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'''Suffolk''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ʌ|f|ə|k}} is an [[East Anglia]]n [[Non-metropolitan counties of England|county]] of [[Historic counties of England|historic origin]] in England. It has borders with [[Norfolk]] to the north, [[Cambridgeshire]] to the west and [[Essex]] to the south. The [[North Sea]] lies to the east. The [[county town]] is [[Ipswich]]; other important towns include [[Lowestoft]], [[Bury St Edmunds]], [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]] and [[Felixstowe]], one of the largest [[Containerization|container]] ports in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 50 Container Ports in Europe|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717225024/http://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/global-trade/top-50-world-container-ports|publisher=World Shipping Council|accessdate=17 July 2015}}</ref>
'''Suffolk''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ʌ|f|ə|k}} is an [[East Anglia]]n [[Non-metropolitan counties of England|county]] of [[Historic counties of England|historic origin]] in England. It has borders with [[Norfolk]] to the north, [[Cambridgeshire]] to the west and [[Essex]] to the south. The [[North Sea]] lies to the east. The [[county town]] is [[Ipswich]]; other important towns include [[Lowestoft]], [[Bury St Edmunds]], [[Newmarket, Suffolk|Newmarket]] and [[Felixstowe]], one of the largest [[Containerization|container]] ports in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 50 Container Ports in Europe |url=http://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/global-trade/top-50-world-container-ports |publisher=World Shipping Council |accessdate=17 July 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20150511185057/http://www.worldshipping.org/about-the-industry/global-trade/top-50-world-container-ports |archivedate=11 May 2015 }}</ref>


The county is low-lying with very few hills, and is largely [[arable land]] with the wetlands of [[the Broads]] in the north. The [[Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB|Suffolk Coast and Heaths]] are an [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]].
The county is low-lying with very few hills, and is largely [[arable land]] with the wetlands of [[the Broads]] in the north. The [[Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB|Suffolk Coast and Heaths]] are an [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]].
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In 2007 the [[Department for Communities and Local Government]] referred [[Ipswich|Ipswich Borough Council]]'s bid to become a new [[unitary authority]] to the [[Boundary Committee for England|Boundary Committee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unitaryipswich.com/ |title=unitaryipswich.com |publisher=unitaryipswich.com |date= |accessdate=2015-06-06}}</ref><ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919132719/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1509022]</ref> The Boundary Committee consulted local bodies and reported in favour of the proposal. It was not, however, approved by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
In 2007 the [[Department for Communities and Local Government]] referred [[Ipswich|Ipswich Borough Council]]'s bid to become a new [[unitary authority]] to the [[Boundary Committee for England|Boundary Committee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unitaryipswich.com/ |title=unitaryipswich.com |publisher=unitaryipswich.com |date= |accessdate=2015-06-06}}</ref><ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919132719/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1509022]</ref> The Boundary Committee consulted local bodies and reported in favour of the proposal. It was not, however, approved by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.


Beginning in February 2008, the Boundary Committee again reviewed local government in the county, with two possible options emerging. One was that of splitting Suffolk into two unitary authorities – Ipswich & Felixstowe and Rural Suffolk; and the other, that of creating a single county-wide controlling authority – the "One Suffolk" option.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/boundary-reviews/all-reviews/eastern/suffolk/suffolk-structural-review|title=Suffolk structural review|publisher=The Electoral Commission|accessdate=21 September 2009}}</ref> In February 2010 the then-Minister [[Rosie Winterton]] announced that there would be no changes imposed on the structure of local government in the county as a result of the Review, but that the Government would be "asking Suffolk councils and MPs to reach a consensus on what unitary solution they want through a countywide constitutional convention".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1463715|title=Unitary authorities-Exeter and Norwich get green light; Suffolk to decide locally; no change for Norfolk and Devon|publisher=Department for Communities and Local Government|accessdate=10 February 2010}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Following the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|May 2010 General Election]], all further moves towards any of the suggested unitary solutions ceased on the instructions of the incoming [[First Cameron ministry|Coalition Government]], and the administrative structures of the county are therefore unchanged.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/159177711|title=Pickles stops unitary councils in Exeter, Norwich and Suffolk|publisher=Department for Communities and Local Government|accessdate=25 July 2010}}</ref>
Beginning in February 2008, the Boundary Committee again reviewed local government in the county, with two possible options emerging. One was that of splitting Suffolk into two unitary authorities – Ipswich & Felixstowe and Rural Suffolk; and the other, that of creating a single county-wide controlling authority – the "One Suffolk" option.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/boundary-reviews/all-reviews/eastern/suffolk/suffolk-structural-review|title=Suffolk structural review|publisher=The Electoral Commission|accessdate=21 September 2009}}</ref> In February 2010 the then-Minister [[Rosie Winterton]] announced that there would be no changes imposed on the structure of local government in the county as a result of the Review, but that the Government would be "asking Suffolk councils and MPs to reach a consensus on what unitary solution they want through a countywide constitutional convention".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1463715 |title=Unitary authorities-Exeter and Norwich get green light; Suffolk to decide locally; no change for Norfolk and Devon |publisher=Department for Communities and Local Government |accessdate=10 February 2010 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20100214005215/http://www.communities.gov.uk:80/news/corporate/1463715 |archivedate=14 February 2010 }}</ref> Following the [[United Kingdom general election, 2010|May 2010 General Election]], all further moves towards any of the suggested unitary solutions ceased on the instructions of the incoming [[First Cameron ministry|Coalition Government]], and the administrative structures of the county are therefore unchanged.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/159177711|title=Pickles stops unitary councils in Exeter, Norwich and Suffolk|publisher=Department for Communities and Local Government|accessdate=25 July 2010}}</ref>


{{see also|Local Government Act 2010|List of schools in Suffolk}}
{{see also|Local Government Act 2010|List of schools in Suffolk}}
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::''See also [[Geology of Suffolk]]''
::''See also [[Geology of Suffolk]]''


Located in the [[East of England]],<ref name=region>[http://ec.europa.eu/comm/eurostat/ramon/nuts/codelist_en.cfm?list=nuts ]{{dead link|date=June 2015}}</ref> much of Suffolk is low-lying, founded on [[Pleistocene]] [[sand]] and [[clay]]s. These rocks are relatively [[resistance (geology)|unresistant]] and the coast is [[erosion|eroding]] rapidly. [[Coastal defences]] have been used to protect several towns, but several cliff-top houses have been lost to coastal erosion and others are under threat. The continuing protection of the coastline and the estuaries, including the Blyth, Alde and Deben, has been, and remains, a matter of considerable discussion.<ref>[http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED28%20Oct%202008%2022%3A35%3A47%3A443 ]{{dead link|date=June 2015}}</ref>
Located in the [[East of England]],<ref name=region>[http://ec.europa.eu/comm/eurostat/ramon/nuts/codelist_en.cfm?list=nuts ] {{wayback|url=http://ec.europa.eu/comm/eurostat/ramon/nuts/codelist_en.cfm?list=nuts |date=20080407210313 |df=y }}</ref> much of Suffolk is low-lying, founded on [[Pleistocene]] [[sand]] and [[clay]]s. These rocks are relatively [[resistance (geology)|unresistant]] and the coast is [[erosion|eroding]] rapidly. [[Coastal defences]] have been used to protect several towns, but several cliff-top houses have been lost to coastal erosion and others are under threat. The continuing protection of the coastline and the estuaries, including the Blyth, Alde and Deben, has been, and remains, a matter of considerable discussion.<ref>[http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED28%20Oct%202008%2022%3A35%3A47%3A443 ] {{wayback|url=http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED28%20Oct%202008%2022%3A35%3A47%3A443 |date=20090925111900 |df=y }}</ref>


The coastal strip to the East contains an area of heathland known as "The Sandlings" which runs almost the full length of the coastline.<ref>[http://www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org/text.asp?PageId=48 ]{{dead link|date=June 2015}}</ref> Suffolk is also home to nature reserves, such as the [[Trimley Marshes]], a wetland under the protection of [[Suffolk Wildlife Trust]].
The coastal strip to the East contains an area of heathland known as "The Sandlings" which runs almost the full length of the coastline.<ref>[http://www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org/text.asp?PageId=48 ] {{wayback|url=http://www.suffolkcoastandheaths.org/text.asp?PageId=48 |date=20121018060912 |df=y }}</ref> Suffolk is also home to nature reserves, such as the [[Trimley Marshes]], a wetland under the protection of [[Suffolk Wildlife Trust]].


The west of the county lies on more resistant [[Cretaceous]] [[chalk]]. This chalk is responsible for a sweeping tract of largely [[downland]] landscapes that stretches from [[Dorset]] in the south west to [[Dover]] in the south east and north through East Anglia to the [[Yorkshire Wolds]]. The chalk is less easily eroded so forms the only significant hills in the county. The highest point of the county is [[Great Wood Hill]], the highest point of the [[Newmarket Ridge]], near the village of [[Rede, Suffolk|Rede]] which reaches {{convert|128|m|ft}}.
The west of the county lies on more resistant [[Cretaceous]] [[chalk]]. This chalk is responsible for a sweeping tract of largely [[downland]] landscapes that stretches from [[Dorset]] in the south west to [[Dover]] in the south east and north through East Anglia to the [[Yorkshire Wolds]]. The chalk is less easily eroded so forms the only significant hills in the county. The highest point of the county is [[Great Wood Hill]], the highest point of the [[Newmarket Ridge]], near the village of [[Rede, Suffolk|Rede]] which reaches {{convert|128|m|ft}}.
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==Demographics==
==Demographics==
The [[United Kingdom Census 2001|Census 2001]] Suffolk recorded a population of 668,553.<ref>[http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/FactsAndFigures/2001Census/ ]{{dead link|date=June 2015}}</ref> Between 1981 and 2001 the population of the county grew by 13%, with the district of [[Mid Suffolk]] growing fastest at 25%. The population growth is due largely to [[Human migration|migration]] rather than natural increase. There is a very low population between the ages of 15 and 29 as the county has few large towns and institutions of higher education, though the 15-to-29 population in Ipswich is average. There is a larger population over the age of 35, and a larger than average retired population.
The [[United Kingdom Census 2001|Census 2001]] Suffolk recorded a population of 668,553.<ref>[http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/FactsAndFigures/2001Census/ ] {{wayback|url=http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/Environment/FactsAndFigures/2001Census/ |date=20120308152605 |df=y }}</ref> Between 1981 and 2001 the population of the county grew by 13%, with the district of [[Mid Suffolk]] growing fastest at 25%. The population growth is due largely to [[Human migration|migration]] rather than natural increase. There is a very low population between the ages of 15 and 29 as the county has few large towns and institutions of higher education, though the 15-to-29 population in Ipswich is average. There is a larger population over the age of 35, and a larger than average retired population.


Historically, the county's population has mostly been employed as agricultural workers. An 1835 survey showed Suffolk to have 4,526 occupiers of land employing labourers, 1,121 occupiers not employing labourers, 33,040 labourers employed in agriculture, 676 employed in manufacture, 18,167 employed in retail trade or handicraft, 2,228 'capitalists, bankers etc.', 5,336 labourers (non-agricultural), 4,940 other males aged over 20, 2,032 male servants and 11,483 female servants.<ref>'The British Almanac' – 1835</ref> The same publication records the total population of the county at 296,304.
Historically, the county's population has mostly been employed as agricultural workers. An 1835 survey showed Suffolk to have 4,526 occupiers of land employing labourers, 1,121 occupiers not employing labourers, 33,040 labourers employed in agriculture, 676 employed in manufacture, 18,167 employed in retail trade or handicraft, 2,228 'capitalists, bankers etc.', 5,336 labourers (non-agricultural), 4,940 other males aged over 20, 2,032 male servants and 11,483 female servants.<ref>'The British Almanac' – 1835</ref> The same publication records the total population of the county at 296,304.
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{{See also|:Category:People from Suffolk|l1=People from Suffolk}}
{{See also|:Category:People from Suffolk|l1=People from Suffolk}}
In the arts, Suffolk is noted for having been the home to two of England's best regarded painters, [[Thomas Gainsborough]]<ref>{{cite web |publisher = Gainsborough's House |title= Biography |url=http://www.gainsborough.org/tg/biography.htm |accessdate=30 October 2008}}</ref> and [[John Constable]] – the Stour Valley area is branded as "Constable Country"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-flatfordbridgecottage/w-flatfordbridgecottage-walk.htm|title=Constable Country walk|publisher=[[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|The National Trust]]|accessdate=30 October 2008}}</ref> – and one of its most noted composers, [[Benjamin Britten]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/brittenb2.shtml|title=Interviews: Benjamin Britten 1913 – 1976|publisher=[[BBC Four]] online|accessdate=30 October 2008}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> Other artists of note from Suffolk include the [[cartoonist]] [[Carl Giles]] (a bronze statue of his character "Grandma" to commemorate this is located in [[Ipswich]] town centre), poets [[George Crabbe]] and [[Robert Bloomfield]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=89429&pageno=37|title=A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature|first=John W.|last=Cousin|publisher=Project Gutenberg|accessdate=30 October 2008}}</ref> writer and [[Literary editor]] [[Ronald Blythe]], actors [[Ralph Fiennes]] and [[Bob Hoskins]], actress and singer [[Kerry Ellis]], musician and record producer [[Brian Eno]], singer [[Dani Filth]], of the Suffolk-based [[extreme metal]] group, [[Cradle of Filth]], and singer-songwriter [[Ed Sheeran]]. [[Hip-hop]] DJ [[Tim Westwood]] is originally from Suffolk and the influential DJ and radio presenter [[John Peel]] made the county his home.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532070/John-Peel-leaves-his-wife-andpound1.5m,-oh,-and-25,000-records.html|title=John Peel leaves his wife £1.5m, oh, and 25,000 records|publisher=''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''|first=Adam|last=Lusher|date=21 October 2006|accessdate=14 November 2008}}</ref>
In the arts, Suffolk is noted for having been the home to two of England's best regarded painters, [[Thomas Gainsborough]]<ref>{{cite web |publisher = Gainsborough's House |title= Biography |url=http://www.gainsborough.org/tg/biography.htm |accessdate=30 October 2008}}</ref> and [[John Constable]] – the Stour Valley area is branded as "Constable Country"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-flatfordbridgecottage/w-flatfordbridgecottage-walk.htm|title=Constable Country walk|publisher=[[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|The National Trust]]|accessdate=30 October 2008}}</ref> – and one of its most noted composers, [[Benjamin Britten]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/brittenb2.shtml |title=Interviews: Benjamin Britten 1913 – 1976 |publisher=[[BBC Four]] online |accessdate=30 October 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/20070128154058/http://www.bbc.co.uk:80/bbcfour/audiointerviews/profilepages/brittenb2.shtml |archivedate=28 January 2007 }}</ref> Other artists of note from Suffolk include the [[cartoonist]] [[Carl Giles]] (a bronze statue of his character "Grandma" to commemorate this is located in [[Ipswich]] town centre), poets [[George Crabbe]] and [[Robert Bloomfield]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=89429&pageno=37|title=A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature|first=John W.|last=Cousin|publisher=Project Gutenberg|accessdate=30 October 2008}}</ref> writer and [[Literary editor]] [[Ronald Blythe]], actors [[Ralph Fiennes]] and [[Bob Hoskins]], actress and singer [[Kerry Ellis]], musician and record producer [[Brian Eno]], singer [[Dani Filth]], of the Suffolk-based [[extreme metal]] group, [[Cradle of Filth]], and singer-songwriter [[Ed Sheeran]]. [[Hip-hop]] DJ [[Tim Westwood]] is originally from Suffolk and the influential DJ and radio presenter [[John Peel]] made the county his home.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1532070/John-Peel-leaves-his-wife-andpound1.5m,-oh,-and-25,000-records.html|title=John Peel leaves his wife £1.5m, oh, and 25,000 records|publisher=''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''|first=Adam|last=Lusher|date=21 October 2006|accessdate=14 November 2008}}</ref>
One of Britain's leading contemporary painters, [[Maggi Hambling]], was born, and resides, in Suffolk.
One of Britain's leading contemporary painters, [[Maggi Hambling]], was born, and resides, in Suffolk.


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===Tertiary education===
===Tertiary education===
[[University Campus Suffolk]], a collaboration between the [[University of Essex]], the [[University of East Anglia]], partner colleges such as [[Suffolk New College]] and local government, began accepting its first students in September 2007. The main Ipswich based waterfront campus building is due for completion in September 2008.<ref>[http://www.ucs.ac.uk/prospectus/campuses.asp ]{{dead link|date=June 2015}}</ref> Prior to this Suffolk was one of the few English counties not to contain a university campus.
[[University Campus Suffolk]], a collaboration between the [[University of Essex]], the [[University of East Anglia]], partner colleges such as [[Suffolk New College]] and local government, began accepting its first students in September 2007. The main Ipswich based waterfront campus building is due for completion in September 2008.<ref>[http://www.ucs.ac.uk/prospectus/campuses.asp ] {{wayback|url=http://www.ucs.ac.uk/prospectus/campuses.asp |date=20120307114111 |df=y }}</ref> Prior to this Suffolk was one of the few English counties not to contain a university campus.


==Culture==
==Culture==

Revision as of 15:29, 27 August 2015

For other uses, see Suffolk (disambiguation).

Suffolk
Non-metropolitan and ceremonial county
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: 
"Guide Our Endeavour"
Suffolk within England
Coordinates: 52°10′N 1°00′E / 52.167°N 1.000°E / 52.167; 1.000
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast
EstablishedAncient
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
UK ParliamentList of MPs
PoliceSuffolk Constabulary
Ceremonial county
Lord LieutenantTimothy Tollemache
High SheriffEdward Greenwell
Area3,800 km2 (1,500 sq mi)
 • Rank8th of 48
Population 
(2022)[1]
768,555
 • Rank33rd of 48
Density202/km2 (520/sq mi)
Ethnicity
97.2% White
Non-metropolitan county
County councilSuffolk County Council
ControlConservative
Admin HQIpswich
Area3,800 km2 (1,500 sq mi)
 • Rank4th of 21
Population 
(2022)[2]
768,555
 • Rank14th of 21
Density202/km2 (520/sq mi)
ISO 3166-2GB-SFK
GSS codeE10000029
ITLUKH14
Websitewww.suffolk.gov.uk
Districts

Districts of Suffolk
  Unitary   County council area
Districts
  1. Ipswich
  2. Suffolk Coastal
  3. Waveney
  4. Mid Suffolk
  5. Babergh
  6. St Edmundsbury
  7. Forest Heath

Suffolk /ˈsʌfək/ is an East Anglian county of historic origin in England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket and Felixstowe, one of the largest container ports in Europe.[3]

The county is low-lying with very few hills, and is largely arable land with the wetlands of the Broads in the north. The Suffolk Coast and Heaths are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

History

Main article: History of Suffolk

Administration

By the 5th century the Angles (after whom East Anglia and England are named) had established control of the region. The Angles later became the "north folk" and the "south folk", from which developed the names "Norfolk" and "Suffolk"[citation needed]. Suffolk and several adjacent areas became the kingdom of East Anglia, which later merged with Mercia and then Wessex.

Suffolk was originally divided into four separate Quarter Sessions divisions. In 1860, the quantity of divisions was reduced to two. The eastern division was administered from Ipswich and the western from Bury St Edmunds. Under the Local Government Act 1888, the two divisions were made the separate administrative counties of East Suffolk and West Suffolk; Ipswich became a county borough. A few Essex parishes were also added to Suffolk: Ballingdon-with-Brundon and parts of Haverhill and Kedington.

On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, East Suffolk, West Suffolk and Ipswich were merged to form the unified county of Suffolk. The county was divided into several local government districts: Babergh, Forest Heath, Ipswich, Mid Suffolk, St. Edmundsbury, Suffolk Coastal and Waveney. This Act also transferred some land near Great Yarmouth to Norfolk. As introduced in Parliament, the Local Government Bill would have transferred Newmarket and Haverhill to Cambridgeshire and Colchester from Essex; such changes were not included in the Act as passed.

In 2007 the Department for Communities and Local Government referred Ipswich Borough Council's bid to become a new unitary authority to the Boundary Committee.[4][5] The Boundary Committee consulted local bodies and reported in favour of the proposal. It was not, however, approved by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Beginning in February 2008, the Boundary Committee again reviewed local government in the county, with two possible options emerging. One was that of splitting Suffolk into two unitary authorities – Ipswich & Felixstowe and Rural Suffolk; and the other, that of creating a single county-wide controlling authority – the "One Suffolk" option.[6] In February 2010 the then-Minister Rosie Winterton announced that there would be no changes imposed on the structure of local government in the county as a result of the Review, but that the Government would be "asking Suffolk councils and MPs to reach a consensus on what unitary solution they want through a countywide constitutional convention".[7] Following the May 2010 General Election, all further moves towards any of the suggested unitary solutions ceased on the instructions of the incoming Coalition Government, and the administrative structures of the county are therefore unchanged.[8]

See also: Local Government Act 2010 and List of schools in Suffolk

Archaeology

West Suffolk, like nearby East Cambridgeshire, is renowned for archaeological finds from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Bronze Age artefacts have been found in the area between Mildenhall and West Row, in Eriswell and in Lakenheath.[9] Many bronze objects, such as swords, spearheads, arrows, axes, palstaves, knives, daggers, rapiers, armour, decorative equipment (in particular for horses) and fragments of sheet bronze, are entrusted to St. Edmundsbury heritage service, housed at West Stow just outside Bury St. Edmunds. Other finds include traces of cremations and barrows.

In the east of the county is Sutton Hoo, the site of one of England's most significant Anglo-Saxon archaeological finds; a ship burial containing a collection of treasures including a Sword of State, gold and silver bowls and jewellery and a lyre.

Economy

The majority of agriculture in Suffolk is either arable or mixed. Farm sizes vary from anything around 80 acres (32 hectares) to over 8,000. Soil types vary from heavy clays through to light sands. Crops grown include winter wheat, winter barley, sugar beet, oilseed rape, winter and spring beans and linseed, although smaller areas of rye and oats can be found in lighter areas along with a variety of vegetables.

The continuing importance of agriculture in the county is reflected in the Suffolk Show, which is held annually in May at Ipswich. Although latterly somewhat changed in nature, this remains primarily an agricultural show.

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Suffolk at current basic prices published by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

Year Regional Gross Value Added[fn 1] Agriculture[fn 2] Industry[fn 3] Services[fn 4]
1995 7,113 391 2,449 4,273
2000 8,096 259 2,589 5,248
2003 9,456 270 2,602 6,583
Source[10]
See also: Companies based in Suffolk

Well-known companies in Suffolk include Greene King and Branston Pickle in Bury St Edmunds. Birds Eye has its largest UK factory in Lowestoft, where all its meat products and frozen vegetables come from. Huntley & Palmers biscuit company has a base in Sudbury. The UK horse racing industry is based in Newmarket. There are two USAF bases in the west of the county close to the A11. Sizewell B nuclear power station is at Sizewell on the coast near Leiston. Bernard Matthews Farms have some processing units in the county, specifically Holton. Southwold is the home of Adnams Brewery. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the United Kingdom. Other ports are at Lowestoft and Ipswich, run by Associated British Ports. BT has its main research and development facility at Martlesham Heath.

Geology, landscape and ecology

Sheep grazing among the ruins of Bury St Edmunds Abbey, Bury St Edmunds in 1920
See also Geology of Suffolk

Located in the East of England,[11] much of Suffolk is low-lying, founded on Pleistocene sand and clays. These rocks are relatively unresistant and the coast is eroding rapidly. Coastal defences have been used to protect several towns, but several cliff-top houses have been lost to coastal erosion and others are under threat. The continuing protection of the coastline and the estuaries, including the Blyth, Alde and Deben, has been, and remains, a matter of considerable discussion.[12]

The coastal strip to the East contains an area of heathland known as "The Sandlings" which runs almost the full length of the coastline.[13] Suffolk is also home to nature reserves, such as the Trimley Marshes, a wetland under the protection of Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

The west of the county lies on more resistant Cretaceous chalk. This chalk is responsible for a sweeping tract of largely downland landscapes that stretches from Dorset in the south west to Dover in the south east and north through East Anglia to the Yorkshire Wolds. The chalk is less easily eroded so forms the only significant hills in the county. The highest point of the county is Great Wood Hill, the highest point of the Newmarket Ridge, near the village of Rede which reaches 128 metres (420 ft).

The county flower is the oxlip.[14]

Demographics

The Census 2001 Suffolk recorded a population of 668,553.[15] Between 1981 and 2001 the population of the county grew by 13%, with the district of Mid Suffolk growing fastest at 25%. The population growth is due largely to migration rather than natural increase. There is a very low population between the ages of 15 and 29 as the county has few large towns and institutions of higher education, though the 15-to-29 population in Ipswich is average. There is a larger population over the age of 35, and a larger than average retired population.

Historically, the county's population has mostly been employed as agricultural workers. An 1835 survey showed Suffolk to have 4,526 occupiers of land employing labourers, 1,121 occupiers not employing labourers, 33,040 labourers employed in agriculture, 676 employed in manufacture, 18,167 employed in retail trade or handicraft, 2,228 'capitalists, bankers etc.', 5,336 labourers (non-agricultural), 4,940 other males aged over 20, 2,032 male servants and 11,483 female servants.[16] The same publication records the total population of the county at 296,304.

Most English counties have nicknames for people from that county, such as a Tyke from Yorkshire and a Yellowbelly from Lincolnshire; the traditional nickname for people from Suffolk is 'Suffolk Fair-Maids', or 'Silly Suffolk', referring respectively to the supposed beauty of its female inhabitants in the Middle Ages, and to the long history of Christianity in the county and its many fine churches (from Anglo-Saxon selige, originally meaning holy).[citation needed]

Cities, towns and villages

Figures for the number of established communities in Suffolk vary greatly among sources because of the treatment of the large number of all but non-existent hamlets which may consist of just a single farm and a deconsecrated church: remnants of wealthy communities, some dating back to the early days of the Christian era. Suffolk encompasses one of the most ancient regions of the UK: A monastery in Bury St. Edmunds founded in 630AD, plotting of Magna Carta in 1215; the oldest documented structural element of a still inhabited dwelling in Britain found in Clare.

This comparatively recent evidence is but a coda to the widespread settlement in the region shown by earlier archaeological evidence of Mesolithic man as far back as c.7,000 BC, (Grimes Graves, Norfolk – a 5,000-year-old flint mine) with Roman settlements Lakenheath, Long Melford, later Bronze and Saxon settlements. Sutton Hoo: burial ground of the Anglo-Saxon pagan kings of East Anglia.

For a full list of settlements see the list of places in Suffolk.

Notable people

Gainsborough's Mr and Mrs Andrews (1748–49), in the National Gallery in London, depicts in the background the Suffolk landscape of his time.
See also: People from Suffolk

In the arts, Suffolk is noted for having been the home to two of England's best regarded painters, Thomas Gainsborough[17] and John Constable – the Stour Valley area is branded as "Constable Country"[18] – and one of its most noted composers, Benjamin Britten.[19] Other artists of note from Suffolk include the cartoonist Carl Giles (a bronze statue of his character "Grandma" to commemorate this is located in Ipswich town centre), poets George Crabbe and Robert Bloomfield,[20] writer and Literary editor Ronald Blythe, actors Ralph Fiennes and Bob Hoskins, actress and singer Kerry Ellis, musician and record producer Brian Eno, singer Dani Filth, of the Suffolk-based extreme metal group, Cradle of Filth, and singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. Hip-hop DJ Tim Westwood is originally from Suffolk and the influential DJ and radio presenter John Peel made the county his home.[21] One of Britain's leading contemporary painters, Maggi Hambling, was born, and resides, in Suffolk.

Suffolk's contributions to sport include Formula One magnate Bernie Ecclestone and former England footballers Terry Butcher, Kieron Dyer and Matthew Upson. Due to Newmarket being the centre of British horse racing many jockeys have settled in the county, including Lester Piggott and Frankie Dettori.

Significant ecclesiastical figures from Suffolk include Simon Sudbury, a former Archbishop of Canterbury; Tudor-era Catholic prelate Thomas Cardinal Wolsey; and author, poet and Benedictine monk John Lydgate.

Other significant persons from Suffolk include the suffragette Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett; the captain of HMS Beagle, Robert FitzRoy; Witch-finder General Matthew Hopkins; and Britain's first female physician and mayor, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. Charity leader Sue Ryder settled in Suffolk and based her charity in Cavendish.

St Edmund

King of East Anglia and Christian martyr St Edmund (after whom the town of Bury St Edmunds is named) was killed by invading Danes in the year 869. St Edmund was the patron saint of England until he was replaced by St George in the 13th century. 2006 saw the failure of a campaign to have St Edmund named as the patron saint of England, but in 2007 he was named patron saint of Suffolk, with St Edmund's Day falling on 20 November. His flag is flown in Suffolk on that day.[22]

Education

Primary, secondary and further education

See also: List of schools in Suffolk

Suffolk has a comprehensive education system with fourteen independent schools. Unusually for the UK, some of Suffolk has a 3-tier school system in place with primary schools (ages 5–9), middle schools (ages 9–13) and upper schools (ages 13–16). However, a 2006 Suffolk County Council study concluded that Suffolk should move to the 2-tier school system used in the majority of the UK.[23] For the purpose of conversion to 2-tier, the 3-tier system has been divided into 4 geographical area groupings and corresponding phases. The first phase was the conversion of schools in Lowestoft and Haverhill in 2011, followed by schools in north and west Suffolk in 2012. The remainder of the changeovers to 2-tier will take place from 2013, for those schools that stay within Local government control, and not become Academies and/or free schools. The majority of schools thus now (2013) operate the more common primary to high school (11–16). Many of the county's upper schools have a sixth form and most further education colleges in the county offer A-level courses. In terms of school population, Suffolk's individual schools are large with the Ipswich district with the largest school population and Forest Heath the smallest, with just two schools.

The Royal Hospital School near Ipswich is the largest independent boarding school in Suffolk.

The Castle Partnership Academy Trust in Haverhill is the county's only All-through Academy Chain. Comprising Castle Manor Academy and Place Farm Primary Academy, the Academy Trust supports all-through education and provides opportunities for young people aged 3 to 18.

Sixth form colleges in the county include Lowestoft Sixth Form College and Suffolk One in Ipswich. Suffolk is home to four further education colleges: Lowestoft College, Otley College of Agriculture and Horticulture, Suffolk New College (Ipswich) and West Suffolk College (Bury St Edmunds).

Tertiary education

University Campus Suffolk, a collaboration between the University of Essex, the University of East Anglia, partner colleges such as Suffolk New College and local government, began accepting its first students in September 2007. The main Ipswich based waterfront campus building is due for completion in September 2008.[24] Prior to this Suffolk was one of the few English counties not to contain a university campus.

Culture

Dialect

The Suffolk dialect is distinctive.

Sport

Football

The county's sole professional football club is Ipswich Town. Formed in 1878, the club were Football League champions in 1961–62, FA Cup winners in 1977–78 and UEFA Cup winners in 1980–81.[25] Ipswich Town currently play in the Football League Championship – the next highest ranked team in Suffolk is Lowestoft Town who participate in the Conference North, followed by Bury Town and Leiston of the Isthmian League Premier Division, one division below Lowestoft.

Horse racing

The town of Newmarket is the headquarters of British horseracing – home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country, many key horse racing organisations, including the National Stud,[26] and Newmarket Racecourse. Tattersalls bloodstock auctioneers and the National Horseracing Museum are also in the town. Point to point racing takes place at Higham and Ampton.[27]

Speedway

Speedway racing has been staged in Suffolk since at least the 1950s, following the construction of the Foxhall Stadium, just outside Ipswich, home of the Ipswich Witches. The Witches are currently members of the Premier League, the UK's second division. National League team Mildenhall Fen Tigers are also from Suffolk. 'Casper' from the Edinburgh Monarchs speedway squad was also a native of Suffolk for a brief period in the 1970s.

Cricket

Suffolk C.C.C. compete in the Eastern Division of the Minor Counties Championship.[28] The club has won the championship three times outright and has shared the title one other time as well as winning the MCCA Knockout Trophy once.[29] Home games are played in Bury St Edmunds, Copdock, Exning, Framlingham, Ipswich and Mildenhall.[30]

Arts

Founded in 1948 by Benjamin Britten, the annual Aldeburgh Festival is one of the UK's major classical music festivals. Originating in Aldeburgh, it has been held at the nearby Snape Maltings since 1967. Since 2006, Henham Park, has been home to the annual Latitude Festival. This mainly open-air festival, which has grown considerably in size and scope, includes popular music, comedy, poetry and literary events. More recently, LeeStock Music Festival has been held in Sudbury.

The Rendlesham Forest Incident is one of most famous UFO events in England and is commonly referred to as "Britain's Roswell".

The Mildenhall Treasure is a non-fiction small work written by Roald Dahl about a Roman silver treasure found there and named Mildenhall Treasure.

The Fourth Protocol, a novel written by Frederick Forsyth, is a Cold War spy thriller partly set in Suffolk and was made into a film starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan. Other novels set in Suffolk include Unnatural Causes by P.D. James, Dodie Smith's The Hundred and One Dalmatians, and among Arthur Ransome's children's books, "We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea" and "Coot Club". Peter Greenaway's 1988 film, Drowning by Numbers was largely shot in the area near Southwold.

A TV series about a British antiques dealer, Lovejoy, was filmed in various locations in Suffolk.[31] The reality TV Series Space Cadets was filmed in Rendlesham Forest, although the producers pretended to the participants that they were in Russia. Several towns and villages in the county have been used for location filming of other television programmes and cinema films. These include an episode of Kavanagh QC and the film Iris.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
  2. ^ includes hunting and forestry
  3. ^ includes energy and construction
  4. ^ includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured

References

  1. ^ "Mid-2022 population estimates by Lieutenancy areas (as at 1997) for England and Wales". Office for National Statistics. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Top 50 Container Ports in Europe". World Shipping Council. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "unitaryipswich.com". unitaryipswich.com. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ "Suffolk structural review". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Unitary authorities-Exeter and Norwich get green light; Suffolk to decide locally; no change for Norfolk and Devon". Department for Communities and Local Government. Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Pickles stops unitary councils in Exeter, Norwich and Suffolk". Department for Communities and Local Government. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  9. ^ Hall, David (1994). Fenland survey : an essay in landscape and persistence / David Hall and John Coles. London; English Heritage. ISBN 1-85074-477-7., p. 81-88
  10. ^ pp. 240–253
  11. ^ [2] Template:Wayback
  12. ^ [3] Template:Wayback
  13. ^ [4] Template:Wayback
  14. ^ "Oxlip | Plant & fungi species | Wild plants". Plantlife.org.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  15. ^ [5] Template:Wayback
  16. ^ 'The British Almanac' – 1835
  17. ^ "Biography". Gainsborough's House. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  18. ^ "Constable Country walk". The National Trust. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  19. ^ "Interviews: Benjamin Britten 1913 – 1976". BBC Four online. Archived from the original on 28 January 2007. Retrieved 30 October 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  20. ^ Cousin, John W. "A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature". Project Gutenberg. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  21. ^ Lusher, Adam (21 October 2006). "John Peel leaves his wife £1.5m, oh, and 25,000 records". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 November 2008. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  22. ^ [6] [dead link]
  23. ^ "Suffolk Free Press". Sudburytoday.co.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  24. ^ [7] Template:Wayback
  25. ^ "Club honours". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 13 December 2005. Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  26. ^ "Suffolk Tourism". www.suffolktouristguide.com. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  27. ^ "Courses". www.pointingea.com. Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  28. ^ "Minor Counties Cricket Association". =Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 August 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  29. ^ "Minor Counties Roll of Honour". www.ecb.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
  30. ^ "Minor County Grounds". Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
  31. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090477/locations
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