Stanningfield
Encyclopedia
Stanningfield is a village in the parish of Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield
, in the St Edmundsbury
District, in the English county of Suffolk
. The village also consists of the area Hoggard's Green. The village lies just off of the A134 road
, about 5 miles south-east of Bury St Edmunds, 5 miles north-west of Lavenham
and 10 miles north of Sudbury
.
, Norman
(The Domesday Book and medieval times. The oldest building, St Nicolas' Church dates back to at least the Norman period.
The 1838 Tithe Map shows the same internal road patterns as today with roads leading to the neighbouring villages of Hawstead, Lawshall
, Great Whelnetham
, Sicklesmere
, Bradfield Combust
and Cockfield
where the nearest railway station was located until its closure to passengers in 1961. The River Lark
represents a dominant landscape feature while the village also has several greens with Hoggard's Green, the largest, having always played an important part in community life. While the pond on the green has long gone, in 1996 a successful reclamation of an ancient pond at Old Lane was undertaken.
A small scattered village, Stanningfield's main centre is around the green, the Red House Public House and the nearby community shop. There is a picturesque area around St Nicolas' Church which includes the village hall (formerly the church hall), the former rectory and several farm houses. On the Lawshall
side of the village stands Coldham Hall, a magnificent Tudor House.
A remarkable feature of the history of Stanningfield has been the continuity of Roman Catholicism from the Middle Ages to the present day, in a predominantly Protestant area. Ambrose Rookwood of Coldham Hall
was executed for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot
, but even this event did not destroy the Catholic
cause in the neighbourhood.
The novelist, playwright and actress Elizabeth Inchbald
(née Simpson) was born into a Catholic farming family in the village on 15 October 1773.
briefly recorded that Stanfella had a church with 16 acres of free land. Situated in a secluded spot about half a mile from the present centre of the village, Stanningfield Church is dedicated to St Nicholas of Myra in Asia Minor
.
St Nicolas, in common with most village churches, has evolved down the centuries, as each period added its contribution to the fabric. The glory of the exterior is the superb Decorated chancel, the result of a bequest by the Rookwoods in the fourteenth century. The design and craftsmanship of the window tracery are outstanding. A considerable amount of church restoration was undertaken during the last third of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century. Above the chancel arch is an important fifteenth-century Doom, painted on plaster in black line with some red background. It was expertly restored in 1995.
The bell-chamber stage of the fifteenth-century tower was reduced in height in the late nineteenth century and a slated pyramid roof constructed. Folklore has it that the need for this repair was due to the Colchester earthquake, felt over a 150 mile radius, but more likely it was caused by subsidence of the medieval foundations. There were three bells in the tower, and one has been returned to a wooden bell frame just below the cap. The other two, with inscriptions from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, stood on the nave floor until as recently as 1967, when they were melted down for scrap.
district of the shire county of Suffolk
. The three tiers of local government are administered by
In terms of community planning the parish does not currently have a Parish Plan
or Village Design Statement
.
lists the following listed buildings within Stanningfield.
NB: The above property details represent the names and addresses that were used at the time that the buildings were listed. In some instances the name of the building may have changed over the intervening years
, at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001
, the parish of Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield
had a population of 503 with 231 households.
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield is a civil parish in the St Edmundsbury borough of Suffolk, England.According to the 2001 census it had a population of 503. The parish covers Bradfield Combust and Stanningfield, about 6 miles south of Bury St Edmunds....
, in the St Edmundsbury
St Edmundsbury
St Edmundsbury may refer to:* The old or poetic name for Bury St Edmunds* St Edmundsbury, a borough centred on the town of Bury St Edmunds* The Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich and St James's Cathedral, St Edmundsbury...
District, in the English 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...
. The village also consists of the area Hoggard's Green. The village lies just off of the A134 road
A134 road
The A134 road runs from Colchester to Kings Lynn. Other towns on the A134 road include Sudbury, Bury St. Edmunds and Thetford....
, about 5 miles south-east of Bury St Edmunds, 5 miles north-west of Lavenham
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is noted for its 15th century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walk. In the medieval period it was among the 20 wealthiest settlements in England...
and 10 miles north of Sudbury
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
.
History
Background
Stanningfield takes its name from the Early English name "Stanfella" or "Stansfelda" meaning "stoney field". It is known that the area was occupied at the beginning of English recorded history because traces of Roman occupation has been found on one of the local farms. Occasional documentary references mention the village in Anglo-SaxonAnglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
, Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
(The Domesday Book and medieval times. The oldest building, St Nicolas' Church dates back to at least the Norman period.
The 1838 Tithe Map shows the same internal road patterns as today with roads leading to the neighbouring villages of Hawstead, Lawshall
Lawshall
Lawshall is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. Located around a mile off the A134 between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury, it is part of Babergh district.-Background:...
, Great Whelnetham
Great Whelnetham
Great Whelnetham is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located around two miles south of Bury St Edmunds, in 2005 its population was 820....
, Sicklesmere
Sicklesmere
Sicklesmere is a village in Suffolk, England. Located on the A134 around a mile south of Bury St Edmunds, the village is divided between the civil parishes of Little and Great Whelnetham.-History:...
, Bradfield Combust
Bradfield Combust
Bradfield Combust is a village in Suffolk, England. According to Eilert Ekwall the meaning of the village name of "Bradfield" is "the wide fold" . "Combust" is derived from "Combusta" Latin fem. = burnt or burned; medieval syn...
and Cockfield
Cockfield, Suffolk
Cockfield is a village and civil parish located approximately 3½ miles from Lavenham in Suffolk, England. The village consists of a central point and several outlying hamlets: Buttons Green, Colchester Green, Cross Green, Great Green, Oldhall Green, Smithwood Green and Windsor Green...
where the nearest railway station was located until its closure to passengers in 1961. The River Lark
River Lark
The River Lark is a river in England, which crosses the border between Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. It is a tributary of the River Great Ouse, and was extended when that river was re-routed as part of drainage improvements. It is thought to have been used for navigation since Roman times, and...
represents a dominant landscape feature while the village also has several greens with Hoggard's Green, the largest, having always played an important part in community life. While the pond on the green has long gone, in 1996 a successful reclamation of an ancient pond at Old Lane was undertaken.
A small scattered village, Stanningfield's main centre is around the green, the Red House Public House and the nearby community shop. There is a picturesque area around St Nicolas' Church which includes the village hall (formerly the church hall), the former rectory and several farm houses. On the Lawshall
Lawshall
Lawshall is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. Located around a mile off the A134 between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury, it is part of Babergh district.-Background:...
side of the village stands Coldham Hall, a magnificent Tudor House.
A remarkable feature of the history of Stanningfield has been the continuity of Roman Catholicism from the Middle Ages to the present day, in a predominantly Protestant area. Ambrose Rookwood of Coldham Hall
Coldham Hall
Coldham Hall is a Grade I listed building, built in 1574, that is located in the parish of Stanningfield in Suffolk. The Hall is very close to the village of Lawshall, and part of the Coldham estate is located within this parish.-Description:...
was executed for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot
Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.The plan was to blow up the House of...
, but even this event did not destroy the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
cause in the neighbourhood.
The novelist, playwright and actress Elizabeth Inchbald
Elizabeth Inchbald
Elizabeth Inchbald was an English novelist, actress, and dramatist.- Life :Born on 15 October 1753 at Standingfield, near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, Elizabeth was the eighth of the nine children of John Simpson , a farmer, and his wife Mary, née Rushbrook. The family, like several others in the...
(née Simpson) was born into a Catholic farming family in the village on 15 October 1773.
St Nicolas' Church
There has been a church in Stanningfield since before 1086, the date when the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
briefly recorded that Stanfella had a church with 16 acres of free land. Situated in a secluded spot about half a mile from the present centre of the village, Stanningfield Church is dedicated to St Nicholas of Myra in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
.
St Nicolas, in common with most village churches, has evolved down the centuries, as each period added its contribution to the fabric. The glory of the exterior is the superb Decorated chancel, the result of a bequest by the Rookwoods in the fourteenth century. The design and craftsmanship of the window tracery are outstanding. A considerable amount of church restoration was undertaken during the last third of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century. Above the chancel arch is an important fifteenth-century Doom, painted on plaster in black line with some red background. It was expertly restored in 1995.
The bell-chamber stage of the fifteenth-century tower was reduced in height in the late nineteenth century and a slated pyramid roof constructed. Folklore has it that the need for this repair was due to the Colchester earthquake, felt over a 150 mile radius, but more likely it was caused by subsidence of the medieval foundations. There were three bells in the tower, and one has been returned to a wooden bell frame just below the cap. The other two, with inscriptions from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, stood on the nave floor until as recently as 1967, when they were melted down for scrap.
The Red House Public House
The Red House Inn was built in 1865 and Henry Cornish was recorded as being the landlord in 1871. It was bought bt Messrs Greene King, brewers, in 1877, along with the outbuildings and adjacent cottages.Governance
Stanningfield lies in the BaberghBabergh
Babergh is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council headquarters is based in Hadleigh, whilst its largest town is Sudbury.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Sudbury, Hadleigh urban district, Cosford Rural District, Melford Rural District and...
district of the shire 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...
. The three tiers of local government are administered by
- Suffolk County CouncilSuffolk County CouncilSuffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 72 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions...
- St Edmundsbury Borough Council
- Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield Parish Council
In terms of community planning the parish does not currently have a Parish Plan
Parish Plan
Parish plans are a form of community-led plan.Parish plans determine the future of communities and how they can change for the better. They are documents that set out a vision for the future of a parish and outlines how that can be achieved in an action plan.The parish plan process may include:*a...
or Village Design Statement
Village design statement
Village Design Statement is a term of English rural planning practice. A VDS is a document that describes the distinctive characteristics of the locality, and provides design guidance to influence future development and improve the physical qualities of the area...
.
Listed buildings
English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
lists the following listed buildings within Stanningfield.
Grade I
- St Nicholas' Church, Church Road - Images of England
- Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane - Images of England
Grade II*
- Former Roman Catholic Chapel, 5 Metres East Of Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane - Images of England
Grade II
- Fox House, Bury Road - Images of England
- Newhall Cottage, Bury Road - Images of England
- Old Cottage, Chapel Road - Images of England
- Homestead and Sunrise, Chapel Road - Images of England
- Bakers Farmhouse, Church Road - Images of England
- Church Farmhouse, Church Road - Images of England
- Stable And Coach House Block, 80 Metres East Of Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane - Images of England
- Outbuilding With Bell Turret, 20 Metres North East Of Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane - Images of England
- Coldham Hall Cottage, Coldham Hall Lane - Images of England
- Dovecote 150 Metres South Of Coldham Hall, Coldham Hall Lane
- Hall Farmhouse, Donkey Lane - Images of England
- Makins Farmhouse, Donkey Lane - Images of England
- Barfords, Donkey Lane - Images of England
- Thatched House, The Green - Images of England
- Orchard Cottage, The Green - Images of England
- Moorside, Old Lane, IP29 4SA - Images of England
- Little Saxes Farmhouse - Images of England
- K6 Telephone Kiosk, Ixer Lane - Images of England
NB: The above property details represent the names and addresses that were used at the time that the buildings were listed. In some instances the name of the building may have changed over the intervening years
Demography
According to the Office for National StatisticsOffice for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
, at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, the parish of Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield
Bradfield Combust with Stanningfield is a civil parish in the St Edmundsbury borough of Suffolk, England.According to the 2001 census it had a population of 503. The parish covers Bradfield Combust and Stanningfield, about 6 miles south of Bury St Edmunds....
had a population of 503 with 231 households.
Population change
| Population growth Population growth Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement.... in Stanningfield from 1801 to 1891 |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1801 | 1811 | 1821 | 1831 | 1841 | 1851 | 1881 | 1891 | ||
| Population | 248 | 263 | 290 | 306 | 327 | 320 | 268 | 301 | ||
| Source: A Vision of Britain Through Time | ||||||||||
| Population growth Population growth Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement.... in Stanningfield from 1901 to 2001 |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | 1951 | 1961 | 2001 | |||
| Population | 258 | 254 | 211 | 221 | 236 | 211 | 503 | |||
| Source: A Vision of Britain Through Time | ||||||||||