Stanningfield is a village and former
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 ...
, since 1988 in the parish of
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield is a civil parish about 6 miles south of Bury St Edmunds, in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.
According to the 2001 census it had a population of 503, increasing to 578 at the Census 2011. The par ...
, in the
West Suffolk West Suffolk may refer to the following places in Suffolk, England:
* West Suffolk (county), a county until 1974
* West Suffolk District, a local government district established in 2019
* West Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency), an electoral dist ...
district of the county 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 ...
, England. The village lies just off of the
A134 road, about 5 miles (8 km) south-east of
Bury St Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market town, market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – ...
, 5 miles/8 km north-west of
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Babergh district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is noted for its Guildhall, Little Hall, 15th-century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walks. In the medie ...
, and 10 miles/16 km north of
Sudbury Sudbury may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sudbury Reef, Queensland
Canada
* Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes)
** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal e ...
.
Governance
![Stanningfield village sign - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Stanningfield_village_sign_-_geograph.org.uk_-_832197.jpg)
Stanningfield belongs to the
West Suffolk West Suffolk may refer to the following places in Suffolk, England:
* West Suffolk (county), a county until 1974
* West Suffolk District, a local government district established in 2019
* West Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency), an electoral dist ...
district of the shire county 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 ...
. The three tiers of local government are
Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 75 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.
History
Establ ...
,
St Edmundsbury Borough Council
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
and
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield is a civil parish about 6 miles south of Bury St Edmunds, in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.
According to the 2001 census it had a population of 503, increasing to 578 at the Census 2011. The par ...
Parish Council. The parish currently lacks a parish plan or design statement.
History
![The Red House, Stanningfield - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/The_Red_House%2C_Stanningfield_-_geograph.org.uk_-_193831.jpg)
Stanningfield takes its name from the Early English name "Stanfella" or "Stansfelda" meaning "stony field". It is known that the area was occupied early in recorded British history as traces of Roman occupation has been found on one local farm. Occasional documentary references mention the village in
Anglo-Saxon
The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
and
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
times, including
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 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
. The oldest building,
St Nicholas' Church, dates back at least to the Norman period.
The 1838 Tithe Map shows the same internal road patterns as today, with roads leading out to the neighbouring villages of
Hawstead
Hawstead is a small village and civil parish in the West Suffolk (district), West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. It is located south of Bury St. Edmunds between the B1066 road, B1066 and A134 roads, in a fork formed by the River ...
,
Lawshall,
Great Whelnetham
Great Whelnetham (sometimes Great Welnetham) is a village and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located around two miles south of Bury St Edmunds, in 2005 its population was 820.
The parish also contains th ...
,
Sicklesmere
Sicklesmere is a village in Suffolk, England. Located on the A134 around a mile south of Bury St Edmunds, the village is divided between the civil parishes of Little and Great Whelnetham .
History
All spellings of the name until the seventeenth ...
,
Bradfield Combust
Bradfield Combust (or Burnt Bradfield) is a village and former Manorialism, manor and civil parish, now in the parish of Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield in Suffolk, England, located on the A134 road, A134 between Windsor Green and Great W ...
and
Cockfield. The nearest railway station was located in the last until it closed to passengers in 1961. The
River Lark
The River Lark is a river in England that crosses the border between Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. It is a tributary of the River Great Ouse, and was extended when that river was re-routed as part of drainage improvements. It is thought to have be ...
is a dominant feature, as are several village greens. Hoggard's Green, the largest, has long played an important part in community life. The pond on that green has long gone, but in 1996 a successful reclamation of an ancient pond at Old Lane was undertaken.
Recent years
A small, scattered village, Stanningfield centres on the green, the ''Red House'' inn and the nearby community shop. The inn was built in 1865; Henry Cornish was recorded as landlord in 1871. In 1877, it was bought by the brewers Greene King, along with its outbuildings and adjacent cottages.
There is a picturesque area around St Nicholas's Church, which includes the village hall (formerly the church hall), the old rectory and several old farmhouses. On the
Lawshall side of the village stands Coldham Hall, dating from
Tudor times
The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began with t ...
. One remarkable feature is the continuity of
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
from the Middle Ages to the present day, in a predominantly
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
area.
Ambrose Rookwood
Ambrose Rookwood (c. 1578 – 31 January 1606) was a member of the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to replace the Protestant King James I with a Catholic sovereign. Rookwood was born into a wealthy family of Catholic recusants, and edu ...
of
Coldham Hall was executed for his involvement in the
Gunpowder Plot.
The novelist, playwright and actress
Elizabeth Inchbald
Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821) was an English novelist, actress, dramatist, and translator. Her two novels, '' A Simple Story'' and '' Nature and Art'', have received particular critical attention.
Life
Bo ...
(''née'' Simpson) was born into a Catholic farming family in the village on 15 October 1773.
St Nicholas's Church
![The entrance to St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/The_entrance_to_St._Nicholas_church_in_Stanningfield_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1394239.jpg)
There has been a church in Stanningfield since before 1086, when the Domesday Book curtly recorded that Stanfella had a church with 16 acres (6.5 ha) of free land. Situated in a secluded spot about half a mile from the present centre of the village, Stanningfield Church is dedicated to
St Nicholas of Myra
Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-day Demre ...
in
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
, from whom the
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
customs derive.
Each period has added a contribution to the fabric of the church. The most remarkable exterior feature is a
Decorated chancel, a bequest from the Rookwood family in the 14th century, noted for the design and craftsmanship of the window tracery.
Much restoration was undertaken in the last third of the 19th century and early years of the 20th. Above the chancel arch is a 15th-century "Doom", painted on plaster in black line with some red background. This was expertly restored in 1995.
The bell-chamber stage of the 15th-century tower was reduced in height in the late 19th century and a slated pyramid roof added. Tradition has it that the repair resulted from a Colchester earthquake felt over a 150-mile radius, but subsidence of the medieval foundations is more likely.
The tower had three bells, of which one has been hung again to a wooden frame just below the cap. The other two, with inscriptions from the 16th and 17th centuries, stood on the nave floor until as recently as 1967, when they were melted down for scrap.
The church is currently one of seven parishes forming the Benefice of St Edmund Way.
Listed buildings
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
lists the following
listed buildings within Stanningfield. The details given represent the names and addresses in use at the time of listing.
Grade I:
*St Nicholas's Church, Church Road
*Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane
Grade II*:
*Former Roman Catholic Chapel, 5 miles/8/km east of Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane
Grade II:
*Fox House, Bury Road – Images of England
*Newhall Cottage, Bury Road – Images of England
*Old Cottage, Chapel Road – Images of England
*Homestead and Sunrise, Chapel Road – Images of England
*Bakers Farmhouse, Church Road – Images of England
*Church Farmhouse, Church Road – Images of England
*Stable And Coach House Block, 80 metres East of Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane – Images of England
*Outbuilding With Bell Turret, 20 metres North East of Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane
*Coldham Hall Cottage, Coldham Hall Lane
*Dovecote 150 Metres South of Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane
*Hall Farmhouse, Donkey Lane
*Makins Farmhouse, Donkey Lane – Images of England
*Barfords, Donkey Lane
*Thatched House, The Green – Images of England
*Orchard Cottage, The Green – Images of England
*Moorside, Old Lane, IP29 4SA – Images of England
*Little Saxes Farmhouse – Images of England
*K6 Telephone Kiosk, Ixer Lane
Transport
The village has an hourly daytime bus service on Monday to Saturday to Bury St Edmunds and
Sudbury Sudbury may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sudbury Reef, Queensland
Canada
* Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes)
** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal e ...
. Some buses connect with trains to Cambridge and Ipswich (at Bury) or London, Liverpool Street (at Sudbury).
Demography
At the
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194.
The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...
, the parish of
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield is a civil parish about 6 miles south of Bury St Edmunds, in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.
According to the 2001 census it had a population of 503, increasing to 578 at the Census 2011. The par ...
had a population of 503 in 231 households. This rose to 578 in 253 households at the 2011 Census. The parish population was put at 587 in 2019.
City Population. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
/ref>
Population change
Notable people
*Elizabeth Inchbald
Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 15 October 1753 – 1 August 1821) was an English novelist, actress, dramatist, and translator. Her two novels, '' A Simple Story'' and '' Nature and Art'', have received particular critical attention.
Life
Bo ...
(1753–1821) – actress, author, diarist and playwright
*Residents of Coldham Hall:
**Ambrose Rookwood
Ambrose Rookwood (c. 1578 – 31 January 1606) was a member of the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to replace the Protestant King James I with a Catholic sovereign. Rookwood was born into a wealthy family of Catholic recusants, and edu ...
(c. 1578–1606) – member of the failed 1605 Gunpowder Plot, a conspiracy to replace the Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
King James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
with a Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
monarch
** David Hart (1944–2011) – adviser to Margaret Thatcher, a writer and businessman who lived at Coldham Hall and Chadacre Hall
*Current residents include:
** Matthew Vaughn (born 1971) – film producer and director
** Claudia Schiffer (born 1970) – German model and actress
Location grid
References
External links
Suffolk Churches
Stanningfield page on Parish Council site
{{authority control
Villages in Suffolk
Former civil parishes in Suffolk
Borough of St Edmundsbury
Thedwastre Hundred