Botesdale
Encyclopedia
Botesdale is a village and civil parish
in the Mid Suffolk
district of Suffolk
, England
. The village is about 6 miles (10 km) south west of Diss
.
Botesdale is located about 25 miles from Norwich
and 16 miles from Bury St Edmunds.
and 18th
centuries, this used to be a busy roadway for travellers from Great Yarmouth
to Bury St Edmunds, and on further to London
.
Before the opening of the bypass
in 1995, traffic through the village was more plentiful. However, most of this through-traffic now bypasses the village by means of the A143
The village of Rickinghall
is adjoined to Botesdale via the continuation of the B1113 road, locally known as simply: ‘The Street’. Their connection creates the appearance of a single built-up residential area, with boundaries between the two that are difficult to pointedly identify.
Ltd’s Country Link bus service. The routes running through Botesdale are the 304 and 305, which connect Botesdale and neighbouring Richinghall to Diss and to Bury St Edmunds.
These routes also cover the following villages: Fornham St Martin
, Great Barton
, Ixworth
, Stanton
, Hepworth
, Wattisfield
, Hinderclay
, Redgrave
, South Lopham
, Bressingham
and Roydon
.
National Rail
train stations are accessible from Diss and Bury St Edmunds.
schools – Rickinghall VC Primary School and Redgrave and Botesdale CofE Primary School – which served across the villages of Botesdale, Hinderclay, Redgrave and Rickinghall for over a century.
The school now teaches over 200 pupils, from part-time Nursery pupils to Year 6 classes that provide the students with their final stages of Primary education
. Most students transfer up to Hartismere High School
in Eye
, as this is the local high school in the catchment area.
The school plays an important role in the communal spirit of the village, as the Christmas Fayre and Summer Fete’s attract people from across the local community. They have established links with the local churches, with Farnish House – sheltered accommodation for the elderly – and is also part of the Twinning Association, twinned with Tinténiac
in north-western France
.
was established in 1981, and because it is near enough equidistant from Bury St Edmunds, Norwich
and Ipswich, secondary care is offered from each of these hospitals, depending on the need and preference of the patient.
A plethora of services are offered at the Health Centre, including a Siemens digital x-ray machine, managed by the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, which has been operating since 2008. And also an ultrasound machine, also managed by the West Suffolk Hospital.
They offer clinics for baby immunisation, antenatal and child health surveillance; they carry out minor surgical procedures and cervical smears on site.
Other services include:
Outpatient services include:
; Reflections, offering skincare, facials, body treatments, manicures and pedicures, and holistic therapies; The Post Office; Faiths, dressmaking
and alterations, and handicraft
s; R. W. Lister & Son, Motor Engineer
; Dunkley Motor Services; The Newsagent
and the Co-op Super Store.
and Botesdale Traditional Fish & Chips
.
stop for people en route through the village in the 17th and 18th centuries – it was a popular stop due to its extensive stabling for large draught horses. The Bell still now serves as a pub and bed and breakfast
.
Other pubs down the stretch between Botesdale and Rickinghall include: The Greyhound and The White Horse.
who died there on 16 October 2007. Another notable resident was the artist and theatrical designer, Audrey Cruddas
who lived at Bank House during the 1960s and '70s.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Mid Suffolk
Mid Suffolk
Mid Suffolk is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council is based in Needham Market, and the largest town is Stowmarket.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Eye, Stowmarket urban district, Gipping Rural District, Hartismere Rural District and...
district of Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The village is about 6 miles (10 km) south west of Diss
Diss
Diss is a town in Norfolk, England close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk.The town lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers . The mere is up to deep, although there is another of mud, making it one of the deepest natural inland lakes...
.
Botesdale is located about 25 miles from Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
and 16 miles from Bury St Edmunds.
Road
The B1113 road runs through Botesdale. In the 17th17th century
The 17th century was the century which lasted from 1601 to 1700 in the Gregorian calendar.The 17th century falls into the Early Modern period of Europe and in that continent was characterized by the Dutch Golden Age, the Baroque cultural movement, the French Grand Siècle dominated by Louis XIV, the...
and 18th
18th century
The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar.During the 18th century, the Enlightenment culminated in the French and American revolutions. Philosophy and science increased in prominence. Philosophers were dreaming about a better age without the Christian fundamentalism of...
centuries, this used to be a busy roadway for travellers from Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
to Bury St Edmunds, and on further to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Before the opening of the bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
in 1995, traffic through the village was more plentiful. However, most of this through-traffic now bypasses the village by means of the A143
A143 road
The A143 is a road that runs from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk to Haverhill in Suffolk.For much of the route the road is classified as a primary route. Over the years the road has been much improved with new by-passes opening at regular intervals...
The village of Rickinghall
Rickinghall
Rickinghall is a village in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. The village is split between two parishes, Rickinghall Inferior and Rickinghall Superior, which join with Botesdale to make a single built-up area....
is adjoined to Botesdale via the continuation of the B1113 road, locally known as simply: ‘The Street’. Their connection creates the appearance of a single built-up residential area, with boundaries between the two that are difficult to pointedly identify.
Public Transport
In terms of transport, Botesdale is served by Simonds of BotesdaleSimonds of Botesdale
Simonds of Botesdale is a British company headquartered in Diss which operates transit service in the Diss and Harleston areas of East Anglia. Simonds also provides bus service for holiday excursions, leases buses for private hire, offers garage service, and provides training and conference space...
Ltd’s Country Link bus service. The routes running through Botesdale are the 304 and 305, which connect Botesdale and neighbouring Richinghall to Diss and to Bury St Edmunds.
These routes also cover the following villages: Fornham St Martin
Fornham St Martin
Fornham St Martin is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located on the northern outskirts of Bury St Edmunds off east and west from the A134, in 2005 its population was 1300...
, Great Barton
Great Barton
Great Barton is a village and civil parish in the St Edmundsbury district of Suffolk, England, about three miles from Bury St Edmunds. According to Eilert Ekwall, the meaning of the village name is barley enclosure/demesne farm or outlying grange...
, Ixworth
Ixworth
Ixworth is a village and civil parish in the Borough of St Edmundsbury in Suffolk, United Kingdom. It is some northeast of Bury St Edmunds, on the A143 road to Diss and has a population of 2,177. Retrieved 2009-09-28]-Earthworks:...
, Stanton
Stanton, Suffolk
Stanton is village situated in north Suffolk, about nine miles north-east of Bury St. Edmunds, on the A143 road to Diss. Close to the village lies the former WW II airfield RAF Shepherds Grove, where American forces were based. One of the main landmarks in the village is the fine restored windmill...
, Hepworth
Hepworth, Suffolk
Hepworth is a village in the St Edmundsbury District, in the English county of Suffolk. Nearby settlements include the villages of Stanton and Barningham. For transport there is the A143 road nearby. Hepworth has a pub and a place of worship.-References:***...
, Wattisfield
Wattisfield
Wattisfield is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located on the A143 around seven miles south-west of Diss, in 2005 its population was 440....
, Hinderclay
Hinderclay
Hinderclay is a village and civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district of Suffolk in eastern England. Located around northeast of Bury St Edmunds....
, Redgrave
Redgrave, Suffolk
Redgrave is a civil parish and a small village in the Rickinghall and Walsham ward in the Mid Suffolk district in Suffolk county in eastern England....
, South Lopham
South Lopham
South Lopham is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 371 in 157 households as of the 2001 census...
, Bressingham
Bressingham
Bressingham is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 751 in 305 households as of the 2001 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of South Norfolk....
and Roydon
Roydon, South Norfolk
Roydon is a small village and parish in the county of Norfolk, England, about a mile west of Diss. It covers an area of and had a population of 2,358 in 981 households as of the 2001 census....
.
National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
train stations are accessible from Diss and Bury St Edmunds.
Education
The village is home to its own primary school: St Botolph’s CEVCP School. The modernised school was opened in 1994, after the closure of two VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
schools – Rickinghall VC Primary School and Redgrave and Botesdale CofE Primary School – which served across the villages of Botesdale, Hinderclay, Redgrave and Rickinghall for over a century.
The school now teaches over 200 pupils, from part-time Nursery pupils to Year 6 classes that provide the students with their final stages of Primary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
. Most students transfer up to Hartismere High School
Hartismere High School
Hartismere High School is a co-educational academy, 6th Form, music and sports college for pupils aged 11-18 in Eye, a town in High Suffolk. The headmaster is Jim McAtear who joined the School in 2006.-History:...
in Eye
Eye, Suffolk
Eye is a small market town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove.Eye is twinned with the town of Pouzauges in the Vendée Departement of France.-History:An island...
, as this is the local high school in the catchment area.
The school plays an important role in the communal spirit of the village, as the Christmas Fayre and Summer Fete’s attract people from across the local community. They have established links with the local churches, with Farnish House – sheltered accommodation for the elderly – and is also part of the Twinning Association, twinned with Tinténiac
Tinténiac
Tinténiac is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.-Demographics:Inhabitants of Tinténiac are called Tinténiacais.-References:* ;* -External links:*...
in north-western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Healthcare
Next door to the primary school, there is the Botesdale Health Centre. This NHS primary care serviceNHS Primary Care Trust
An NHS primary care trust is a type of NHS trust, part of the National Health Service in England. PCTs commission primary, community and secondary care from providers. Until 31 may2011 they also provided community services directly. Collectively PCT are responsible for spending around 80% of the...
was established in 1981, and because it is near enough equidistant from Bury St Edmunds, Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
and Ipswich, secondary care is offered from each of these hospitals, depending on the need and preference of the patient.
A plethora of services are offered at the Health Centre, including a Siemens digital x-ray machine, managed by the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, which has been operating since 2008. And also an ultrasound machine, also managed by the West Suffolk Hospital.
They offer clinics for baby immunisation, antenatal and child health surveillance; they carry out minor surgical procedures and cervical smears on site.
Other services include:
- chiropody
- orthopaedist
- family planningFamily planningFamily planning is the planning of when to have children, and the use of birth control and other techniques to implement such plans. Other techniques commonly used include sexuality education, prevention and management of sexually transmitted infections, pre-conception counseling and...
- maternity servicesObstetricsObstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
- physiotherapy
- counsellingMental Health CounselorMental health counselors practice mental health counseling which is a dynamic, holistic, strengths-based and psychoeducational discipline born in the late 1970s when several mental health professionals realized that the master’s degree level counselors working in community settings lacked a...
- dieticians
Outpatient services include:
- urologyUrologyUrology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
- ophthalmologyOphthalmologyOphthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
- rheumatologyRheumatologyRheumatology is a sub-specialty in internal medicine and pediatrics, devoted to diagnosis and therapy of rheumatic diseases. Clinicians who specialize in rheumatology are called rheumatologists...
Shops and Services
The village of Botesdale has much going for it in terms of shops and services. Businesses on and around The Street include: The Hair Place, unisex salonBeauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
; Reflections, offering skincare, facials, body treatments, manicures and pedicures, and holistic therapies; The Post Office; Faiths, dressmaking
Dressmaker
A dressmaker is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Also called a mantua-maker or a modiste.-Notable dressmakers:*Cristobal Balenciaga*Charles Frederick Worth...
and alterations, and handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
s; R. W. Lister & Son, Motor Engineer
Auto mechanic
An auto mechanic is a mechanic with a variety of car makes or either in a specific area or in a specific make of car. In repairing cars, their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly...
; Dunkley Motor Services; The Newsagent
Newsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
and the Co-op Super Store.
Food
The Blue Orchid Chinese Take AwayAmerican Chinese cuisine
American Chinese cuisine refers to the style of food served by many Chinese restaurants in the United States. This type of cooking typically caters to Western tastes, and differs significantly from the original Chinese cuisine.-History:...
and Botesdale Traditional Fish & Chips
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
.
Drink
The Bell Inn began life as a coachingStagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
stop for people en route through the village in the 17th and 18th centuries – it was a popular stop due to its extensive stabling for large draught horses. The Bell still now serves as a pub and bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
.
Other pubs down the stretch between Botesdale and Rickinghall include: The Greyhound and The White Horse.
Notable residents
The village's most famous resident was the actress, Deborah KerrDeborah Kerr
Deborah Kerr, CBE was a Scottish film and television actress from Glasgow. She won the Sarah Siddons Award for her Chicago performance as Laura Reynolds in Tea and Sympathy, a role which she originated on Broadway, a Golden Globe Award for the motion picture The King and I, and was a three-time...
who died there on 16 October 2007. Another notable resident was the artist and theatrical designer, Audrey Cruddas
Audrey Cruddas
Audrey Cruddas was an English costume and scene designer, painter and potter. Born in Johannesburg she moved to England with her parents when she was an infant. After leaving school she studied art at St. John's Wood School of Art, Royal Academy Schools and Bram Shaw School of Drawing and...
who lived at Bank House during the 1960s and '70s.
External links
- Diss Express - village's local newspaper website
- http://www.botesdale.suffolk.gov.uk/council_1.htm- Botesdale Parish Council website
- The Bell Inn – Local pub, The Bell Inn
- Botesdale Health Centre – Botesdale Health Centre