Wenhaston

Wenhaston is a small village of 818 people (2001) situated to the south of the River Blyth in north-eastern Suffolk, England.

Roman coins, pottery and building materials unearthed in local fields indicate the existence of a settlement at Wenhaston from the first century AD, and indeed this was probably a market of some importance between 80 and 350AD. The first written record of its existence is to be found in the Domesday survey of 1086, when it was noted that the village of Wenadestuna possessed a mill, a church, and woodland sufficient to feed 16 hogs.

The village's greatest historical treasure is undoubtedly the Wenhaston Doom, a sixteenth-century (pre-Reformation) panel painting depicting the Last Day of Judgment. This rare work of art was discovered during restoration work in 1892, hidden under whitewash on the wooden tympanum taken down from above the chancel arch.

Today, the local community and economy of Wenhaston continues to benefit from its proximity to the Suffolk Heritage Coast and the flourishing resort town of Southwold. Wenhaston won the Suffolk Coastal Village of the Year 2004 competition and came second in the Suffolk County competition.

Wenhaston had a railway station on the Southwold Railway but this closed, with the rest of the line, on April 11th 1929.

With Mells it forms the civil parish of Wenhaston with Mells Hamlet.

External links

* [http://www.wenhaston.ws/ Comprehensive, illustrated village website]
* [http://www.blythvalleychurches.org.uk Wenhaston St. Peter church website]
* [http://www.suffolkcam.co.uk/wenhaston28022004.htm Some photographs taken February 2004]
* [http://www.wenhaston.ws/doom/index.php Wenhaston Doom]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/SFK/Wenhaston/index.html GENUKI(tm) page]
*oscoor gbx|TM423756