Earl Stonham is a small village in the Mid Suffolk

Mid Suffolk

Mid Suffolk is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council is based in Needham Market, and the largest town is Stowmarket.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Eye, Stowmarket urban district, Gipping Rural District, Hartismere Rural District and...

 district 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...

, England

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...

. Located five miles east of Stowmarket

Stowmarket

-See also:* Stowmarket Town F.C.* Stowmarket High School-External links:* * * * *...

, it is part of the Stonham Earl

Stonham Earl

Stonham Earl is a civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located between the A14 and A140 to the east of Stowmarket, the parish contains the village of Earl Stonham , together with the hamlets of Forward Green and Middlewood Green. In 2005 its population was 650....

 civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

. The village is one of three Stonhams in the area – the other two are Stonham Aspal

Stonham Aspal

Stonham Aspal is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located around five miles east of Stowmarket, in 2005 its population was 590.The village contains the Ten Bells public house....

 and Little Stonham

Little Stonham

Little Stonham, also known as Stonham Parva, is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located just off the A140, around three miles east of Stowmarket, in 2005 its population was 350....

.

History

Dating back to Roman times, Earl Stonham is most famous for its church. St. Mary's Church is known for its ornately carved single hammerbeam roof

Hammerbeam roof

Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...

which depict many different scenes, including court jesters, foxes, and many angels.

Much of the village life revolves around the village hall, located in the centre of the village. It is the home to a thriving cricket club, and a youth club.

Earl Stonham is a local hotspot for recreational walkers, with beautiful countryside and gentle footpaths offering hours of footstepping for even the occasional rambler.

http://www.earlstonhamcricketclub.co.uk/