmes and cinema films. These include the BBC Four TV series Detectorists,[70] an episode of Kavanagh QC, and the films Iris andDrowning by Numbers. During the period 2017–2018,a total of £3.8million was spent by film crews in Suffolk[71]
Knype Hill is the fictional name for Southwold in George Orwell's 1935 novel A Clergyman's Daughter,while the character of Dorothy Hare is modelled on Brenda Salkeld,the gym mistress at St Felix School in the early 1930s.[75]
Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle's 2019 romantic comedy Yesterday was filmed throughout Suffolk,using Halesworth,Dunwich,Shingle Street and Latitude Festival as locations.[76] The television series of Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders was filmed extensively in Suffolk during 2021.
The 2021 film The Dig,based on the excavation of Sutton Hoo in the 1930s and starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan was mostly shot on location.
Hip hop DJ Tim Westwood is originally from Suffolk and the influential DJ and radio presenter John Peel made the county his home.[85] Contemporary painter Maggi Hambling,was born and resides in Suffolk. Norah Lofts,author of best-selling historical novels,lived for decades in Bury St. Edmunds. Sir Peter Hall the founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company was born in Bury St. Edmunds,and Sir Trevor Nunn the theatre director was born in Ipswich. The actor Sir John Mills spent periods of his youth in the county. The designer David Hicks lived for a number of years in Suffolk. Model Claudia Schiffer and her husband,the film director Matthew Vaughn,have owned a house in Suffolk since 2002.
King of East Anglia and Christian martyrSt Edmund (after whom the town of Bury St Edmunds is named) was killed by invading Danes in the year 869. St Edmund was the patron saint of England until he was replaced by St George in the 13th century. 2006 saw the failure of a campaign to have St Edmund named as the patron saint of England,but in 2007 he was named patron saint of Suffolk,with St Edmund's Day falling on 20 November. His flag is flown in Suffolk on that day.
↑ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
Related Research Articles
East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in what is now Northern Germany.
Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the English North Sea coast in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is about 11 miles (18 km) south of Lowestoft, 29 miles (47 km) north-east of Ipswich and 97 miles (156 km) north-east of London, within the parliamentary constituency of Suffolk Coastal. The "All Usual Residents" 2011 Census figure gives a total of 1,098 persons for the town. The 2012 Housing Report by the Southwold and Reydon Society concluded that 49 per cent of the dwellings are used as second homes or let to holiday-makers.
Beccles is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. The town is shown on the milestone as 109 miles (175 km) from London via the A145 and A12 roads, 98 miles (158 km) north-east of London as the crow flies, 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Norwich and 33 miles (53 km) north-northeast of the county town of Ipswich. Nearby towns include Lowestoft to the east and Great Yarmouth to the north-east. The town lies on the River Waveney on the edge of The Broads National Park.
Bury St Edmunds, commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. The picturesque Bury St Edmunds Abbey is near the town centre. Bury is the seat of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich of the Church of England, with the episcopal see at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.
Mildenhall is a market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. The town is near the A11 and is located 37 mi (60 km) north-west of Ipswich, the county town. The large Royal Air Force station, RAF Mildenhall as well as RAF Lakenheath, are located north of the town. The latter is used by the United States Air Force, as the headquarters of its 100th Air Refueling Wing and 352nd Special Operations Group.
East Suffolk, along with West Suffolk, was created in 1888 as an administrative county of England. The administrative county was based on the eastern quarter sessions division of Suffolk. East Suffolk County Council's headquarters were at East Suffolk County Hall in Ipswich.
BBC Radio Suffolk is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Suffolk.
Reydon is a village and civil parish, 1.0 mile (1.6 km) north-west of Southwold and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south-east of Wangford, in the East Suffolk district and the ceremonial county of Suffolk, England. Its population of 2,567 in 2001 including Easton Bavents eased up to 2,582 at the 2011 Census, and was estimated at 2,772 in 2018. The name probably means Rye Hill, Rey meaning rye and -don being an old word for hill or rise). The village is close to the cliffs at Easton Bavents, a village now much eroded. Both were established before neighbouring Southwold. The parish church is St Margaret of Antioch. The parish of Easton Bavents was merged with Reydon in 1987, when part of Southwold was also transferred.
The East Suffolk line is an un-electrified 49-mile secondary railway line running between Ipswich and Lowestoft in Suffolk, England. The traffic along the route consists of passenger services operated by Greater Anglia, while nuclear flask trains for the Sizewell nuclear power stations are operated by Direct Rail Services.
Suffolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Suffolk in East Anglia, England. The force serves a population of 761,000 in a mostly rural area of 1,466 square miles, including 49 miles of coastline and the Southern part of the Broads National Park. Headquartered in Martlesham, Suffolk is responsible for Ipswich, Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds and Felixstowe. As of September 2022, the force has a strength of approximately 1,387 police constables, and as of March 2022, 111 special constables, 880 police staff/designated officers, 36 PCSO's and 133 police support volunteers. The Chief Constable is currently Rachel Kearton, and the Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore (Conservative).
The East Anglian Daily Times is a British local newspaper for Suffolk and Essex, based in Ipswich.
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the county of Suffolk in East Anglia, England. It was formed in 1948 as the Suffolk & Ipswich Fire Service, before changing after the 1974 Local Government Review to 'Suffolk Fire Service'. Following the 2004 Fire & Rescue Services Act, the service name was changed to Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service to better reflect its role. Suffolk has a population of 760,556 and covers 1,466 square miles (3,800 km2). The county town is Ipswich with other major towns including Lowestoft, Bury St-Edmunds, Felixstowe and Newmarket.
The East Anglian League was a football league in the East Anglia region of England.
Eastern Counties 1 is an English level 9 Rugby Union League. From the 2017-18 promoted teams move up to the newly created London 3 Eastern Counties with the league champions going up automatically, while relegated teams drop down to Eastern Counties 2. Teams in this league tend to be based in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk or Suffolk. In the past teams from Essex used to take part until the 2003–04 season when they formed a new league - with Essex 1 being the top division. Each year some of the 1st XV clubs in this division also take part in the RFU Junior Vase - a level 9-12 national competition.
Suffolk Archives manage the historical archives for the county of Suffolk. These archives include a wide range of historical council and parish records, plus various commercial records, local historic book collections, local historic newspapers and various personal items. They are accessible to view at three locations: The Hold Ipswich; Lowestoft Library, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds. The Hold opened in September 2020 and also hosts various exhibitions, town walks and lectures. This service is run by Suffolk County Council.
Anglian Radio was a media company based in Ipswich, Suffolk. The group was created after Tindle Radio sold many of its radio stations in the East of England.
East Suffolk is a local government district in Suffolk, England, which was established on 1 April 2019, following the merger of the existing Suffolk Coastal and Waveney districts. At the 2011 census, the two districts had a combined population of 239,552.
↑ Hall, David (1994). Fenland survey: an essay in landscape and persistence / David Hall and John Coles. London; English Heritage. ISBN1-85074-477-7., p. 81-88
↑ "Sutton Hoo History". nationaltrust.org. The National Trust. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
Henry Munro Cautley, Suffolk Churches and their Treasures, B.T. Batsford, 1937; reprinted Boydell, 1954.
Thomas Kitson Cromwell, Excursions in the County of Suffolk, 2 vols., Longmans, 1818 & 1819.
Daniel Defoe, Tour through the Eastern Counties (1722), East Anglian Magazine ed., 1949.
Sarah E. Doig, The A-Z of Curious Suffolk: Strange Stories of Mysteries, Crimes and Eccentrics, The History Press, 2016.
Sarah E. Doig, The Little History of Suffolk, The History Press, 2018.
Robert Halliday, Suffolk Strange But True, The History Press, 2008.
M. R. James, Suffolk and Norfolk: A Perambulation of the Two Counties with Notices of their History and their Ancient Buildings, J.M. Dent & Sons, 1930.
Allan Jobson, A Suffolk Calendar, Robert Hale, 1966; illustrated by Beryl Irving.
Allan Jobson, A Window in Suffolk, Robert Hale, 1962; illus. Beryl Irving.
Allan Jobson, Something of Old Suffolk, Robert Hale, 1978.
Allan Jobson, Suffolk Miscellany, Robert Hale, 1975.
Allan Jobson, Suffolk Remembered, Robert Hale, 1969.
Allan Jobson, Suffolk Villages, Robert Hale, 1971.
Allan Jobson, Under a Suffolk Sky, Robert Hale, 1964; illus. Beryl Irving.
D. P. Mortlock, The Guide to Suffolk Churches, Lutterworth Press, 2nd rev. ed. 2009.
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.
