Aldringham-cum-Thorpe is a lovely Parish to live in, as I do, down a quiet woodland lane, full of birds and other wildlife, with good neighbours and friends throughout the Parish. From my doorstep I take wonderful walks along the many paths of the Parish, barely touching a road, through farmland, woodland, heath grazed by Exmoor ponies and along the coast, enjoying the beautiful countryside and it’s flora and fauna.

The villages of Aldringham and Thorpeness, and part of the hamlet of Sizewell make up the slightly incongruous Parish of Aldringham-cum-Thorpe. Aldringham was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, as Alrincham, probably the home of Aldhere, Thorpe is an old Scandanavian name for an outlying farmstead or hamlet and Sizewell may be named after Syse’s well.

The Parish is about 20 miles north east of Ipswich on the Suffolk coast in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. At the last Census the population was 745 in 377 homes within an area of about three square miles. The once navigable but now small Hundred River was the original southern boundary of the Parish and still drains the landscape alongside marshes and fens. It feeds into Thorpeness Meare before reaching the sea via a sluice gate between Thorpeness and Aldeburgh.

History

Aldringham is a quiet, spread out village, largely along the B1122 between Leiston and Aldeburgh. At it’s original centre is a 16th century smuggling inn, the Parrot and Punchbowl, these days offering good food and drink and a warm welcome. Reputedly, a tunnel exists from here to the church! Some of the older cottages are nearby on the main road and by the village green along Mill Hill, though in 1922 the windmill was moved to Thorpeness, two miles to the east, to pump water to the tank in the House in the Clouds. Aldringham was home to the architect, poet and artist, Cecil Lay and several of his unusually designed houses adorn the Parish

Originally Thorpe, a small fishing hamlet, Thorpeness was created by Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie as a fantasy holiday village early in the 20th century, sporting stylish black and white mock Tudor houses around The Meare, an artificial boating lake inspired by J.M.Barrie’s Peter Pan. The House in the Clouds is now unusual holiday accommodation and the Conservation Area village boasts a well established golf course, Country Club, a Sports and Social Club, Village Stores, the Dolphin public house and two cafes, all these buzzing with activity during the holiday season.

Sizewell beach was a favourite spot for smugglers, today enjoyed by local people, holiday makers and anglers, with it’s crumbling cliffs providing several grand houses with lovely sea views.

The Church

The small, pretty church dedicated to St Andrew stands on a hill between Aldringham and Thorpeness. Built in the 12th century by Ranulph de Glanville, who fought with Richard the Lionheart, the church once had a tower. It was in a dilapidated state when the building was completely renovated by the Victorians, though the 15th century Font and 13th century blocked Priests’ Door hint at it’s earlier origins. The windows demonstrate the generosity of the Gannon family during the renovation, and memorials and tombs show their status in the community. There are more impressive tombs and memorials to the Oglivies who lived at Sizewell Hall, building the almshouses next to the church and those in Leiston Road in Aldringham.

A new vestry was added in 2005, and the church is currently undergoing further renovation and is closed until 6 November, 2009. The churchyard is a wildflower conservation area; a picture in spring and summer. Services and other events are regularly held at the church.

To find our more visit the Aldringham-cum-Thorpe website or better still visit the villages!

Thanks to Louise Chadwick who sent in this feature and dedicates it to the fond memory of Bob Burke, who set up the website early in 2007, but after a courageous battle with illness sadly died in July 2009.
If you would like your village featured on Village of the Month then email kerry.burn@onesuffolk.co.uk.