Framlingham is a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rura ...

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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, England. Of

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

origin, it appears in the 1086

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 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

and was part of

Loes Hundred Loes was a hundred (subdivision), hundred of Suffolk, with an area of . Loes Hundred was long and thin in shape, around long and between 2 and wide. It followed the course of the River Deben from Cretingham to Ufford where it crossed Wilford (h ...

. 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 and Sweffling.

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 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 Mid Suffolk is a local government district in Suffolk, England. The district is pr ...

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

(1086) when it consisted of several manors. The medieval

Framlingham Castle Framlingham Castle is a castle in the market town of Framlingham, Suffolk, England. An early motte and bailey or ringwork Norman castle was built on the Framlingham site by 1148, but this was destroyed (Slighting, slighted) by Henry II of Engl ...

is a major feature and tourist attraction for the area and is managed by

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, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

. This Norman castle was first referenced in 1148, although some academics believe it could be as old as the 11th century. 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 known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

and his first wife

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...

) was proclaimed the first Queen of England here in 1553. The castle is referenced in the 2017 single "

Castle on the Hill "Castle on the Hill" is a song by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released on 6 January 2017 as one of the double lead singles from his third studio album '' ÷'' (2017), along with "Shape of You". "Castle on the Hill" was writte ...

" by

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...

, who grew up in Framlingham. Adjacent to the castle is a large lake, or mere, which used to supply the castle with fish. It is managed by the

Suffolk Wildlife Trust Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) describes itself as the county's "nature charity – the only organisation dedicated wholly to safeguarding Suffolk's wildlife and countryside." It is a registered charity, and its headquarters is at Brooke House i ...

. A nature walk in woodland can be made around the mere. There is also a large meadow adjacent to the castle that holds various outdoor events and productions in the summer and where people can picnic. The Church of St Michael the Archangel is a prominent feature of the town. It dates from the 12th century (the main rebuilding dates from the late 15th and 16th centuries) and has a ring of eight bells dating from the 15th to 20th centuries. It also contains a very rare Thamar organ and a number of tombs of nobles. The church and other parts of the town feature as locations in the

Anthony Horowitz Anthony John Horowitz (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include the '' Alex Rider'' series featuring a 14-year-old British boy who spi ...

novel ''

Magpie Murders ''Magpie Murders'' is a 2016 mystery novel by British author Anthony Horowitz and the first novel in the Susan Ryeland series. The story focuses on the murder of a mystery author and uses a story within a story format. The book has been transla ...

''. Framlingham has a football team, located in Badingham Road. The town has the two oldest-functioning Post Office

pillar box A pillar box is a type of free-standing post box. They are found in the United Kingdom and its associated the Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories, and, less commonly, in many members of the Commonwealth of Nations such as Cypru ...

es in the UK, dating from 1856, located on Double Street and on College Road. The pillar boxes are marked V. R. Victoria Regina, after Queen Victoria. Framlingham is also home to one of the smallest houses in Britain, the "Check House". Converted into a two-storey residence of under , the former bookmaker's officeS. Howes, 201
Tiny UK house with a giant price-tag

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

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 The hearth bread (also known as rustic bread, artisan bread, sometimes "French bread") is a "freestanding" (made without a bread pan) loaf baked at high temperature (up to 500 °F, frequently using steam) that is both crusty and chewy. The hig ...

and cakes, fresh fish, coffee, cheese and pies and other occasional stalls. A small museum is located within the castle. Framlingham is surrounded by agricultural land. It lies some from the coastal town of

Aldeburgh Aldeburgh ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the English county, county of Suffolk, England, north of the River Alde. Its estimated population was 2,276 in 2019. It was home to the comp ...

and from

Southwold Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the North Sea, in the East Suffolk District, East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth, Suffolk, River Blyth in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths ...

. It is also from the renowned music centre of

Snape Maltings Britten Pears Arts is a large music education organisation based in Suffolk, England. It aims to continue the legacy of composer Benjamin Britten and his partner, singer Peter Pears, and to promote the enjoyment and experience of music for all ...

and from Woodbridge and the world-famous

burial site at

Sutton Hoo Sutton Hoo is the site of two Anglo-Saxon cemeteries dating from the 6th to 7th centuries near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. Archaeology, Archaeologists have been excavating the area since 1938, when an undisturbed ship burial containing a wea ...

. It is approximately from the A12, one of the main arteries into and out of Suffolk and approximately northeast of

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

. In 2006, '' Country Life'' magazine voted Framlingham the best place to live in the country. Framlingham is a Fairtrade Town and has a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...

. An oak tree planted in 1911 in honour of the Coronation of King George V survives outside the old railway station, now a pub named ''The Station'' on Station Road. The town was the main location for the BBC television comedy series ''

Detectorists ''Detectorists'' is a British comedy television series first broadcast on BBC Four in October 2014. It is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, who also stars alongside Toby Jones. The series is set in the fictional small town of Danebury i ...

''. 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 are 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 husband of Queen Victoria. As such, he was consort of the British monarch from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his ...

. Its associated preparatory school is at Brandeston 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 An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

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

Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk (district), East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the List of extreme points of the United Kingdom, most easterly UK se ...

East Suffolk line at Wickham Market. The

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

building stands adjacent to the ''Station Hotel''. The branch closed to passenger traffic in November 1952 and to goods in April 1965. The nearest stations today are Wickham Market () at Campsea Ashe and

Saxmundham Saxmundham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is set in the valley of the River Fromus about north-east of Ipswich and west of the coast at Sizewell. The town is bypassed ...

(), both on the East Suffolk Line. The town is at the junction of the B1116, B1119 and B1120 roads, 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 association football, 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 ...

club, Framlingham Town F.C., which plays at Badingham Road, where there is also a sports club offering tennis, archery, badminton, hockey and croquet, and 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: ''The Castle Inn'' (which was portrayed as the "Two Brewers" in the ''Detectorists'' TV series), ''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, the locations for the ''Detectorists'' TV series, and walks that are available in and around the town and in the local countryside.

Notable people

In order of birth: *

John Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk John Mowbray, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, , Earl Marshal (12 September 14156 November 1461) was a fifteenth-century English magnate who, despite having a relatively short political career, played a significant role in the early years of the Wars of t ...

kept the castle as his East Anglian headquarters. *

Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (144321 May 1524), styled Earl of Surrey from 1483 to 1485 and again from 1489 to 1514, was an English people, English nobleman, soldier and statesman who served four monarchs. He was the eldest son of John ...

(1443–1524), who held office under four kings, died at

. *

Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, (13 August 15843 June 1640) was an England, English nobleman and politician. Career Born at the family estate of Saffron Walden, he was the son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, by his second wife, ...

(1584–1640), politician, owned Framlingham Castle until 1635. *

Thomas Danforth Thomas Danforth (baptized November 20, 1623 – November 5, 1699) was a politician, magistrate, and landowner in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. A conservative Puritan, he served for many years as one of the colony's councilors and magistrates, ...

, a Massachusetts Bay Colony magistrate and landowner born in 1623 in Framlingham, son of Nicholas *

Samuel Danforth Samuel Danforth (1626–1674) was a Puritan minister, preacher, poet, and astronomer, the second pastor of The First Church in Roxbury and an associate of the Rev. John Eliot (missionary), John Eliot of Roxbury, Massachusetts, known as the “Apos ...

, poet, Puritan and evangelist to American Indians, born in 1626 in Framlingham, son of Nicholas *

Nicholas Revett Nicholas Revett (1720–1804) was a British architect. Revett is best known for his work with James "Athenian" Stuart documenting the ruins of ancient Athens. He is sometimes described as an amateur architect, but he played an important role in ...

, architect and theorist, born in Framlingham in 1720 * Alethea Lewis (1749–1787), the novelist, brought up by her maternal grandfather in Framlingham * Edmund Goodwyn (1756–1832), physician born in Framlingham, who discovered the

diving reflex The diving reflex, also known as the diving response and mammalian diving reflex, is a set of physiological responses to immersion that overrides the basic homeostatic reflexes, and is found in all air-breathing vertebrates studied to date. ...

* 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 writer 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 (1866–1921), master mariner and Senior Inspector, Upper

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ) is the longest river in Eurasia and the third-longest in the world. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau and flows including Dam Qu River the longest source of the Yangtze, i ...

What's the link between these girls and a hardly-known Suffolk 'hero' honoured by China?
, ''

East Anglian Daily Times The ''East Anglian Daily Times'' is a British local newspaper for Suffolk and Essex, based in Ipswich. History The newspaper began publication on 13 October 1874, incorporating the ''Ipswich Express'', which had been published since 13 August ...

'', 14 December 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2020. * Francis Stocks (1873–1929), county cricketer, died in Framlingham * Frederick Bird (1875–1965), county cricketer and cleric, born in Framlingham *

Michael Lord Michael Nicholson Lord, Baron Framlingham (born 17 October 1938) is a British politician, and was a Conservative Member of Parliament for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich between 1997 and 2010. He was first elected for the predecessor seat of ...

(born 1938),

deputy speaker Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain ...

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. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

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

St Clare's, Oxford St Clare's is a coeducational private, international day and boarding college in North Oxford, England. St Clare's is an IB World School, offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma and a Preparatory IB programme, as well as English Langua ...

, and teacher of ancient history for

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

's extramural programme, is a prolific author on ancient,

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

and early medieval history. * Alice Russell (born 1976), soul singer, grew up in Framlingham. * Christina Johnston (born 1989), classical coloratura soprano, grew up in Framlingham and attended

Framlingham College Framlingham College is a public school ( boarding and day school) in the town of Framlingham, near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. Together with its preparatory school and nursery at Brandeston Hall, it serves pupils from 3 to 18 years of age ...

. *

Laura Wright Laura Alice Wright (née Sisk; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the roles of Allison "Ally" Rescott on ''Loving (TV series), Loving'' (1991 to 1995) and ''The City (1995 TV series), The City'' (1995 ...

(born 1990), classical/popular crossover soprano, grew up in Framlingham. *

(born 1991), singer–songwriter, grew up in Framlingham and attended Thomas Mills High School. The town is the subject of his hit single "

References

External links

Framlingham Town CouncilFramlingham HistoryThe Framlingham website
*'' 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