Culford is a village and civil parish about north 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 – ...

and north east of London 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

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. According to the 2011 Census the parish had a population of 578, a decrease from 620 recorded at the 2001 census. A tributary of 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 ...

, known as Culford Stream, flows through the centre of the village being fed from Ampton Water in Great Livermere. It continues Westward into West Stow before joining the

at Clough Staunch on the edge of

Lackford Lakes Lackford Lakes is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) north and east of Lackford in Suffolk. The SSSI is part of the Lackford Lakes nature reserve, which is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. The lakes are disused san ...

. The main village developed along a straight road called "The Street" and there are also some smaller residential areas in Culford, like Benyon gardens, a complex of cul-de-sacs. Most of the houses in central Culford date from the second half of the 1800s and were built as part of the Culford Estate while those at the edges of the village are post-war and later. The centre of the village, along with the Park, and most of West Stow is a conservation area which was established on 4 December 1997. The village also encompasses the hamlets of Culford Heath and Chimney Mills. UK Culford

Culford is home to Culford School, a public school and a member of the Methodist Schools Foundation. The school occupies a former stately home in

Culford Park Culford Park in Culford, Suffolk, England, is a country house that is the former seat of the Bacon, Cornwallis and Cadogan families, and now it is the home of Culford School. History of the Park From at least 1429 the Coote family had lived ...

, rebuilt in 1796 for the Cornwallis family.

History

The village's name is derived from the words ''Cula's Ford'', Cula presumed to be name of local leader. The village is mentioned as ''Culeforde ''in the S1225 charter of 1040 AD where Thurketel grants the lands to

Bury St Edmunds Abbey The Abbey of Bury St Edmunds was once among the richest Benedictine monasteries in England, until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. It is in the town that grew up around it, Bury St Edmunds in the county of Suffolk, England. It was ...

. The Domesday Book records the population of Culford in 1086 to be 32 households made up of 2 villagers, 19 freemen, 9 smallholders, and 2 slaves along with 1 cattle, 2 pigs, 85 sheep, and 14 acres of meadow. In April and May 1291 King

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

stayed at the manor in Culford during his visit to

where he agreed that royal justices would not in future sit within the Liberty of St Edmund. In 1804 The Iron Bridge was constructed over the tributary of the

, that flows through

. It was the world's first iron bridge to be constructed with hollow segments, built to the design of Samuel Wyatt, and is the only Grade I listed structure in the parish. Culford's Public House, ''The White Hart'', (now known as Benyon Lodge) was closed in December 1840 by Richard Benyon, owner of the Culford Estate between 1824 and 1883, because he regarded it as "a scene of moral debauchery". The first mention of a postal service in Culford is in July 1852, when a type of postmark known as an undated circle was issued. The post office closed in January 1990 and has since been turned into Culford Day nursery.

Population change

Governance

Culford lies in the

West Suffolk District West Suffolk District is a local government district in Suffolk, England, which was established on 1 April 2019, following the merger of the existing Forest Heath district with the borough of St Edmundsbury. The two councils had already had a ...

of the shire county of

. The four tiers of government & their respective representatives are: * West Suffolk Parliamentary Constituency Matthew Hancock *

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 ...

Thingoe North Division, Beccy Hopfensperger *

West Suffolk District Council West Suffolk District is a local government district in Suffolk, England, which was established on 1 April 2019, following the merger of the existing Forest Heath district with the borough of St Edmundsbury. The two councils had already had a j ...

Risby Ward, Susan Glossop * Culford, West Stow and Wordwell Parish Council Culford, West Stow and Wordwell Parish Councill has 7 elected members, 4 for Culford, 2 for West Stow and 1 for Wordwell. In terms of community planning the parish does not currently have a Parish Plan or Village Design Statement.

Notable residents

* Earl Cornwallis (1660-1824), Aristocratic family and politicians * Sir Nathaniel Bacon KB (1585–1627), Painter * Richard Benyon De Beauvoir (1769–1854), Politician, philanthropist, who was (MP) for Pontefract from 1802 to 1806, and for Wallingford from 1806 to 1812. A

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

, Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Berkshire, and High Sheriff of Berkshire. * George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan (1840-1915), Major in the

Royal Fusiliers The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

Lord Privy Seal The Lord Privy Seal (or, more formally, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal) is the fifth of the Great Officers of State (United Kingdom), Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and abov ...

from 1886 to 1892,

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (), or more formally Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, was the title of the chief governor of Ireland from the Williamite Wars of 1690 until the Partition of Ireland in 1922. This spanned the Kingdo ...

from 1895 to 1902, first Mayor of the Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea in 1900, and a

. *

Gerald Cadogan, 6th Earl Cadogan Gerald Oakley Cadogan, 6th Earl Cadogan, CBE, DL (28 May 1869 – 4 October 1933) was a British Peer and professional soldier. He was the son of George Henry Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan and inherited his titles on 6 March 1915 on the death of ...

(1869-1933),

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

Suffolk Regiment The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, before bein ...

and later with the

South African Constabulary The South African Constabulary (SAC) was a paramilitary force set up in 1900 under British Army control to police areas captured from the two independent Boer republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State during the Second Boer War. Its first ...

, member of the International Olympic Committee. *

Henry Cadogan, Viscount Chelsea Henry Arthur Cadogan, Viscount Chelsea, (born Henry Arthur Cadogan; 13 June 1868 – 2 July 1908) was a British Army officer, civil servant and politician. This Viscount Chelsea (the title is a courtesy title) was a Conservative Member of the H ...

(1868-1908), Conservative MP for

in the 3rd Battalion of the

References

Location

External links

* *
Culford Village Website

Parish Council Website
{{authority control Villages in Suffolk Civil parishes in Suffolk Borough of St Edmundsbury