Tuddenham St Mary is situated between Cavenham and Barton Mills,
3 ½ miles southeast of Mildenhall and 9 miles northwest of Bury St
Edmunds. It was the runner–up in this year’s Suffolk Village of the
Year competition.
The name, Tuddenham, dates back to AD 854 and is derived from
the Anglo Saxon ‘Tudda’s home’.
Church
St Mary’s church comprises a chancel, nave, tower and south
aisle and dates mainly from the 14th century. The church is built
of stone, flint and rubble. It underwent a thorough restoration in
1876 which included a new roof, new pews and a new organ.
Tuddenham’s chapel dates from 1952. It replaced an older flint
building which was damaged by a second world war bomb and later
demolished.
The history of
Tuddenham
John the first Earl of Bristol acquired the water mill and manor
of Tuddenham and his succeeding family went on to acquire
substantial amounts of land and property within Tuddenham.
The present water mill was built in 1775 and was worked until
1954. It remained derelict until 1972 when it was converted into a
restaurant, retaining the working water wheel as a feature.
John Cockerton was the founder of the free school, leaving
property and land in his will to the minister and churchwardens to
provide a free school for the poor boys and girls of the
village.
Nature Reserve
The Cavenham Heath National Nature Reserve, managed by English
Nature, is situated on the boundary of Tuddenham. The area is
mainly heathland but also has a variety of wetland habitats along
the banks of the River Lark. A series of footpaths and an
illustrated trail gives visitors an opportunity to see a variety of
birds and plant life.
For more information clic
k here to visit the
English Nature website
Tuddenham today
On the village green stands the village sign, along with a
memorial to the RAF’s bases in the area. There are a list of planes
that flew from Tuddenham over the decades, including the Avro 504,
Sopwith Camel and Bristol
Blenheim.