Westleton Duck Pond
(Photo: Roy Jones)
The village of Westleton is
situated some 2 miles in from the Suffolk coast
roughly mid-way between Ipswich and Lowestoft and approximately 100
miles from London.
It is set in a landscape of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and within the parish lies the internationally renowned
Minsmere Reserve, owned and managed by the RSPB.
Westleton Heath National Nature Reserve and parts of Dunwich Forest
also lie within the parish.
The majority of the 500 or so inhabitants live close to the
B1125 Blythburgh to Leiston road, the remainder living in scattered
cottages and farmhouses in this otherwise agricultural
landscape.
St Peters Church in Winter
(Photo: Hillas Smith)
The Village Hall and St Peters Church are the focal points of
village activities, whilst the White Horse and The Crown are the
main social centres.
The parish of Westleton is bounded by the parishes of Dunwich,
Darsham, Middleton cum Fordley and Theberton cum Eastbridge.
The placename Westleton (or Westledestuna as it appeared in the
Domesday Book of 1086) is believed to derive from the Old Norse
Vestlithi (a personal name) and Old English tun
i.e. Vestlithi's homestead.
Westleton Village Panorama
(Photo: Roy Jones)
Westleton Wild Flower
Festival 2009
(Photo: Irene
Lucas)