Glemsford

infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Glemsford
latitude= 52.10231
longitude= 0.67511
population = 3,360 [ [http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/38314C3E-02A0-4515-92FE-8909C6FDB3A3/0/Parishestimates01to05.pdf Estimates of Total Population of Areas in Suffolk] Suffolk County Council]
shire_district= Babergh
shire_county = Suffolk
region= East of England
constituency_westminster= South Suffolk
post_town= SUDBURY
postcode_district = CO10
postcode_area= CO
dial_code= 01787
os_grid_reference= TL833482

Glemsford is a village in the Babergh district in Suffolk, England, near the town of Sudbury. Glemsford is located near the River Glem and the River Stour also flows nearby. Glemsford is surrounded by arable farmland and is not far from historic Suffolk villages such as Lavenham and Long Melford.

History

The village dates back to the Domesday Book in 1086, in which Glemsford was recorded. The village has noteworthy features such as Monks Hall, which is a medieval timber structure. It is said that a tunnel once connected Monks Hall to the nearby Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, which the monks formerly used to access the church instead of mixing with the ordinary villagers. Only a small part of this tunnel remains. The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin dates back to the early 1300s, with the earliest recorded rector being Hugh de Poynton in 1302. The church features the Golding Chapel, built in memory of the rich Glemsford cloth merchant, John Golding. Golding lived in the Angel House, another timber building adjacent to "The Angel" public house. Golding left money for the chapel to be built when he died, likewise as with other parish churches St Mary's Church tower was rebuilt in the 1800s. Monks Hall itself has gone through changes of use and appearance through the centuries and is now a private residence. Glemsford Methodist Church is situated at the other end of the village and dates from the Victorian era.

Glemsford had a railway station on the route between Sudbury and Cambridge, known as the Stour Valley Railway. The station opened in the 1860s and saw its busiest period during the First and Second World Wars when it, along with nearby Cavendish station, was bombed. This was because Glemsford station was one of the places which harboured ammunition trains. The station was closed during the Beeching Axe in 1967; only the Station House (now private), goods shed (now converted to flats) and one level crossing post remain.

Glemsford has a considerable number of shops and public houses. Among the public houses are "The Black Lion", a Medieval timber building, "The Angel" and "The Cock Inn".

External links

* [http://www.glemsfordpc.co.uk/ Glemsford Parish Council website]
* [http://www.glemsford.org.uk/ www.glemsford.org.uk]
* [http://www.foxearth.org.uk/GlemsfordGlass.html "A Short History of Glemsford"] Rev Kenneth W. Glass, former Rector of St. Mary the Virgin, Glemsford.

References