This month, our village of the month is Blythburgh, a small village in NE Suffolk situated where the A12 crosses the river Blyth. Just under 100 miles from London and 4 miles from the North Sea at Southwold.

Blythburgh is set within a vast array of beautiful landscape from tidal river to heathland and small woods to arable fields. It is not suprising that the area is popular with visitors seeking relaxation.

Church

Blythburgh's magnificent church is a striking landmark for travellers along the A12. When Christianity came to Suffolk in the early seventh century, Blythburgh was one its most important centres. The village is said to be the burial place for the bodies of the Saxon King Anna and his son who met their deaths in the battle of Bulcamp, against Penda, the Pagan King of Mercia .

At the time of the Norman Conquest the wealth of the church was ten times the average for Suffolk, one of the richest counties of  England. However, the church became unused for many years in the 17th Century due to its near collapse, and would have suffered a similar fate to that of many other churches in the area had it not have been for a national campaign in the 1880s to restore and reopen it.

Superstitions

During a great storm in 1577 which brought down the church steeple, a black dog was said to have ran through the church killing two parishioners. The devil was blamed for the storm and the scorchmarks he made when he left are still visible on the church door today.

Tobys Walks in Blythburgh, so called for being the haunting ground for Tobias Gill, a member of the Suffolk Regiment who was hanged in 1750 for murdering a local servant girl on the common. Many locals believe he was innocent and his restless spirit is said to still roam the heathland around Blythburgh.

Blythburgh today

Today Blythburgh is popular with birdwatchers, walkers and artists who come to take in the estuary views, and the footpath which runs down beside the estuary is well worth a walk.

The focal point of village life is the White Hart Inn which now houses the village shop and post office in a converted coal barn on its grounds. The shop and post office are well supported by the villagers and also benefits from passing trade from the A12.

For more about Blythburgh visit the website at www.blythweb.co.uk