Ashbocking is a village and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the

Mid Suffolk Mid Suffolk is a local government district in Suffolk, England. The district is primarily a rural area, containing just three towns, being Stowmarket, Needham Market and Eye. Its council was based in Needham Market until 2017 when it moved to sha ...

district of

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, England. The village is about seven miles 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, ...

, and according to the 2001 census had a population of 318, increasing to 356 at the 2011 Census. The village's name means 'Ash-tree', with the 'de Bocking' family name (probably from Bocking, Essex) added later. In 1326, All Saints' Church, Ashbocking was impropriated to the

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

of Christ Church,

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

. After the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, the patronage of the church passed to the

Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...

. The church building dates back to the 14th century with later additions, and was remodelled in 1872. The lords of the manor were the Tollemache family of

Helmingham Hall Helmingham Hall is a moated manor house in Helmingham, Suffolk, England. It was begun by John Tollemache in 1480 and has been owned by the Baron Tollemache, Tollemache family ever since. The house is built around a courtyard in typical late med ...

. Ashbocking Hall on Church Lane is a Grade II* listed building, with the remains of a medieval moat. The original half-timbered house dates back to the early 16th century, with later additions. In 1901 the population was 289, and the parish covered 1 408 acres. Peter Harold Wright, a 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 ...

during the Second World War, is buried in All Saints' churchyard.

References

* County Churches, ed. J.C. Cox Suffolk. Published 1912 by Allen in Londo
OpenLibrary.org

External links

* * of 1086 Villages in Suffolk Mid Suffolk District Civil parishes in Suffolk Bosmere and Claydon Hundred {{Suffolk-geo-stub