Witnesham is a village situated roughly to the north of

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

, Suffolk. The main road from Ipswich that links the village to the town is the B1077, Westerfield Road.

History

It appears in the

Domesday Book Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

of 1086 as 'Wytenesham’ (Witta's/Witten's meadow or enclosure) and had 10 villagers. It was a part of Carlford, one of the old

Hundreds of Suffolk The county of Suffolk was divided into hundreds between Saxon times and the 19th century when, although never formally abolished, they were effectively replaced for administrative purposes by districts. In 1831 the county was subdivided into tw ...

. Witnesham Hall (OS grid TM1750) was built in the 16th century, and is further west past St Mary's church on Church Lane. A murder was committed in 1896 in Rose Cottage pecific location unknownwhere mentally unwell man George Smith murdered his elderly mother.

Present day

In 2009 the estimated population of Witnesham was 810, decreasing to 792 at the 2011 census. The village amenities include a 1766 inn, The Barley Mow, on Mow Hill (OS grid TM 185 503) south of Witnesham, and a small primary school. The village Post Office was at the bottom of the village, nearest to Ipswich, but it has closed. Postal services are continued at the Baptist Church on a two-day basis. The village has two churches, the Baptist Church being at the top of the village, north on Upper Road. The larger church, St Mary's Church of England (OS grid TM1850), is located west out of Witnesham along the Church Lane (no through lane), near the source of the River Fynn. There are several farms in the area, such as White House Farm along Wash Lane to the east and Redhouse Farm to the south-east.

Westerfield railway station Westerfield railway station is on a branch line off the Great Eastern Main Line, in the East of England, serving the village of Westerfield, Suffolk. It is from and from Liverpool Street station, London Liverpool Street. It is situated at the ...

, situated around is served by

Greater Anglia Greater Anglia (legal name Transport UK East Anglia Limited) is a British train operating company owned as a joint venture by Transport UK Group and Mitsui & Co. It operates the East Anglia franchise, providing the commuter and inter-city se ...

rail services to

London Liverpool Street Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a major central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, in the ward of Bishopsgate Without. It is ...

Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the List of extreme points of the United Kingdom, most easterly UK se ...

and

Felixstowe Felixstowe ( ) is a port town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest Containerization, containe ...

. Local businesses include Fynn Valley Golf Club, a mile south, which has both 9 and 18 hole parkland golf courses, a golf driving range, golf shops and restaurant, and a bar and conference/function rooms.

Governance

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...

of the same name exists. This stretches to Playford with a total population of 1,965 as taken at the 2011 Census.

Notable residents

William King William King may refer to: Arts * Willie King (1943–2009), American blues guitarist and singer * William King (author) (born 1959), British science fiction author and game designer, also known as Bill King * William King (artist) (1925–2015), ...

, pioneer of the co-operative movement * Samuel Turner, recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

Spencer John Bent Spencer John Bent, VC, MM (known as "Joe") (18 March 1891 – 3 May 1977) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwea ...

, recipient of the

, lived with his mother's brother and wife at Verandah Cottage between the ages of 7 and 14 following the death of his father who was killed during the Boer War *

Carl Giles Ronald "Carl" Giles OBE (29 September 1916 – 27 August 1995), often referred to simply as Giles, was a cartoonist who worked for the British newspaper the ''Daily Express''. His cartoon style was a single topical highly detailed panel, usuall ...

, who created the well-known "Giles" cartoons for the ''Daily Express''.

References

External links

witnesham.org
Villages in Suffolk Civil parishes in Suffolk {{Suffolk-geo-stub