Long Melford
Its name is derived from the nature of the village's layout (originally concentrated along a 3-mile stretch of a single road) and the Mill ford crossing the Chad Brook (a tributary of the River Stour).Prehistoric finds discovered in 2011 have shown that early settlement of what is now known as Long Melford dates back to the Mesolithic period, up to 8300 BC.[3] In June 2013, some archaeological evidence of a Saxon and Bronze Age settlement in the northern area of the village was discovered by Carenza Lewis and her team from Cambridge University during a student dig.The hall was sacked and plundered and the Countess fled to Bury St Edmunds, then to London where eventually she was imprisoned for debt and died a pauper.[citation needed] By the end of the 17th century, cloth production had once again become important in the area as many new entrepreneurs started to produce a range of materials known as 'Bays and Says', similar to baize and serge.[8] Soon after the beginning of the 19th century, a range of new industries such as horsehair weaving, an iron foundry, a flax works and coconut matting production started in Melford.Prince Bertie, who later became King Edward VII, together with Princess Alexandra visited the village in November 1865, and large archways were constructed at key points in their honour to welcome them in, with the crowds.[citation needed] Injured airmen, troops from the D-Day landings and prisoners of war were treated at the large nearby 136th Station Hospital, located between Long Melford and Acton.[citation needed] By the end of the war, two B24 Liberators, one B17 Flying Fortress and one RAF de Havilland Mosquito had crashed in the parish with over twenty persons killed or injured.[citation needed] Numerous pillboxes and temporary gun emplacements were constructed in the village during the war, and in 2012 a previously unknown underground bunker room was located.[22][23][24] These trees were included in a 1940 painting by the watercolourist S. R. Badmin in his picture 'Long Melford Green on a Frosty Morning', now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.This was formed by gravel excavations for nearby airfields during the second world war, leaving some large, attractive lakes with wildlife habitats and walking areas for visitors.Long Melford was visited by Daniel Defoe, who mentioned the village in his book A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain."[26] Between 1962 and 1967 Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten organised a series of Bach Weekends at Holy Trinity Church,[27][28] with guests including the English Chamber Orchestra.
Holy Trinity ChurchSuffolkDensityOS grid referenceCivil parishDistrictBaberghShire countyRegionCountryEnglandSovereign statePost townSudburyPostcode districtDialling codePoliceAmbulanceEast of EnglandUK ParliamentSouth SuffolkRiver StourColchesterBury St Edmundswool townsMesolithicRomansRoman roadsChelmsfordPakenhamsamian wareBronze AgeCarenza LewisAbbey of St EdmundsburyEarl AlfricDomesday BookmeadowKentwellPeasants' Revolttreasonwool churchfree menGuildsDissolution of the MonasteriesHenry VIIISir William CordellplagueEnglish Civil WarElizabeth Savage, Countess RiversCatholicRoyalistSt OsythbroadclothsRiot ActWorld War IIRAF LavenhamRAF SudburyBerkshireBlack Watch RegimentsD-Day landingsprisoners of warGlenn MillerBorleyLakenheathMildenhallWethersfieldde Havilland MosquitoNethergate BreweryBabergh District CouncilSuffolk County Councilelectoral wardAlphetonparish churchSimon JenkinsEdward the ConfessorJohn CloptonKentwell HallEast Angliaflushworkchantrystained-glassEdmund BlundenFirst World WaralmshouseWilliam Cordellcountry housesMelford HallElizabeth Iwool tradeMiddle AgesNational TrustElizabethan stylerailway stationStour Valley LineHaverhillIpswichNon-League footballLong Melford F.C.Eastern Counties LeagueS. R. BadminVictoria and Albert MuseumListondisused railway lineGuy Fawkes NightDaniel DefoeA tour thro' the whole island of Great BritainPeter PearsBenjamin BrittenEnglish Chamber OrchestraChristmas OratorioBBC TelevisionLovejoyWitch Finder GeneralTerry JonesWind in the WillowsMichael WoodTulip FeverSir Roger MartynWorld War IMignon NevadaRichard SeamanNevill CobboldHenry Wickham SteedThe TimesJohn StearneBury St Edmunds witch trials