Bramfield, Suffolk

History

The village grew up as a crossroads location near the source of a tributary of the River Blyth. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Bufelda, a large village of 42 households held by Count Alan of Brittany. In the medieval period a main route between the port of Dunwich and Bury St Edmunds crossed the modern day A144 road in the centre of the village. The village retains its basic cross plan, having developed around the crossroads.

Some Bronze Age and Iron Age archaeological sites have been identified close to the village and a number of medieval sites have been identified, including a scheduled ringwork 83 m in diameter known as Castle Yard south-east of the village. A market was held in the village until the 16th century. The economy has always been based around agriculture, including the linen industry which developed in the Waveney valley area to the north. Malting and milling were important economically from the 18th century. The village had two windmills, with post mills, which were demolished in 1904 and 1944.

Geography

The village lies near the source of a tributary of the River Blyth and the main street is situated along the river valley. An area of sandlings is found in the east of the parish, with the village itself on the eastern edge of the "High Suffolk" clay plateau.

Culture and community

Most of the village has been designated as a conservation area by East Suffolk District Council since 1987. a pub, village hall, garage and butchers. Local services have declined since the 1980s.

Bramfield House School is 1 mi west of the village on the road to Walpole. It is a residential school catering for boys aged 7 to 18 with special educational needs.

Nationally renowned poet Roger Langley lived in the village following his retirement as a teacher and much of his work was inspired by the countryside around Bramfield and carvings in the village church. Langley was posthumously awarded the 2011 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem, for "To a Nightingale".

Landmarks

There are a number of listed buildings in Bramfield.

St Andrew's Church

Main article: St Andrew's Church, Bramfield

The 14th century parish church with its 12th century detached round tower, is dedicated to St Andrew. It is the only example of a detached round tower church in Suffolk. Both the church and its tower are Grade I listed buildings.

Bramfield Hall

Bramfield Hall dates from the 16th century but was substantially altered and extended in the 18th century. Built of red brick in three storeys to an H-shaped floorplan, it has a symmetrical 9-bay late 18th century frontage with projecting wings. The boundary wall of the estate is a crinkle crankle wall built in a wavy line for extra stability. The hall itself is a Grade II* listed building.

The hall was the home of the Rabett family for several centuries. It was later the home of Gladwyn Jebb, the 1st Baron Gladwyn of Bramfield, who was the acting Secretary-General of the United Nations on its formation in 1945 and is buried in the village at St Andrew's church.

Notable people

• Thomas Higham (1795 - 1844), antiquary and topographical engraver

References

References

1. [http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11121060&c=IP19+9AB&d=16&e=62&g=6467287&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=0&s=1442586008953&enc=1 Parish population 2011], Neighbourhood statistics, [[Office for National Statistics]]. Retrieved 2016-08-28.
2. [http://www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/assets/Documents/District/Planning-policy/CA-appraisals/Bramfield-CA-Appraisal-Draft-Revised-Standard-Res.pdf Bramfield Conservation Area appraisal], Suffolk Coastal District Council, December 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
3. [http://opendomesday.org/place/TM3973/bramfield/ Bramfield], Open Domesday. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
4. [http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MSF1946&resourceID=1017 Scheduled Monument - 'Castle Yard' earthworks, Scheduled Ancient Monument], Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
5. [http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/establishment/summary.xhtml?urn=124722 Bramfield Primary School], Department for Education. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
6. [http://www.bramfield.net Welcome to Bramfield Website], Bramfield.net. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
7. [http://infolink.suffolk.gov.uk/kb5/suffolk/infolink/service.page?id=ZDJlo85ciH0 Bramfield House School - Halesworth], Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
8. [http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/suffolk/bramfield Bramfield], British Listed Buildings]. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
9. [http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-285616-st-andrews-church-bramfield-suffolk#.VidLUbzYDFI St Andrews Church, Bramfield], British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
10. [http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-285615-tower-of-st-andrews-church-bramfield-suf#.VidLV7zYDFI Tower of St Andrews Church, Bramfield], British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
11. [http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/bramfield.htm St Andrew, Bramfield], Suffolk Churches. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
12. [http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-285590-bramfield-hall-bramfield-suffolk#.VidPq7zYDFI Bramfield Hall, Bramfield], British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
13. [http://www.bramfield.net/history/ A Brief History of Bramfield], Bramfield.net. Retrieved 2014-03-29.