Nacton
Encyclopedia
Nacton is a civil parish
in the Suffolk Coastal
region of Suffolk
, England
, taking its name from the village within it. The parish is bounded by the neighbouring parishes of Levington
to the east and Bucklesham
in the north. It is located between the towns of Ipswich
and Felixstowe
.
Nacton abuts the River Orwell
opposite the village of Pin Mill. Riverside features covered by this parish are (from east to west) Buttermans Bay, Potter's Point, Downham Reach, Mulberry Middle and Pond Oose.
Nacton parish is the mother for the villages of Levington
and Bucklesham
and was sufficiently large to have a workhouse
. This was used by Amberfield School
as its main building until it closed in 2011. The more adventurous explorer can find the old burial ground opposite the entrance to lane leading down to the school. The site of Alnesbourne Priory
is close to Nacton.
The village public house is the Shepherd and Dog, outside the village proper alongside the A1156
(formerly A45) road at the far northern edge of the parish.
The village contains one of the few remaining active wildfowl decoy
s left in East Anglia
.
Nacton's name was used as a word coined by Douglas Adams
to describe the letter 'N' when inserted between two other words as an abbreviation for 'and', as in rock 'n' roll and fish 'n' chips.
Nacton's most famous inhabitant was probably Margaret Catchpole
, who became legendary in the 19th century. This followed the publication of 'The History Of Margaret Catchpole: A Suffolk Girl' by Richard Cobbold
in 1845. It is a classic story of young girl falling in love with a villain (a smuggler called Will Laud) and suffering the consequences. She stole her employer's horse and rode to London to be with Laud. She was convicted of theft and sentenced to death, but managed to escape. She was recaptured and transported to Australia for life.
Other famous residents included Philip Broke
and Edward Vernon
, both naval heroes.
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...
in the Suffolk Coastal
Suffolk Coastal
Suffolk Coastal is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council is based in Woodbridge. Other towns include Felixstowe.The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, as a merger of the municipal borough of Aldeburgh, along with Felixstowe,...
region 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...
, taking its name from the village within it. The parish is bounded by the neighbouring parishes of Levington
Levington
Levington is a small village in the Suffolk Coastal District, in the county of Suffolk. Levington has a church called St Peters Church and a pub. It is near the large town of Ipswich and the village of Nacton. A viking ship was once found in Levington....
to the east and Bucklesham
Bucklesham
Bucklesham is a village and civil parish in the Suffolk Coastal district of Suffolk, England, a few miles east of Ipswich.The village pub is The Shannon, named after Admiral Brooke's ship....
in the north. It is located between the towns 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...
and Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
.
Nacton abuts the River Orwell
River Orwell
The River Orwell flows through the county of Suffolk in England. Its source river, above the tidal limit at Stoke Bridge, is known as the River Gipping. It broadens into an estuary at Ipswich where the Ipswich dock has operated since the 7th century and then flows into the North Sea at Felixstowe...
opposite the village of Pin Mill. Riverside features covered by this parish are (from east to west) Buttermans Bay, Potter's Point, Downham Reach, Mulberry Middle and Pond Oose.
Nacton parish is the mother for the villages of Levington
Levington
Levington is a small village in the Suffolk Coastal District, in the county of Suffolk. Levington has a church called St Peters Church and a pub. It is near the large town of Ipswich and the village of Nacton. A viking ship was once found in Levington....
and Bucklesham
Bucklesham
Bucklesham is a village and civil parish in the Suffolk Coastal district of Suffolk, England, a few miles east of Ipswich.The village pub is The Shannon, named after Admiral Brooke's ship....
and was sufficiently large to have a workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
. This was used by Amberfield School
Amberfield School
Amberfield School was a small private school in Nacton, England, coeducational up to the age of 7 years, and for girls up to the age of 16 years, which was established in 1927 and closed in 2011 due to financial problems. The last headmistress was Linda Ingram. It was set in countryside with...
as its main building until it closed in 2011. The more adventurous explorer can find the old burial ground opposite the entrance to lane leading down to the school. The site of Alnesbourne Priory
Alnesbourne Priory
Alnesbourne Priory, also known as Alnesbourn Priory was a small Augustinian monastic house in the English county of Suffolk. It was located near Nacton to the south-east of Ipswich near to the River Orwell and the current route of the A14....
is close to Nacton.
The village public house is the Shepherd and Dog, outside the village proper alongside the A1156
A1156 road
The A1156 road runs through the centre of Ipswich, Suffolk, England.Formerly part of the A45, the road connects the A14 to the north-west of Ipswich to the A14 and the A12 to the south-east of Ipswich at the Seven Hills junction.-References:...
(formerly A45) road at the far northern edge of the parish.
The village contains one of the few remaining active wildfowl decoy
Decoy
A decoy is usually a person, device or event meant as a distraction, to conceal what an individual or a group might be looking for. Decoys have been used for centuries most notably in game hunting, but also in wartime and in the committing or resolving of crimes.-Duck decoy:The term duck decoy may...
s left in East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
.
Nacton's name was used as a word coined by Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
to describe the letter 'N' when inserted between two other words as an abbreviation for 'and', as in rock 'n' roll and fish 'n' chips.
History
The original public house, The Anchor, was in the centre of the village. This was closed by order of a local dignitary during the Great War (1914–18). Local legend has it that the wife of the main landowner, Mr Tomlin MP (owner of orwell park school), was accosted by a group of somewhat happy members of the soldiery while riding her horse and invited in for a drink. Being of good character, she declined, but her husband was less happy and decided the place should be closed. As a result he was on occasion greeted in parliament with the opposition cry of "Who closed the Nacton Anchor then?"Nacton's most famous inhabitant was probably Margaret Catchpole
Margaret Catchpole
Margaret Catchpole , a British adventuress, chronicler and criminal, born in Suffolk she worked as a servant in various houses before being convicted of stealing a horse and later escaping from Ipswich Gaol. Following her capture she was transported to Australia...
, who became legendary in the 19th century. This followed the publication of 'The History Of Margaret Catchpole: A Suffolk Girl' by Richard Cobbold
Richard Cobbold
Richard Cobbold was a British writer.- Life :Richard Cobbold was born in 1797 in the Suffolk town of Ipswich, to John Cobbold and Elizabeth , a large and affluent family who made their money from the brewing industry...
in 1845. It is a classic story of young girl falling in love with a villain (a smuggler called Will Laud) and suffering the consequences. She stole her employer's horse and rode to London to be with Laud. She was convicted of theft and sentenced to death, but managed to escape. She was recaptured and transported to Australia for life.
Other famous residents included Philip Broke
Philip Broke
Rear Admiral Sir Philip Bowes Vere Broke, 1st Baronet KCB was a distinguished officer in the British Royal Navy.-Early life:Broke was born at Broke Hall, Nacton, near Ipswich, the eldest son of Philip Bowes Broke...
and Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon
Edward Vernon was an English naval officer. Vernon was born in Westminster, England and went to Westminster School. He joined the Navy in 1700 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1702 and served on several different ships for the next five years...
, both naval heroes.
External links
- Reference on www.british-history.ac.uk
- Location and picture at www.geograph.org.uk
- Account of Nacton workhouse and riots at EASF radical history site