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 below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in the

Mid Suffolk Mid Suffolk is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council was based in Needham Market until late 2017, and is currently sharing offices with the Suffolk County Council in Ipswich. The largest town of Mid Suffolk is Stowmarket. ...

district of Suffolk, England. The village is about seven miles north of

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line ...

, 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 monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

of Christ Church,

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

. After the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, the patronage of the church passed to the

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. Th ...

. 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 Tollemache family ever since. The house is built around a courtyard in typical late medieval/Tudor style. ...

. 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.

Peter Harold Wright Company Sergeant Major Peter Harold Wright VC (10 August 1916 – 5 April 1990) was a British Army soldier and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Briti ...

, a recipient of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

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 {{Suffolk-geo-stub