Reydon
Encyclopedia
Reydon is a village and civil parish, 1 miles (1.6 km) north-west from Southwold
and 2.5 miles (4 km) south east of Wangford
in Waveney District
and the ceremonial county of Suffolk
in England
. It has a population of 2,567.
The name probably means Rye Hill, Rey meaning rye and -don being an old English word for hill or rise). The village is close to the cliffs at Easton Bavents
, and like the lost village of Easton
, it was established before Southwold was. The parish church is St Margaret of Antioch.
There are three main roads through Reydon, around which the village is built. These are:
The village of Reydon lies to the north of the town of Southwold. The three roads from Wangford, Wrentham and Halesworth converge at Reydon corner about 100 metres from where Mights Bridge crosses over Buss Creek, which provides the only road bridge entry to Southwold.
decided to remove the post office facilities as part of a plan to reduce financial losses. This move was strongly opposed by many people living in Reydon, but the sub-post office closed on 11 February 2008, although the associated shop continues.
Reydon also has one public house (and hotel with restaurant) known as The Randolph Hotel on the Wangford Road. It was briefly renamed "The Cricketers", due to the adjacent locality of Southwold's former Eversley School cricket ground and playing fields. It reverted to its original name after a few years. The cricket ground has since been sold off for housing .
Further along is a group of new houses which have been built on the site of the former senior school (Reydon Modern, it was re-named Reydon High after converting to a comprehensive in 1978) which closed several years ago.
Continuing along towards Wangford is St Margaret's Church (see below), then Reydon Hall, at one time the home of Agnes Strickland
, a writer on history and a poet.
Reydon Wood is popular with walkers, especially in the springtime, when it is a carpet of bluebells. There is sheltered accommodation on the Lowestoft Road.
, Wangford
and Southwold
going there.
Another major school in Reydon is St Felix on the Halesworth Road. This was an all girls public school
but now takes pupils of both sexes from ages 1 to 18.
The resultant increase in population means that Reydon now has many more permanent inhabitants than Southwold; where once the reverse was true.
The increasing number of homes has also led to the loss of much of Reydon's previous "small village" feeling. Additionally, the inflated house prices in Southwold have led to a number of properties in Reydon being purchased for holiday homes and second homes. These are often unoccupied for long periods of time. It is claimed that this has contributed to the loss of community
. However, it is unlikely that it will affect the increase in permanent population, at least in the short term.
In 2004 a 4400 m² distribution center
for Adnams Brewery
was constructed on the western edge of Reydon on the site of an old open cast sand quarry.
The parish church is dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch. It is situated on the B1126 Wangford Road, to the north west of the village. One of the most striking features is a large, unnamed bronze angel inscribed "To Fanny my beloved wife." The present building is mainly from the early 14th century. The tower was built about 1325. The chancel was made more elaborate in the 15th century, and has many niches for saints in the window splays. The church suffered damage during the Reformation
and the Civil War
and was much altered in succeeding centuries.
More drastic was the restoration and re-roofing of 1875-87, which robbed the church of most of its old furnishings and architectural detail. The replacement roof is of a plain, simple design. The royal arms displayed are those of Queen Anne and date from 1713. In 1988 a large extension was built onto the north side of the nave using the original north door which was reopened when the organ was moved into the chancel to allow for the building. The building is the frequently used parish room. The rood loft stairs are open but are partly bricked up at the top.
The organ is Victorian and is in the chancel, as there is no space in the nave, but it does clutter the space and distract attention from some wonderful Victorian stained glass. Behind the organ is a blocked entrance, also apparent from the outside. The small chapel to which it led has vanished. The font, of no great age, stands at the base of the tower, having been moved there from the nave in 1988, to improve access to the new parish room. The font cover, donated in 1922, used to be suspended from the ceiling in the nave and operated by a system of weights; the wood in the roof still shows this.
In 1999, the parish of Reydon became part of the Sole Bay Team Ministry.
The tower originally held three bells, two of which were sold in 1792 to fund repairs to the church. In 1991 an appeal was launched for the restoration of the tower, replacement of the two missing bells, and procurement of a further three. These were dedicated at a service in December 1996. The original 15th-century bell, "Gabriel", has been joined by "Michael", "Raphael", "Peter", "Mary" and "Seraph", all cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
in 1995 and 1996. The tenor (the largest) weighs 517 kg and the treble (the smallest) about a third of that. The bells hang in a two-tier steel frame, installed in 1995. The bells are hung for the traditional English art of change ringing
. Ringing takes place from ground level with the font in the centre of the rope circle. The tower is affiliated to the Suffolk Guild of Ringers. The bells are rung regularly for practice, Sunday services, weddings and other special occasions.
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
and 2.5 miles (4 km) south east of Wangford
Wangford
Wangford is a village in Suffolk, England, just off the A12 trunk road on the edge of the Henham Park estate just outside Southwold. .Wangford is connected to the rest of Suffolk by two main roads...
in 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...
and the ceremonial county 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...
in 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...
. It has a population of 2,567.
The name probably means Rye Hill, Rey meaning rye and -don being an old English word for hill or rise). The village is close to the cliffs at Easton Bavents
Easton Bavents
Easton Bavents is a hamlet in Waveney District and the ceremonial county of Suffolk in England. It was once the most easterly ecclesiastical parish in England; a map of Suffolk dated around 1610 shows a headland projecting eastwards into the sea there...
, and like the lost village of Easton
Easton
-United Kingdom:*Easton, Bristol*Easton, Cambridgeshire*Easton, Dorset*Easton, Hampshire**Crux Easton, Hampshire*Easton, Isle of Wight*Easton, Lincolnshire*Easton, Norfolk*Easton Maudit, Northamptonshire*Easton Neston, Northamptonshire*Easton, Somerset...
, it was established before Southwold was. The parish church is St Margaret of Antioch.
There are three main roads through Reydon, around which the village is built. These are:
- A1095 HalesworthHalesworthHalesworth is a small market town in the northeastern corner of Suffolk, England. It is located south west of Lowestoft, and straddles the River Blyth, 9 miles upstream from Southwold. The town is served by Halesworth railway station on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line...
Road heading west (Leading to BlythburghBlythburghBlythburgh 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 Halesworth) - B1126 WangfordWangfordWangford is a village in Suffolk, England, just off the A12 trunk road on the edge of the Henham Park estate just outside Southwold. .Wangford is connected to the rest of Suffolk by two main roads...
Road heading northwest through Reydon (Leading to Wangford) - B1127 LowestoftLowestoftLowestoft 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...
Road heading northeast (Leading to WrenthamWrenthamWrentham may refer to:Places:*Wrentham, Alberta, Canada*Wrentham, Suffolk, England*Wrentham, Massachusetts, United States of AmericaOther:*HMS Wrentham , a Royal Navy minesweeper...
and Lowestoft)
The village of Reydon lies to the north of the town of Southwold. The three roads from Wangford, Wrentham and Halesworth converge at Reydon corner about 100 metres from where Mights Bridge crosses over Buss Creek, which provides the only road bridge entry to Southwold.
Services
There are only two shops in Reydon. In 2007 the Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
decided to remove the post office facilities as part of a plan to reduce financial losses. This move was strongly opposed by many people living in Reydon, but the sub-post office closed on 11 February 2008, although the associated shop continues.
Reydon also has one public house (and hotel with restaurant) known as The Randolph Hotel on the Wangford Road. It was briefly renamed "The Cricketers", due to the adjacent locality of Southwold's former Eversley School cricket ground and playing fields. It reverted to its original name after a few years. The cricket ground has since been sold off for housing .
Further along is a group of new houses which have been built on the site of the former senior school (Reydon Modern, it was re-named Reydon High after converting to a comprehensive in 1978) which closed several years ago.
Continuing along towards Wangford is St Margaret's Church (see below), then Reydon Hall, at one time the home of Agnes Strickland
Agnes Strickland
Agnes Strickland was an English historical writer and poet.-Biography:The daughter of Thomas Strickland of Reydon Hall, Suffolk, Agnes was educated by her father, and began her literary career with a poem, Worcester Field, followed by The Seven Ages of Woman and Demetrius...
, a writer on history and a poet.
Reydon Wood is popular with walkers, especially in the springtime, when it is a carpet of bluebells. There is sheltered accommodation on the Lowestoft Road.
Schools
Reydon High School closed some years ago, with students now being bussed to other schools in the area and the land sold for housing development. The school playing fields are still in use, with the original school canteen building being used for changing rooms. Plans to extend the fields have been adopted by Waveney District Council . However, Reydon Primary School is still running, with children from Reydon, WrenthamWrentham
Wrentham may refer to:Places:*Wrentham, Alberta, Canada*Wrentham, Suffolk, England*Wrentham, Massachusetts, United States of AmericaOther:*HMS Wrentham , a Royal Navy minesweeper...
, Wangford
Wangford
Wangford is a village in Suffolk, England, just off the A12 trunk road on the edge of the Henham Park estate just outside Southwold. .Wangford is connected to the rest of Suffolk by two main roads...
and Southwold
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
going there.
Another major school in Reydon is St Felix on the Halesworth Road. This was an all girls public school
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
but now takes pupils of both sexes from ages 1 to 18.
Development and building
Reydon has in recent years seen much new housing construction, due mainly to the rising house prices in Southwold and the popularity of Reydon as a retirement village. This is likely to continue on sites such as the former Eversley School playing field and other vacant plots earmarked throughout the village.The resultant increase in population means that Reydon now has many more permanent inhabitants than Southwold; where once the reverse was true.
The increasing number of homes has also led to the loss of much of Reydon's previous "small village" feeling. Additionally, the inflated house prices in Southwold have led to a number of properties in Reydon being purchased for holiday homes and second homes. These are often unoccupied for long periods of time. It is claimed that this has contributed to the loss of community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
. However, it is unlikely that it will affect the increase in permanent population, at least in the short term.
In 2004 a 4400 m² distribution center
Distribution center
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers. A distribution center is a principal part, the order...
for Adnams Brewery
Adnams Brewery
Adnams PLC is a British regional brewery company founded in 1890 in Southwold, Suffolk, England, by George and Ernest Adnams. The earliest recorded brewing on the Adnams site was in 1396 by Johanna de Corby. The company produces cask ale and pasteurised bottled beers. Annual production is around...
was constructed on the western edge of Reydon on the site of an old open cast sand quarry.
The Church of St Margaret
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
and the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
and was much altered in succeeding centuries.
More drastic was the restoration and re-roofing of 1875-87, which robbed the church of most of its old furnishings and architectural detail. The replacement roof is of a plain, simple design. The royal arms displayed are those of Queen Anne and date from 1713. In 1988 a large extension was built onto the north side of the nave using the original north door which was reopened when the organ was moved into the chancel to allow for the building. The building is the frequently used parish room. The rood loft stairs are open but are partly bricked up at the top.
The organ is Victorian and is in the chancel, as there is no space in the nave, but it does clutter the space and distract attention from some wonderful Victorian stained glass. Behind the organ is a blocked entrance, also apparent from the outside. The small chapel to which it led has vanished. The font, of no great age, stands at the base of the tower, having been moved there from the nave in 1988, to improve access to the new parish room. The font cover, donated in 1922, used to be suspended from the ceiling in the nave and operated by a system of weights; the wood in the roof still shows this.
In 1999, the parish of Reydon became part of the Sole Bay Team Ministry.
The church bells
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
in 1995 and 1996. The tenor (the largest) weighs 517 kg and the treble (the smallest) about a third of that. The bells hang in a two-tier steel frame, installed in 1995. The bells are hung for the traditional English art of change ringing
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
. Ringing takes place from ground level with the font in the centre of the rope circle. The tower is affiliated to the Suffolk Guild of Ringers. The bells are rung regularly for practice, Sunday services, weddings and other special occasions.
Notable residents
- Geoffrey MunnGeoffrey MunnGeoffrey Munn is a British jewellery specialist and writer. He is best known as one of the experts on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow however his first television appearance was in the early 1960s when he, and his brother, Roger Munn, featured with their pet fox cubs on Johnny Morris's Animal Magic...
, Presenter on the BBC Antiques Roadshow, local historian and author of Southwold - an Earthly Paradise. - Rev. John YoungsJohn YoungsJohn Youngs was a Puritan minister who founded Southold, New York.-Life:...
, founder of Southold, New YorkSouthold, New YorkSouthold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 20,599 at the 2000 census...
, born in Reydon - Agnes Strickland - Agnes StricklandAgnes StricklandAgnes Strickland was an English historical writer and poet.-Biography:The daughter of Thomas Strickland of Reydon Hall, Suffolk, Agnes was educated by her father, and began her literary career with a poem, Worcester Field, followed by The Seven Ages of Woman and Demetrius...
lived at Reydon Hall - Susanna MoodieSusanna MoodieSusanna Moodie, born Strickland , was an English-born Canadian author who wrote about her experiences as a settler in Canada, which was a British colony at the time.-Biography:...
(née Strickland), younger sister of Agnes, lived at Reydon Hall
External links
- Reydon Primary School
- St. Felix School
- The Sole Bay Team Ministry
- Hoare Lee Architects-Adnams Distribution Centre Distribution Centre aerial view
- Reydon Smear - Natural England
- Reydon Hall
- Quay Lane - access to the River BlythRiver BlythRiver Blyth is the name of several rivers in England.*River Blyth, Northumberland*River Blyth, Suffolk...
- Hen Reedbeds - nature reserve
- Reydon Wood - Suffolk Wildlife Trust
- Starlings at Reydon - BBC
- Wolsey Bridge - Cardinal Wolsey's family owned land in this area
- Photos of Reydon