Battisford

Battisford
St. Mary's church, Battisford
Battisford
Location within Suffolk
Interactive map of Battisford
Population482 [1] (2001 census)
458 (2011 census)[2]
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townStowmarket
Postcode districtIP14

Battisford is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. The village is about 4 miles (6 km) south of Stowmarket, and is directly alongside Wattisham Airfield.

History

Historically it was located in Bosmere and Claydon Hundred. The Knights of St. John had a preceptory for Suffolk at Battisford. In the 12th century Henry II granted the Battisford Preceptory land in East Bergholt.[3]

Oak timber from Battisford Common was used in the construction of the original Royal Exchange, London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The large timber framework was reportedly assembled at Battisford Tye before being dismantled and transported to London, where it formed the structural frame of Sir Thomas Gresham’s exchange building at Cornhill.[4]

The village contains a Parish Church, a Free Church, a Community Centre - which holds the pre-school playgroup - and a village green, containing a play area. The main road which runs through Battisford is Straight Road, being very straight and over a mile long. The village pub, The Punch Bowl, is a registered Community Interest Company (CIC), and is the very first of its kind in Suffolk.

In 1901 the population was 390, and the parish covered 1 542 acres.[5]: 26 

In 1983, Battisford declared its independence just for one day, from the United Kingdom.

References

  1. ^ "United Kingdom Census 2001 Neighbourhood Statistics Parish Profile (People)". Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  2. ^ "Civil Parish population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  3. ^ "House of Knights Hospitaller: Preceptory of Battisford", in A History of the County of Suffolk: Volume 2, ed. William Page London (1975)
  4. ^ "Battisford Parish History" (PDF). Suffolk Heritage Explorer. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  5. ^ Barker, Horace R. (1909). East Suffolk Illustrated. Bury St Edmunds: Frederick George Pawsey.

Media related to Battisford at Wikimedia Commons