Cockfield, Suffolk
Encyclopedia
Cockfield is a village and civil parish
located approximately 3½ miles (5.6 km) from Lavenham
in Suffolk
, England
. The village consists of a central point and several outlying hamlets
: Buttons Green, Colchester Green, Cross Green, Great Green, Oldhall Green
, Smithwood Green
and Windsor Green
. Surrounded mostly by fields used for farming, and with few roads, its population was 839 in 2001.
The village previously had a train station on the Long Melford-Bury St Edmunds branch line
, but it was closed in 1961 as part of the Beeching Axe
. Its football team, Cockfield United play in the Suffolk and Ipswich Football League
.
settlement, and a number of findings indicate a Roman encampment, known as the Warbanks.
The village's present name is derived from "Cochan-feld" probably indicating a site established by a person named Cochan. The village appeared in the Domesday Book
of 1086 under the name of "Cothefelda" and is listed as a properous manor whose wealth had grown since the Norman Conquest. During the Middle Ages, the village became "Cokefield" and finally "Cockfield".
Cockfield became a centre a Puritan
ism during the 17th century. During the 19th century the parish was one of the largest and wealthiest in Suffolk and the seat of a number of prestigious rectors.
, and Sudbury
.
There is no record of a church in the Domesday Book
although a village of Cockfield's size would almost certainly have had one. The first surviving record of the parish's ecclesiastical history dates from 1190 when William de Cullum was installed as the first rector
, although there is no existing record of the site prior to the building of the present church in the 14th century.
The church fell under the patronage of the Abbot of St Edmundsbury until the Reformation
when the Spring family, wealthy Lavenham
clothiers and noblemen, took over, resulting in a close link with the region's strong wool
trade. From 1708 the patronage fell to St John's College, Cambridge
who appointed a number of distinguished Fellows of the College. Rectors of St Peter's have included John Knewstub
the Presbyterian, William Ludlam the mathematician, and Churchill Babington
the archaeologist and botanist.
The church's sizeable square flint tower dates from the 14th century and is buttress
ed almost to the top. The tower was nearly destroyed by a storm during the winter of 1774-5 and on August 2, 1775, after repairs were nearly completed, an apparent lightning strike resulted in a fire that damaged it once again. The mathematician William Ludlam, rector from 1767, installed an astronomical observatory on the tower whose filled in windows can still be seen.
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...
located approximately 3½ miles (5.6 km) from Lavenham
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is noted for its 15th century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walk. In the medieval period it was among the 20 wealthiest settlements in England...
in 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 consists of a central point and several outlying hamlets
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
: Buttons Green, Colchester Green, Cross Green, Great Green, Oldhall Green
Oldhall Green
Oldhall Green is a hamlet in Suffolk, England. It is part of the civil parish of Cockfield and is located on the A1141 road between Lavenham and Bury St Edmunds....
, Smithwood Green
Smithwood Green
Smithwood Green is a hamlet in the civil parish of Cockfield, in the Babergh District of the county of Suffolk, England. It is about three miles away from the large village of Lavenham and about twelve miles away from the large town of Bury St. Edmunds. For transport there is the A1141 road and the...
and Windsor Green
Windsor Green
Windsor Green is a hamlet in the civil parish of Cockfield, in the Babergh District of the county of Suffolk, England. It is about four miles away from the large village of Lavenham and about eleven miles away from the large town of Bury St. Edmunds. For transport there is the A1141 road and the...
. Surrounded mostly by fields used for farming, and with few roads, its population was 839 in 2001.
The village previously had a train station on the Long Melford-Bury St Edmunds branch line
Long Melford-Bury St Edmunds branch line
The Long Melford–Bury St Edmunds branch line was a railway between Long Melford on the Stour Valley Railway and Bury St Edmunds on the Ipswich to Ely Line. The line opened on 9 August 1865 and closed to passengers on 10 April 1961 and freight on 19 April 1965....
, but it was closed in 1961 as part of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. Its football team, Cockfield United play in the Suffolk and Ipswich Football League
Suffolk and Ipswich Football League
The Suffolk and Ipswich Football League is a football competition based in Suffolk, England. The league has a total of nine divisions; the Senior Division, divisions 1–6 and two reserve divisions. The Senior Division is at step 7 of the National League System.The Senior Division champions may...
.
History
The present village has been inhabited for well over 2000 years. The finding of a sword (now in the Moyse Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds) is evidence of Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
settlement, and a number of findings indicate a Roman encampment, known as the Warbanks.
The village's present name is derived from "Cochan-feld" probably indicating a site established by a person named Cochan. The village appeared in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 under the name of "Cothefelda" and is listed as a properous manor whose wealth had grown since the Norman Conquest. During the Middle Ages, the village became "Cokefield" and finally "Cockfield".
Cockfield became a centre a Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
ism during the 17th century. During the 19th century the parish was one of the largest and wealthiest in Suffolk and the seat of a number of prestigious rectors.
St Peter's Church
A landmark visible for a distance across the neighbouring countryside, the church of St Peter's is one of the finest of Suffolk's many village churches, with the present building mostly dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. The church's size is unusual for such a rural location, but this becomes less surprising when one considers its location between the three great medieval merchant towns of Bury St Edmunds, LavenhamLavenham
Lavenham is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is noted for its 15th century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walk. In the medieval period it was among the 20 wealthiest settlements in England...
, and Sudbury
Sudbury, Suffolk
Sudbury is a small, ancient market town in the county of Suffolk, England, on the River Stour, from Colchester and from London.-Early history:...
.
There is no record of a church in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
although a village of Cockfield's size would almost certainly have had one. The first surviving record of the parish's ecclesiastical history dates from 1190 when William de Cullum was installed as the first rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
, although there is no existing record of the site prior to the building of the present church in the 14th century.
The church fell under the patronage of the Abbot of St Edmundsbury until the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
when the Spring family, wealthy Lavenham
Lavenham
Lavenham is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is noted for its 15th century church, half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walk. In the medieval period it was among the 20 wealthiest settlements in England...
clothiers and noblemen, took over, resulting in a close link with the region's strong wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
trade. From 1708 the patronage fell to St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
who appointed a number of distinguished Fellows of the College. Rectors of St Peter's have included John Knewstub
John Knewstub
John Knewstub was an English clergyman, one of the participants in the Hampton Court Conference of 1604 representing the Puritan side. Patrick Collinson calls him presbyterian by conviction, but moderate in his views.-Life:...
the Presbyterian, William Ludlam the mathematician, and Churchill Babington
Churchill Babington
Churchill Babington was an English classical scholar, archaeologist and naturalist, born at Rothley Temple, in Leicestershire....
the archaeologist and botanist.
The church's sizeable square flint tower dates from the 14th century and is buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
ed almost to the top. The tower was nearly destroyed by a storm during the winter of 1774-5 and on August 2, 1775, after repairs were nearly completed, an apparent lightning strike resulted in a fire that damaged it once again. The mathematician William Ludlam, rector from 1767, installed an astronomical observatory on the tower whose filled in windows can still be seen.