Woolverstone
Encyclopedia
Woolverstone is a village and civil parish
in the Babergh
district of Suffolk
in eastern England
. In 2005 it had a population of 240.
The village is situated close to the southern shore of the Orwell
estuary in Suffolk
, England
. It is located on the Shotley peninsula, around 6.4 km (4 mi) south of Ipswich
The village is home to Ipswich High School
for Girls, which moved to this site in 1992 after having been well established in Ipswich
since 1878. The village is also home to Woolverstone Marina and The Royal Harwich Yacht Club along with a number of small family run businesses.
The area is served by primary schools at Chelmondiston
, Holbrook
, Tattingstone
and Shotley
and the nearest secondary school at Holbrook High School, which shares a site with the Peninsula Sports Centre.
There is a regular bus service (route 202) from Ipswich Old Cattle Market to Shotley Marina which passes through the village.
The parish church is dedicated to St Michael in the Church of England Diocese of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich
, beaker sherds and flints from the Bronze Age
, sherds and a brooch from the Romans
and also a coin and brooch from the Saxons
. Two separate holdings were recorded in the Domesday survey of 1086, including woodlands for 15 pigs and 10 acres belonging to the Church.
There is a very detailed account of the Parish of Woolverstone and surrounding area between 1639 to 1661 in the book entitled
The English Home Of Mr. Timothy Dalton, B.A.
(Grade I).
The Widows’ Homes have monkeys on the roof and are said to relate to an incident where a pet monkey saved a child of the Berners family from a fire.
The Cat House (a Gothic style house) is reputed to have belonged to a man who was sympathetic to boats carrying contraband along the river. When his favoured cat died he had it stuffed and when he could see that no customs boats were patrolling the river, he put it in the window to signal that the “coast was clear.”
Woolverstone House was designed in 1901 by “arts and crafts” architect Sir Edwin Lutyens and was built for Mrs C Berners, a lay sister of the East End Sisters of Mercy. The original Gertrude Jekyll
gardens have been restored and replanted and the sunken garden is also given grade II status.
with the Royal Harwich Yacht Club nearby. Woolverstone marina is one of 21 locations owned and operated by Marina Developments Limited (MDL). There are the normal marina facilities which include Buttermans Bar and restaurant and chandlery. There is also a family business based at Woolverstone Marina supplying leisure and marine products for campers, caravanners and yachtsmen.
The nearby Royal Harwich Yacht club is a Victorian yacht club formed in 1843 and has had many Royal connections; Prince Philip is the current Patron. The yacht club moved to its present site soon after the World War II
after their previous premises had been demolished for the expansion of the Navy Yard at Harwich. In 1993 floating pontoons were stationed at the bottom of the Club lawn which then provided the club with their own Marina.
The Royal Harwich Yacht Club supports The Woolverstone Project. This project has Paul Heiney
as Patron and provides sailing for people with disabilities at Woolverstone and the nearby Alton Water
reservoir.
Spring Lodge Care Home was formerly the parsonage to Woolverstone Hall
, which explains the buildings grand yet tranquil appearance. This residential and dementia
care home is located at the heart of the village and provides a home to 28 elderly people, within the home is 20 single rooms and 4 companion rooms.
Educated at Woolverstone Hall School
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 Babergh
Babergh
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 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 eastern 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...
. In 2005 it had a population of 240.
The village is situated close to the southern shore of the 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...
estuary in 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...
. It is located on the Shotley peninsula, around 6.4 km (4 mi) south 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...
The village is home to Ipswich High School
Ipswich High School
Ipswich High School is a girls' independent school located at Woolverstone, near the town of Ipswich, England. It was founded in 1872 and is one of the schools of the Girls' Day School Trust.-History:...
for Girls, which moved to this site in 1992 after having been well established in 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...
since 1878. The village is also home to Woolverstone Marina and The Royal Harwich Yacht Club along with a number of small family run businesses.
Facilities
The main part of the village is situated either side of the Ipswich to Shotley road (B1456). The village itself has no pubs, shops or Post Office; however it has a village hall, church and popular marina where there is a chandlery for provisions and a local bar and restaurant named Buttermans.The area is served by primary schools at Chelmondiston
Chelmondiston
Chelmondiston is a small village and civil parish in Suffolk, England, on the south bank of the River Orwell, located five miles south-east of Ipswich. It was formerly known as Chelmington and was located in the old Hundred of Babergh.-Churches:...
, Holbrook
Holbrook, Suffolk
Holbrook is a village situated close to the northern shore of the Stour estuary in Suffolk, England. It is located on the Shotley peninsula in Babergh district, around 8⅓ km south of Ipswich....
, Tattingstone
Tattingstone
Tattingstone is a village in Babergh district in Suffolk, about south of Ipswich with a population over 500. It is the location of Tattingstone Place and also of the folly known as the Tattingstone Wonder...
and Shotley
Shotley, Suffolk
Shotley is the parish giving its name to the peninsula between the River Orwell and the River Stour in Suffolk. The village of the same name is located about a mile northwest from the tip of the peninsula where the larger Shotley Gate village is...
and the nearest secondary school at Holbrook High School, which shares a site with the Peninsula Sports Centre.
There is a regular bus service (route 202) from Ipswich Old Cattle Market to Shotley Marina which passes through the village.
The parish church is dedicated to St Michael in the Church of England Diocese of St Edmundsbury & 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...
History
The name Woolverstone (originally Woluestun) is supposedly derived from Wulfhere, whose “tun” or enclosure was at its beginning. There have been numerous archaeological finds in the area including flint axes and an arrowhead believed NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
, beaker sherds and flints from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, sherds and a brooch from the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and also a coin and brooch from the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
. Two separate holdings were recorded in the Domesday survey of 1086, including woodlands for 15 pigs and 10 acres belonging to the Church.
There is a very detailed account of the Parish of Woolverstone and surrounding area between 1639 to 1661 in the book entitled
The English Home Of Mr. Timothy Dalton, B.A.
Listed Buildings
There are a number of notable buildings within Woolverstone including St Michaels’s Church (Grade II), Woolverstone House(Grade II) , Berners Hall (the Village hall) (Grade II) , The Widows’ Homes (Grade II), Cat House (Grade II) and Woolverstone HallWoolverstone Hall
Woolverstone Hall is a large country house, now in use as a school located south of the centre of Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It is set in on the banks of the River Orwell. Built in 1776 for William Berners by the architect John Johnson of Leicestershire, it is one of the finest examples of...
(Grade I).
The Widows’ Homes have monkeys on the roof and are said to relate to an incident where a pet monkey saved a child of the Berners family from a fire.
The Cat House (a Gothic style house) is reputed to have belonged to a man who was sympathetic to boats carrying contraband along the river. When his favoured cat died he had it stuffed and when he could see that no customs boats were patrolling the river, he put it in the window to signal that the “coast was clear.”
Woolverstone House was designed in 1901 by “arts and crafts” architect Sir Edwin Lutyens and was built for Mrs C Berners, a lay sister of the East End Sisters of Mercy. The original Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll
Gertrude Jekyll was an influential British garden designer, writer, and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the UK, Europe and the USA and contributed over 1,000 articles to Country Life, The Garden and other magazines.-Early life:...
gardens have been restored and replanted and the sunken garden is also given grade II status.
Other Details
Woolverstone Marina is set in 22 acres of glorious parkland on the picturesque River OrwellRiver 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...
with the Royal Harwich Yacht Club nearby. Woolverstone marina is one of 21 locations owned and operated by Marina Developments Limited (MDL). There are the normal marina facilities which include Buttermans Bar and restaurant and chandlery. There is also a family business based at Woolverstone Marina supplying leisure and marine products for campers, caravanners and yachtsmen.
The nearby Royal Harwich Yacht club is a Victorian yacht club formed in 1843 and has had many Royal connections; Prince Philip is the current Patron. The yacht club moved to its present site soon after the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
after their previous premises had been demolished for the expansion of the Navy Yard at Harwich. In 1993 floating pontoons were stationed at the bottom of the Club lawn which then provided the club with their own Marina.
The Royal Harwich Yacht Club supports The Woolverstone Project. This project has Paul Heiney
Paul Heiney
Paul Heiney has been a radio broadcaster or television reporter in the United Kingdom for over thirty years.-Early life:...
as Patron and provides sailing for people with disabilities at Woolverstone and the nearby Alton Water
Alton Water
Alton Water is a manmade reservoir. It is the largest in Suffolk, with a circumference of over 8 miles .-Construction:...
reservoir.
Spring Lodge Care Home was formerly the parsonage to Woolverstone Hall
Woolverstone Hall
Woolverstone Hall is a large country house, now in use as a school located south of the centre of Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It is set in on the banks of the River Orwell. Built in 1776 for William Berners by the architect John Johnson of Leicestershire, it is one of the finest examples of...
, which explains the buildings grand yet tranquil appearance. This residential and dementia
Dementia
Dementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
care home is located at the heart of the village and provides a home to 28 elderly people, within the home is 20 single rooms and 4 companion rooms.
Notable people
Educated at Ipswich High School for Girls (whilst based in Ipswich)- June BrownJune BrownJune Muriel Brown, MBE is a British actress, best known for her role as the busy-body, chain-smoking gossip Dot Cotton in the long-running British soap opera EastEnders and for making other high profile television appearances on shows such as Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill and...
(Dot Cotton) - Enid BlytonEnid BlytonEnid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
Educated at Woolverstone Hall School
- Phill JupitusPhill JupitusPhillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
- Ian McEwanIan McEwanIan Russell McEwan CBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist and screenwriter, and one of Britain's most highly regarded writers. In 2008, The Times named him among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945"....
- Martin OffiahMartin OffiahMartin Offiah MBE is an English former rugby league and rugby union footballer.He is known as "Chariots" Offiah after the film Chariots of Fire...
- See other names and information at Wikipedia site Woolverstone hallWoolverstone HallWoolverstone Hall is a large country house, now in use as a school located south of the centre of Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It is set in on the banks of the River Orwell. Built in 1776 for William Berners by the architect John Johnson of Leicestershire, it is one of the finest examples of...