Ballingdon is a suburb of the town of
Sudbury Sudbury may refer to:
Places Australia
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Canada
* Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes)
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in
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, England. Once a separate village in the county of
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, today it is part of Sudbury
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 below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
though it was formerly a separate parish. It is the only part of the town to the south of the
River Stour. In 1951 the parish had a population of 458.
The village developed on the important ancient highway from Braintree and Halstead in Essex to Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds. It grew adjacent to a bridge (today known as Ballingdon Bridge) over the River Stour. It dates back to at least the 13th century. It remains the only crossing of the river for several miles in each direction. Ballingdon and
Brundon
Brundon is a hamlet in the Babergh district, in the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the River Stour near the town of Sudbury (its post town). For transport there is the A131 road nearby. Brundon was recorded in the Domesday Book
...
(which formed the township of Ballingdon-cum-Brundon, then in
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
) were added to the borough of Sudbury (and the county of Suffolk) in 1888 as part of the Local Government Act. Around that time it had a population of 831.
In 1972 the owners of
Ballingdon Hall
Ballingdon is a suburb of the town of Sudbury in Suffolk, England. Once a separate village in the county of Essex, today it is part of Sudbury civil parish though it was formerly a separate parish. It is the only part of the town to the south of ...
, responding to a housing development on adjacent land, had it moved half a mile up Ballingdon Hill on the back of a large transporter; the event was watched by 10,000 people. There is a large photograph of this move in the March 2016 issue of the English Heritage Members' Magazine.
Ballingdon came to be home to many businesses, evidence of which can be seen in the architecture of the buildings, with large shop windows and other tell-tale signs. This was because before Ballingdon became part of
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
it was cheaper to open a business on the
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
side of the river, as no levy had to be paid to Sudbury town council. By 2011 only 8 businesses remained open outside the industrial units, just 3 of them retail outlets.
Ballingdon was home to two brickworks, long since vanished, but location maps of them can be found online. The Allen family operation, (on Middleton Road) was the most advanced, and barges made their way up an especially constructed cut from the River Stour, which passed the brickworks and even continued under Middleton Road. The clay was sourced locally and brick makers were expected to meet a target of 1,000 bricks per day. The hand making of bricks has long since been over-shadowed by machines, but can still be seen at Bulmer Brick and Tile, who offer tours to schools and adults.
Today Ballingdon Street is a
conservation area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
and contains numerous
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
s. King's Marsh Stadium, home of
A.F.C. Sudbury
Amalgamated Football Club Sudbury is a football club based in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. The club was formed in 1999 by the merger of Sudbury Town and Sudbury Wanderers, the process giving rise to the name Amalgamated Football Club Sudbury. ...
, is located in the area.
In September 2018, Ballingdon held its first fete in living memory, raising money for the Eden Rose Coppice.
Ballingdon, Actually
References
External links
Several photos of Ballingdon past
Sudbury Museum Trust
*
{{Babergh
Villages in Suffolk
Former civil parishes in Suffolk
Sudbury, Suffolk