Beccles
Encyclopedia
Beccles is a market town
and civil parish in the Waveney District
of the English
county
of Suffolk
. The town is shown on the milestone
as 109 miles (175 km) from London
via the A145 Blythburgh
and A12 road, 98 miles (158 km) northeast of London as the crow flies
, 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Norwich
, and 33 miles (53 km) north northeast of the county town of Ipswich
. Nearby towns include Lowestoft
to the east and Great Yarmouth
to the northeast. The town lies on the River Waveney
on the edge of The Broads National Park
.
It had a population at the 2001 census of 9,746. Worlingham
is a suburb of Beccles. The combined population of Beccles and Worlingham in 2005 was estimated at 13,580. Beccles is twinned
with Petit-Couronne in France.
valley and is a popular boating centre.
The town was granted its Charter
in 1584 by Elizabeth I
.
Sir John Leman
(died 1632) was a tradesman from Beccles who became Lord Mayor of London
.
Long associated with Beccles (including recent mayors) is the Peck family. Among those Pecks who have made a place in history is the Rev. Robert Peck, described by Blomfield in his history of Norfolk as a man with a 'violent schismatic spirit' who led a movement within the church of St Andrews in nearby Hingham, Norfolk
, in opposition to the established Anglicanism of the day. The Puritan Peck was eventually forced to flee to Hingham, Massachusetts
, founded by many members of his parish, where he resided for several years, until King Charles I
had been executed and Oliver Cromwell
had taken the reins of government. Robert Peck then elected to return to Hingham, Norfolk, and resumed as rector of St Andrews Church. He died in Hingham but left descendants in America, including his brother Joseph Peck, who settled in Rehoboth, Massachusetts
.
In 1794, François-René de Chateaubriand, while in exile, taught here French language and literature. He fell in love with Charlotte Ives, daughter of Bungay's reverend (CF : First part of Les Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe, book 10, chapter 9 "Charlotte")
Under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
the borough was reformed, Beccles retaining municipal borough
status until the reorganisation of local government in 1974, when it was merged with surrounding authorities to become Waveney District. The successor civil parish has adopted town
status.
There is an 18th-century octagonal Town Hall.
Beccles Museum is housed in Leman
House, a Grade I listed building and has a collection of agricultural, industrial and domestic items, including collections of tool
s, boat
building, printing, costumes and natural history.
The townscape is dominated by the detached sixteenth-century bell tower (known as the Beccles bell tower
) of St Michael's church. Like the main body of the church, the tower is Perpendicular Gothic in style and is 97 ft tall. The interior of the church was badly damaged by fire in 1586. It has a 13th-century font
.
The tower is not attached to the church and at the wrong end of the church as the correct end would be too close to a large cliff.
It was at this church in 1749 that the mother of Horatio Nelson, Catherine Suckling
, married the Reverend Edmund Nelson (a former curate of Beccles). The Suffolk
poet George Crabbe
married Sarah Elmy at Beccles church in the 18th century.
is located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) southeast of the town.
Until 1960 the Beccles to Yarmouth
Railway ran across the marshes. The town is still served by Beccles railway station
on the Ipswich
-Lowestoft
East Suffolk Line
. Today it can be reached by the A146 road
.
(13-18) as well as two Middle Schools
and a range of primary schools.
Beccles' main football team is Beccles Town F.C.
, established in 1919
. In the 2008-09 season, they are members of the Anglian Combination Premier Division. Beccles also has a football team called Beccles Caxton.
Ellough Park
Raceway is south-east of Beccles on the site of the old Ellough
airfield. It is a local centre for kart racing.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
and civil parish in the Waveney District
Waveney
Waveney is a local government district in Suffolk, England, named after the River Waveney that forms its north-west border. The district council is based in Lowestoft, the major settlement in Waveney, which is the only unparished area in the district...
of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. The town is shown on the milestone
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
as 109 miles (175 km) from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
via the A145 Blythburgh
Blythburgh
Blythburgh is a small English village in an area known as the Sandlings, part of the Suffolk heritage coast. Located close to an area of flooded marshland and mud-flats, in 2007 its population was estimated to be 300. Blythburgh is best known for its church, Holy Trinity, internationally known as...
and A12 road, 98 miles (158 km) northeast of London as the crow flies
As the crow flies
"As the crow flies" or beelining is an idiom for the shortest route between two points; the geodesic distance.An example is the great-circle distance between Key West and Pensacola, at either end of the U.S...
, 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, and 33 miles (53 km) north northeast of the county town of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
. Nearby towns include Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
to the east and Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
to the northeast. The town lies on the River Waveney
River Waveney
The Waveney is a river which forms the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, England, for much of its length within The Broads.-Course:The source of the River Waveney is a ditch on the east side of the B1113 road between the villages of Redgrave, Suffolk and South Lopham, Norfolk...
on the edge of The Broads National Park
The Broads
The Broads are a network of mostly navigable rivers and lakes in the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Broads, and some surrounding land were constituted as a special area with a level of protection similar to a UK National Park by The Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act of 1988...
.
It had a population at the 2001 census of 9,746. Worlingham
Worlingham
Worlingham is a village and civil parish in the Waveney district of Suffolk, England about east of Beccles. As of 2008 it is effectively a suburb of Beccles...
is a suburb of Beccles. The combined population of Beccles and Worlingham in 2005 was estimated at 13,580. Beccles is twinned
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with Petit-Couronne in France.
History
The name is conjectured to be derived from Becc-Liss* (Brittonic=Small-court). However, also offered is Bece-laes* (Old English=Meadow by Stream. Once a flourishing Saxon riverport, it lies in the WaveneyWaveney
Waveney is a local government district in Suffolk, England, named after the River Waveney that forms its north-west border. The district council is based in Lowestoft, the major settlement in Waveney, which is the only unparished area in the district...
valley and is a popular boating centre.
The town was granted its Charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in 1584 by Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
.
Sir John Leman
John Leman
Sir John Leman was a tradesman from Beccles, England who became Lord Mayor of London.-Career:Leman's business interests grew across the district of Waveney, which spans the Norfolk-Suffolk border. In the 1580s he moved to London and extended his business interests to trading in dairy products...
(died 1632) was a tradesman from Beccles who became Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
.
Long associated with Beccles (including recent mayors) is the Peck family. Among those Pecks who have made a place in history is the Rev. Robert Peck, described by Blomfield in his history of Norfolk as a man with a 'violent schismatic spirit' who led a movement within the church of St Andrews in nearby Hingham, Norfolk
Hingham, Norfolk
Hingham is a market town and civil parish in the Forehoe district in the heart of rural Norfolk, in England. The civil parish covers an area of and had a population of 2,078 in 944 households as of the 2001 census. Grand architecture surrounds the market place and village green...
, in opposition to the established Anglicanism of the day. The Puritan Peck was eventually forced to flee to Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
, founded by many members of his parish, where he resided for several years, until King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
had been executed and Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
had taken the reins of government. Robert Peck then elected to return to Hingham, Norfolk, and resumed as rector of St Andrews Church. He died in Hingham but left descendants in America, including his brother Joseph Peck, who settled in Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...
.
In 1794, François-René de Chateaubriand, while in exile, taught here French language and literature. He fell in love with Charlotte Ives, daughter of Bungay's reverend (CF : First part of Les Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe, book 10, chapter 9 "Charlotte")
Under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835
Municipal Corporations Act 1835
The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 – sometimes known as the Municipal Reform Act, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in the incorporated boroughs of England and Wales...
the borough was reformed, Beccles retaining municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
status until the reorganisation of local government in 1974, when it was merged with surrounding authorities to become Waveney District. The successor civil parish has adopted town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
status.
Buildings and industry
Beccles Museum is housed in Leman
John Leman
Sir John Leman was a tradesman from Beccles, England who became Lord Mayor of London.-Career:Leman's business interests grew across the district of Waveney, which spans the Norfolk-Suffolk border. In the 1580s he moved to London and extended his business interests to trading in dairy products...
House, a Grade I listed building and has a collection of agricultural, industrial and domestic items, including collections of tool
Tool
A tool is a device that can be used to produce an item or achieve a task, but that is not consumed in the process. Informally the word is also used to describe a procedure or process with a specific purpose. Tools that are used in particular fields or activities may have different designations such...
s, boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
building, printing, costumes and natural history.
Church
Beccles bell tower
The Beccles bell tower is a free-standing Grade I listed edifice associated with the adjacent St. Michael's church in the market town of Beccles, Suffolk, England....
) of St Michael's church. Like the main body of the church, the tower is Perpendicular Gothic in style and is 97 ft tall. The interior of the church was badly damaged by fire in 1586. It has a 13th-century font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
.
The tower is not attached to the church and at the wrong end of the church as the correct end would be too close to a large cliff.
It was at this church in 1749 that the mother of Horatio Nelson, Catherine Suckling
Catherine Suckling
Catherine Suckling was the mother of Horatio Nelson. Catherine had 11 children of which Nelson was the third surviving son.-Family and marriage:...
, married the Reverend Edmund Nelson (a former curate of Beccles). The Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
poet George Crabbe
George Crabbe
George Crabbe was an English poet and naturalist.-Biography:He was born in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, the son of a tax collector, and developed his love of poetry as a child. In 1768, he was apprenticed to a local doctor, who taught him little, and in 1771 he changed masters and moved to Woodbridge...
married Sarah Elmy at Beccles church in the 18th century.
Transport
Beccles AirportBeccles Airport
Beccles Airfield is located in Ellough, southeast of Beccles in the English county of Suffolk. Built during the second world war, it has operated as a heliport servicing the North Sea oil and gas industry and currenty operates as a base for private flights and flight training.Beccles Aerodrome...
is located 2.3 miles (3.7 km) southeast of the town.
Until 1960 the Beccles to Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
Railway ran across the marshes. The town is still served by Beccles railway station
Beccles railway station
Beccles is a railway station on the East Suffolk Line and serves the town of Beccles in Suffolk. There is generally a two hourly service to Lowestoft and Ipswich .-History:...
on the Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
-Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
East Suffolk Line
East Suffolk Line
The East Suffolk Line is an un-electrified secondary railway line running between Ipswich and Lowestoft in Suffolk, England. The traffic along the route consists of passenger services operated by National Express East Anglia, while nuclear flask trains for the Sizewell nuclear power stations are...
. Today it can be reached by the A146 road
A146 road
The A146 is a road that runs between two of East Anglia's largest population centres - Norwich in Norfolk and Lowestoft in Suffolk.The entire route has primary classification and as such has been improved over the years, although traffic levels can lead to delays.- Norwich :Before the construction...
.
Beccles Southern Link Road
The proposed Beccles rail loop is designed to allow trains to pass each other on a previously singled section of rail track (between Lowestoft and Halesworth). The plan is to restore the disused island platform, and to relay track so that trains may pass each other, and this allowing for an hourly service on the East Suffolk line, instead of the current two-hourly one. It is planned to tie the works in with line resignalling. The station is also being adopted under a Network Rail scheme aiming to improve the station site.Schools
Beccles is served by Sir John Leman High SchoolSir John Leman High School
Sir John Leman High School is currently a mixed-sex, 13-18 comprehensive school serving part of the Waveney region in north Suffolk, England. The school is located on the western edge of the town of Beccles and serves the surrounding area, including Worlingham and parts of Lowestoft...
(13-18) as well as two Middle Schools
Middle Schools in England
Middle schools in England are defined in English and Welsh law as being schools in which the age range of pupils taught includes pupils who are aged below 10 years and six months, as well as those who are aged over 12. Such schools were not permitted in the state system under the legislation...
and a range of primary schools.
Leisure
Beccles is home to 759 (Beccles) Air Cadets,http://www.becclesaircadets.co.uk who take part in a variety of activities such as flying and gliding, expeditions and sports. Beccles Air Cadets play a small role in the community by assisting organisations and activities such as the Beccles Carnival.Beccles' main football team is Beccles Town F.C.
Beccles Town F.C.
Beccles Town Football Club is an English football club based in Beccles, Suffolk. The club are currently members of the Anglian Combination Premier Division and play at College Meadow....
, established in 1919
1919 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1919 throughout the world.-Events:Due to the First World War several European leagues remain suspended....
. In the 2008-09 season, they are members of the Anglian Combination Premier Division. Beccles also has a football team called Beccles Caxton.
Ellough Park
Ellough Park
Ellough Park Raceway is a kart racing track in Ellough in the English county of Suffolk. It is located around south-east of the market town of Beccles. It is primarily used for kart racing as it is a fast, but tight and twisty circuit...
Raceway is south-east of Beccles on the site of the old Ellough
Ellough
Ellough is a parish in the English county of Suffolk located approximately south-east of Beccles. The area is sparsely populated with a mid-2005 population estimate of 40. Neighbouring villages include North Cove, Weston, Sotterley and Henstead...
airfield. It is a local centre for kart racing.
Notable people
- Sir John Mills CBE (1908-2005) attended the Sir John Leman High School and made his acting debut there as PuckPuck-Fictional characters:* Puck , a folklore character* Puck , a Shakespeare character** Puck, a Faeries character** Puck, a Gargoyles character** Puck, a Puck of Pook's Hill character...
in a performance of A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
. - William FiskeWilliam Fiske (footballer)William A. Fiske was an English professional football goalkeeper. He spent seven years at Blackpool in the early 1900s, making over 200 Football League appearances for the club.-Blackpool:...
, goalkeeper for BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... - Chris MartinChris Martin (footballer)Christopher Hugh Martin is an English footballer who is on loan to Crystal Palace from Norwich City as a striker.-Norwich City:...
, forward for Norwich CityNorwich City F.C.Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...