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History of Great Waldingfield

The discovery of a number of artefacts suggests that the village existed during the Bronze Age and the Roman occupation of Britain, but the first record of the village’s existence is from the Domesday Book of 1086, in which the village was listed as Walingafella Magna with three Saxon manors and an area of around 3,000 acres (12 km²). Located on the major thoroughfare between the wool town of Lavenham and Sudbury, the village was well-placed to benefit from the trade boom in the late Middle Ages.

An outbreak of Bubonic plague in 1626 reduced the population by at least 10%, going from 513 in 1611 to 459 in 1631.

In 1648, during the siege of Colchester (part of the English Civil War) Cromwell’s Ironsides were billeted in the village, an area which became Garrison Lane. Soldiers were stationed in the village after the war before being demobilised.

The 1851 Census tells us that the village had a population of 659, with 140 agricultural labourers, 58 scholars, 46 paupers and 20 farmers. By 1901 this has dropped to 462 as a result of many people moving away to seek work following job losses arising from importation of basic goods.

The Great War witnessed the permanent loss of another 34 village men, and a flu epidemic – combined with the depression of the 1920s – saw the numbers fall even further, 363 being recorded in 1921 and only 348 in 1931.

The Church of St. Lawrence, a Grade 1 listed building, dates back to the 14th century. There was, however, a church on the site for some time before that – since before the Norman conquest in fact. The greatest change probably happened in 1869 after the then rector (W.D. Bailey) visited the Holy Land. In the chancel there is a mosaic of marble fragments from Rome and granite from the Holy Land.

During World War II an airfield was built adjacent to the village. The airfield was completed in 1943 and handed over to the USAAF on 23 March 1944. With three runways, the airfield was home to the 486th Bombardment Group. First flying B-24 Liberators and then B-17 Flying Fortresses. Remains of the old runways are still visable today.

Contacts

BOWLS CLUB Bowls & Social Club

BRAITHWAITE ALLOTMENT TRUST

Reverend Faith Marsden. 01787 312002 femarsden@hotmail.co.uk

COMMUNITY WOODLAND (Branchlines)

David Taylor, Chairman 01787 373541

FIRST FRIENDS PRE SCHOOL

01787 882473 ffpsnursery@hotmail.com

GREAT WALDINGFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

01787 374055. admin@greatwaldingfield.suffolk.sch.uk

GW EVENTS TEAM

gwevents@aol.com

PARISH COUNCIL

Mark Freeman – Clerk 07922 336386. parishclerk.gwpc@greatwaldingfield.uk

John Evans – Chair. jevans.gwpc@greatwaldingfield.uk

ST LAWRENCE CHURCH

Revd Faith Marsden. 01787 312002. femarsden@hotmail.co.uk

VILLAGE HALL Village Hall

VILLAGE WEBSITE

www.greatwaldingfield.uk

JUBILEE GARDEN

Chris and Anne Francis 01787 370734 or Linda Lutz 07773 161419

WHITE HORSE PUB

Pauline 01787 37131