Framlingham is a market town and civil parish 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. Of

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- ...

origin, it appears in the 1086 Domesday Book. The parish had a population of 3,342 at the 2011 Census and an estimated 4,016 in 2019. Nearby villages include Earl Soham, Kettleburgh, Parham,

Saxtead Saxtead is a small village in the East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk. Saxtead gives its name to the settlements of Saxtead Green and Saxtead Little Green and the windmill Saxtead Green Windmill. The population of the civil parish a ...

and

Sweffling Sweffling is a village and a civil parish in the East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. Nearby settlements include the town of Saxmundham and the village of Rendham Rendham is a village and civil parish on the B1119 road, i ...

Governance

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

of the same name exists. The parish stretches north-east to

Brundish Brundish is a village and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. The village is south-east of Stradbroke and north of Dennington in the Mid Suffolk district. The B1118 road runs through the village, which had a population at the 2001 c ...

with a total ward population taken at the 2011 Census of 4,744.

Features

Framlingham's history can be traced to an entry in the Domesday Book (1086) when it then consisted of several manors. The medieval Framlingham Castle is a major feature and tourist attraction for the area, managed by English Heritage. Mary Tudor (daughter of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

and his first wife

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...

) was proclaimed the first Queen of England there in 1553. It is referred to in Ed Sheeran's 2017 single " Castle on the Hill", Sheeran having grown up in Framlingham. There is a large lake or

mere Mere may refer to: Places * Mere, Belgium, a village in East Flanders * Mere, Cheshire, England * Mere, Wiltshire, England People * Mere Broughton (1938–2016), New Zealand Māori language activist and unionist * Mere Smith, American televisi ...

next to it which used to supply the castle with fish. It is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. A nature walk in woodland can be made around the mere.There is also a large meadow adjacent to the Castle which holds various outdoor events and productions in the summer and where people can picnic. The town is home to the comprehensive secondary Thomas Mills High School, the independent school Framlingham College, the Church of St Michael the Archangel, which dates from the 12th century (the main rebuilding dates from the late 15th and 16th centuries), and

Framlingham Town F.C. Framlingham Town Football Club is a football club based in Framlingham, Suffolk, England. Affiliated to the Suffolk County Football Association, they are currently members of the and play at Badingham Road. History The club was established ...

The town has the two oldest functioning Post Office pillar boxes in the UK, dating from 1856, located in Double Street and in College Road. The pillar boxes are marked V. R. Victoria Regina, after Queen Victoria. Framlingham also has one of the smallest houses in Britain, known as the "Check House". Converted into a two-storey residence of under 29 square metres, the former bookmakers officeS. Howes, 201
Tiny UK house with a giant price-tag

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper i ...

16 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011 is in the Mauldens Mill Estate in the town centre. The ground floor measures by . There is a traditional English market in the town square, Market Hill, every Tuesday and Saturday mornings offering fruit and vegetables, artisan bread and cakes, fresh fish, coffee, cheese and pies, and other occasional stalls. Framlingham has a small museum currently located within the castle Framlingham is surrounded by agricultural land. It lies some 14 miles from the coastal town of Aldeburgh and 20 miles from Southwold. It is also 10 miles from the renowned music centre of Snape Maltings. It is approximately 5 miles from the A12, one of the main arteries into and out of Suffolk and approximately 15 miles north east of Ipswich. In 2006 '' Country Life'' magazine voted Framlingham the best place to live in the country. Framlingham has 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 ...

. An oak tree planted in 1911 in honour of the

Coronation of King George V The coronation of George V and his wife Mary as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Emperor and Empress of India, took place at Westminster Abbey, London, on Thursday 22 June 1911. This was the second of fou ...

survives outside the old railway station, now a pub named ''The Station'' in Station Road. Framlingham was the main location for the BBC television comedy series '' Detectorists'', starring Mackenzie Crook, Toby Jones and Rachael Stirling. It has also appeared in numerous other TV programmes. A famous family orientated sausage festival is held in October. This event has butchers from Framlingham and the surrounding villages competing for the trophy of best sausage in the area. The town is closed to traffic on the day and people follow a map around the town sampling the different flavoured sausages and voting for their favourite. There is also market stalls and entertainment held on market hill on the day. Other festivals and events are held in the town and around the castle throughout the year.

Education

Framlingham College is an independent, co-educational secondary school for boarders and day students, opened as Albert Memorial College in 1865 in memory of

Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the consort of Queen Victoria from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his death in 1861. Albert was born in the Saxon duch ...

. Its associated preparatory school is at

Brandeston Brandeston is a village in Suffolk, England on the River Deben northeast of Ipswich. Brandeston is west of Kettleburgh and northwest of Hoo Green. It is a Parish in Plomesgate district and 3½ miles SW of Framlingham r. station." History Br ...

Hall. Thomas Mills High School, dating from 1751, is considerably older than Framlingham College. It is a mixed secondary state school for pupils aged 11–18, which gained academy status in 2011. The singer Ed Sheeran attended this school. Framlingham's primary school is Sir Robert Hitcham's Church of England Voluntary Primary School, dating back to at least 1654. It now has circa 350 pupils and another 26 in its nursery.

Transport

The Framlingham Branch connected Framlingham by rail with the main Ipswich to

Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the most easterly UK settlement, it is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and sou ...

East Suffolk line at

Wickham Market Wickham Market is a large village and electoral ward situated in the River Deben valley of Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coastal heritage area. It is on the A12 trunk road north-east of the county town of Ipswich, north-east of Wood ...

. The railway station building stands adjacent to the ''Station Hotel''. The branch closed to passenger traffic in the 1950s and to goods in the 1960s. The nearest stations today are

() at

Campsea Ashe Campsea Ashe (sometimes spelt Campsey Ash) is a village in Suffolk, England located approximately north east of Woodbridge, Suffolk, Woodbridge and south west of Saxmundham. The village is served by Wickham Market railway station on the Ipswic ...

and Saxmundham (), both on the East Suffolk Line. The town is at the junction of the B1116, B1119 and

B1120 road B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering scheme used to classify and identify all roads in G ...

s, four miles (6.4 km) west of the A12. The local bus services are detailed on the Suffolk On Board site.

Sport and leisure

Framlingham has a

Non-League football Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...

club,

, which plays at Badingham Road, where there is a sports club offering tennis, archery, badminton, hockey and croquet. It is also where the cycling club meets. The town has a rambling club and an active Scout and Cubs group. The modern St John Ambulance Centre is in Fairfield Road. Framlingham College, an Independent School has a swimming pool and gymnasium open to the public in pre-booked slots. Membership fees are required. There are four pubs in the town, namely: ''The Castle Inn'', ''The Railway'', ''The Station'' and ''The Crown'' (which is also a restaurant and hotel). There is a library, a post office, a pharmacy, a small supermarket and a selection of specialised shops and coffee shops. The town attracts a number of tourists, particularly in the summer months, drawn to the town itself, the castle, St Michael's Church and walks that are available around the town of the stunning countryside .

Notable people

In order of birth: * Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1443–1524), who held office under four kings, died at Framlingham Castle. *Sir

Robert Hitcham Sir Robert Hitcham (1572? – 1636) was a Member of Parliament and Attorney General under King James I. Early life Robert was born of lowly origin in Levington, near Ipswich, and educated at the Free School at Ipswich and later Pembroke College ...

(c. 1572–1636), was a member of Parliament,

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

and philanthropist, who bought Framlingham Castle in 1635. * Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, KG (1584–1640), politician, owned Framlingham Castle until 1635. * Thomas Danforth, a Massachusetts Bay Colony magistrate and landowner born in 1623 in Framlingham, son of Nicholas * Samuel Danforth, poet, Puritan and evangelist to American Indians, born in 1626 in Framlingham, son of Nicholas * Nicholas Revett, architect and theorist, born in Framlingham in 1720 * Alethea Lewis (1749–1787), the novelist, brought up by her maternal grandfather in Framlingham *

Edmund Goodwyn Edmund Goodwyn, M.D. (1756–1829) was an English physician whos medical school graduation thesiscontains several important contributions, including the discovery of the diving reflex. He advanced early important arguments in favor of artificial ...

(1756–1832), physician born in Framlingham, who discovered the diving reflex * Robert Hindes Groome (1810–1889), composer, author and cleric, born in Framlingham * Henry Thompson (1820–1894), polymath and surgeon who operated on the Belgian royal family, born in Framlingham *

John Cordy Jeaffreson John Cordy Jeaffreson (14 January 1831 – 2 February 1901) was an English novelist and author of popular non-fiction. He also spent periods teaching and as an inspector of historical documents. Life Jeaffreson was born at Framlingham, Suffolk, o ...

(1831–1901), writer and lawyer, born in Framlingham *

Samuel Cornell Plant Samuel Cornell Plant (8 August 1866 – 26 February 1921) was a British sailor who is best known as the first to command a merchant steamer plying on the Upper Yangtze River in 1900. The Upper Yangtze is the section of river stretching through g ...

(1866–1921), master mariner and Senior Inspector, Upper Yangtze RiverWhat's the link between these girls and a hardly-known Suffolk 'hero' honoured by China?
'' East Anglian Daily Times'', 14 December 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2020. *

Francis Stocks Francis Wilfrid Stocks (10 December 1873 – 21 May 1929) was an English cricketer active from 1894 to 1903 who played for Leicestershire. He was born in Market Harborough and died in Framlingham. He appeared in 63 first-class matches as a left ...

(1873–1929), county cricketer, died in Framlingham *

Frederick Bird Rev. Frederick Nash Bird (13 December 1875 – 3 March 1965) was an English cricketer. Bird was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born in Framlingham, Suffolk. Bird first played county cricket for Buckinghamshir ...

(1875–1965), county cricketer and cleric, born in Framlingham * Michael Lord (born 1938),

deputy speaker The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

and MP for the town, took the title Baron Framlingham rather than "Lord Lord" on becoming a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

. * Charles Freeman (born 1947), former Head of History at

St Clare's, Oxford St Clare's is a coeducational independent, international day and boarding college in North Oxford, England offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma, a Preparatory IB programme, English language courses, University Pathways, Gap Year st ...

, and teacher of Ancient History for Cambridge University's Extramural programme, was a prolific author on ancient,

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and early medieval history. * Alice Russell (born 1976), soul singer, grew up in Framlingham. *

Christina Johnston Christina Johnston is an English coloratura soprano. Born in Framlingham, Suffolk, and educated at Framlingham College, she has sung leading roles, notably, at the Prague State Opera, including the Queen of the Night in Mozart's ''The Magic ...

(born 1989), classical coloratura soprano, grew up in Framlingham and attended Framlingham College. *

Laura Wright Laura Wright (née Sisk) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Ally Rescott on ''Loving (TV series), Loving'' (1991–1995) and ''The City (1995 TV series), The City'' (1995–1997), Cassie Layne Winslow on ''Guidin ...

(born 1990), classical/popular crossover soprano, grew up in Framlingham. * Ed Sheeran (born 1991), singer–songwriter, grew up in Framlingham and attended Thomas Mills High School. The town is the subject of his hit single " Castle on the Hill".

References

External links

The Framlingham websiteFramlingham.com
*'' The History of Framlingham, in the County of Suffolk: Including Brief Notices of the Masters and Fellows of Pembroke-Hall in Cambridge, from the Foundation of the College, to the Present Time'', Robert Hawes & Robert Loder, published 1798 *
The History, Topography, and Antiquities of Framlingham and Saxsted, in the County of Suffolk
', R. Green, published 1834 {{authority control Civil parishes in Suffolk Market towns in Suffolk Towns in Suffolk