Polstead is a small village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 and 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...

 in the South 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...

.

History

It is noted for being the site of the Red Barn Murder

Red Barn Murder

The Red Barn Murder was a notorious murder committed in Polstead, Suffolk, England, in 1827. A young woman, Maria Marten, was shot dead by her lover, William Corder. The two had arranged to meet at the Red Barn, a local landmark, before eloping to Ipswich. Maria was never heard from again...

 in 1827. The name Polstead derives from "place of pools", possibly due to the two large ponds in the village.

Features

The main village is situated around Polstead Green and The Hill, although Polstead also comprises several hamlets including Polstead Heath, Hadleigh Heath, Bower House Tye, Bell's Corner, Mill Street and White Street Green. The village has one remaining pub, the 17th century The Cock Inn, a community shop and post office, a playing field and a church, St. Mary's. The playing field, known locally as the pitch, hosts an annual music festival around the summer solstice called "Polstice", with local punk, folk and rock bands playing. Polstead is famous for its cherries and lends its name to a variety, the Polstead Black. Several Polstead Black cherry trees were planted in and around the village to commemorate the year 2000, as these trees had declined in numbers.

External links

• Polstead Parish Council website
• Images of Polstead on Suffolk Cam website