Wingfield, Suffolk
Encyclopedia
Wingfield is a village
in the English
county of Suffolk
. It is found 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Diss
, signposted off B1118, near Eye
.
Wingfield Castle
, which is now a private house, was for many centuries the home of the Wingfield family and their heirs, the De La Poles, Earls and Dukes of Suffolk
. The Wingfields were a very ancient family and Sir John de Wingfield
was chief of staff to the Black Prince
.
Sir John de Wingfield founded the church at Wingfield and his tomb can be found within it.
Wingfield College is a remnant of the college founded by Sir John de Wingfield
in 1362 and endowed by the Black Prince
in his will. The college had a master, nine secular chaplains and three choral scholarships for boys. These persons were required to live at the college, pray for Sir John, the Black Prince and Edward III, run a boarding school and minister to the parish. In 1542, however, the college was dissolved and a large part was demolished. The remaining wings were remodelled in Palladian style
in the 18th century. It was not until a previous owner, Ian Chance, came into possession that restoration revealed the 14th century structure. Since 1981, Wingfield College has run a regular series of concerts, recitals and lectures, with exhibitions including ceramics, textiles and contemporary art and a creative arts visitor centre, Wingfield Arts. This venture closed in 2003 due to lack of funding, but the restored buildings in 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of gardens, ponds, garden sculpture and a play garden re-opened in April 2009 as Wingfield Barns under the stewardship of Mid-Suffolk District Council. In 2009 a Community Interest Company (CIC) was formed to formally take on the leasehold of the buildings and run the artistic programming and venue hirings.
Sir John Wingfield's daughter and heiress married Michael de la Pole
, later 1st Earl of Suffolk. Their great grandson, John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
, married Princess Elizabeth of York
, sister to Kings Edward IV
and Richard III
. Their son, John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln was King Richard's heir and attempted to claim the English Throne
. His brother, Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
, followed him and was therefore imprisoned by his rival, King Henry VII
. He was then beheaded, without trial, on the orders of Henry VIII
who then confiscated the castle and the De La Pole estates for himself.
To the north of the modern day college is the great 14th century church. Here visitors can see fine church monument
s of Sir John de Wingfield
and the De la Pole family. The church contains the effigy of Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, and his wife Katherine. This Earl died of dysentery at the Siege of Harfleur
whilst with Henry V
on his Agincourt
campaign of 1415. The Earl's son, who was with his father, succeeded to the title but was killed a few weeks later whilst fighting with the King at the actual battle of Agincourt. The title then passed to the second son William who was 15 years old at the time.
St Andrew's church contains fifteen, 15th century misericord
s It is worth noting that they bear more than a family resemblance to those at Sutton Courtenay
now in Oxfordshire, but pre-1974, in Berkshire, and those at Soham
in Cambridgeshire.
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...
in the English
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...
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...
. It is found 7 miles (11.3 km) east of Diss
Diss
Diss is a town in Norfolk, England close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk.The town lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers . The mere is up to deep, although there is another of mud, making it one of the deepest natural inland lakes...
, signposted off B1118, near Eye
Eye, Suffolk
Eye is a small market town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove.Eye is twinned with the town of Pouzauges in the Vendée Departement of France.-History:An island...
.
Wingfield Castle
Wingfield Castle, Wingfield, Suffolk, England was the ancestral home of the Wingfield family and their heirs, the De La Poles, Earls and Dukes of Suffolk, but is now a private house....
, which is now a private house, was for many centuries the home of the Wingfield family and their heirs, the De La Poles, Earls and Dukes of Suffolk
Earl of Suffolk
Earl of Suffolk is a title that has been created four times in the Peerage of England. The first creation, in tandem with the creation of the title of Earl of Norfolk, came before 1069 in favour of Ralph the Staller; but the title was forfeited by his heir, Ralph de Guader, in 1074...
. The Wingfields were a very ancient family and Sir John de Wingfield
John de Wingfield
Sir John de Wingfield was chief administrator to Edward the Black Prince. He and both his brothers fought at Crecy in 1346. He fought in the Normandy campaign from 1347-48. He was appointed 'governor of the prince's business' to Edward the Black Prince round about 1351...
was chief of staff to the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
.
Sir John de Wingfield founded the church at Wingfield and his tomb can be found within it.
Wingfield College is a remnant of the college founded by Sir John de Wingfield
John de Wingfield
Sir John de Wingfield was chief administrator to Edward the Black Prince. He and both his brothers fought at Crecy in 1346. He fought in the Normandy campaign from 1347-48. He was appointed 'governor of the prince's business' to Edward the Black Prince round about 1351...
in 1362 and endowed by the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Prince of Aquitaine, KG was the eldest son of King Edward III of England and his wife Philippa of Hainault as well as father to King Richard II of England....
in his will. The college had a master, nine secular chaplains and three choral scholarships for boys. These persons were required to live at the college, pray for Sir John, the Black Prince and Edward III, run a boarding school and minister to the parish. In 1542, however, the college was dissolved and a large part was demolished. The remaining wings were remodelled in Palladian style
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
in the 18th century. It was not until a previous owner, Ian Chance, came into possession that restoration revealed the 14th century structure. Since 1981, Wingfield College has run a regular series of concerts, recitals and lectures, with exhibitions including ceramics, textiles and contemporary art and a creative arts visitor centre, Wingfield Arts. This venture closed in 2003 due to lack of funding, but the restored buildings in 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of gardens, ponds, garden sculpture and a play garden re-opened in April 2009 as Wingfield Barns under the stewardship of Mid-Suffolk District Council. In 2009 a Community Interest Company (CIC) was formed to formally take on the leasehold of the buildings and run the artistic programming and venue hirings.
Sir John Wingfield's daughter and heiress married Michael de la Pole
Michael de la Pole, 1st Earl of Suffolk
Michael de la Pole, 1st Baron de la Pole, later 1st Earl of Suffolk was an English financier and Lord Chancellor of England.- Life :...
, later 1st Earl of Suffolk. Their great grandson, John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk
John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, KG , known as "the Trimming Duke". He was the son of William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk and Alice Chaucer, daughter of Thomas Chaucer.-Life:...
, married Princess Elizabeth of York
Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk
Elizabeth of York, Duchess of Suffolk was the sixth child and third daughter of Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York and Cecily Neville....
, sister to Kings Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
and Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
. Their son, John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln was King Richard's heir and attempted to claim the English Throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
. His brother, Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk
Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk, 6th Earl of Suffolk , Duke of Suffolk, was a son of John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk and his wife Elizabeth of York.-Family:...
, followed him and was therefore imprisoned by his rival, King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. He was then beheaded, without trial, on the orders of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
who then confiscated the castle and the De La Pole estates for himself.
To the north of the modern day college is the great 14th century church. Here visitors can see fine church monument
Church monument
A church monument is an architectural or sculptural memorial to a dead person or persons, located within a Christian church. It can take various forms, from a simple wall tablet to a large and elaborate structure which may include an effigy of the deceased person and other figures of familial or...
s of Sir John de Wingfield
John de Wingfield
Sir John de Wingfield was chief administrator to Edward the Black Prince. He and both his brothers fought at Crecy in 1346. He fought in the Normandy campaign from 1347-48. He was appointed 'governor of the prince's business' to Edward the Black Prince round about 1351...
and the De la Pole family. The church contains the effigy of Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, and his wife Katherine. This Earl died of dysentery at the Siege of Harfleur
Siege of Harfleur
The siege of Harfleur, Normandy, France began 18 August 1415 and ended on 22 September when Harfleur surrendered to the English.-Background:Henry V invaded France following the failure of negotiations with the French...
whilst with Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
on his Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
campaign of 1415. The Earl's son, who was with his father, succeeded to the title but was killed a few weeks later whilst fighting with the King at the actual battle of Agincourt. The title then passed to the second son William who was 15 years old at the time.
St Andrew's church contains fifteen, 15th century misericord
Misericord
A misericord is a small wooden shelf on the underside of a folding seat in a church, installed to provide a degree of comfort for a person who has to stand during long periods of prayer.-Origins:...
s It is worth noting that they bear more than a family resemblance to those at Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Courtenay is a village and civil parish on the River Thames south of Abingdon and northwest of Didcot. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Today:...
now in Oxfordshire, but pre-1974, in Berkshire, and those at Soham
Soham
Soham is a small town in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It lies just off the A142 between Ely and Newmarket . Its population is 9,102 , and it is within the district of East Cambridgeshire.-Archaeology:...
in Cambridgeshire.
External links
- Diss Express - village's local newspaper website
- Wingfield Barns - website for Wingfield Barns