Lakenheath

Infobox UK place
country = England
official_name= Lakenheath
latitude= 52.4136
longitude= 0.5226
population =
shire_district= Forest Heath
shire_county= Suffolk
region= East of England
constituency_westminster=
post_town=
postcode_district =
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= TL715825
london_distance=
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static_image_caption=Lakenheath Church

Lakenheath is a village in Suffolk, England. It has around 8,200 residents, [ [http://freespace.virgin.net/lakenheath.2000/ Lakenheath Village, UK - A Website of Information for Residents and Visitors ] ] and is situated in the Forest Heath district of Suffolk, close to the county boundaries of both Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, and at the meeting point of the The Fens and the Breckland natural environments.

Lakenheath is host to the largest USAF base in the United Kingdom, RAF Lakenheath.

Lakenheath Fen Nature Reserve, created in 1996, restored wetlands from agricultural fields that were growing carrots. In May 2007, it was reported that cranes were nesting in the site for the first time since the fen lands were drained in the sixteenth century. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6659827.stm BBC News 17 May 2007] ]

The village has a single Victorian primary school, constructed in 1878, which was extended in 1969 and again in 2004. [ [http://www.lakenheath.suffolk.sch.uk/Our%20School.htm Our School ] ] There is a small shopping street, with a grocery store, two newsagents, a garden centre, an opticians shop, a Chinese restaurant, fish and chip shop, and Filipino restaurant. The village has a library with internet access. Along this stretch of road a small skate park, a playing field and a children's play park can also be found.

Lakenheath has four pubs; The Half Moon, The Brewers Tap, The Cromwell Inn and The Plough. The Royal British Legion is a members only club.

Two different Lions International clubs are based in the village, one of which is a Bikers & Friends club that organise a bike run across East Anglia every year for charity.

Lakenheath is remarkable for its medieval church, built in the local flint construction style. The church contains medieval paintings and medieval carving on the pews. [ [http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/lakenheath.htm Lakenheath ] ] The faces of the church's stone angels bear the scars of the English Civil War, as none of the angels retain their original facial detail, due to religiously motivated vandalism by puritan soldiers. As well as the Anglican parish church, Lakenheath has churches representing the Methodist, Strict Baptist and Pentecostal (AOG) denominations. All three of the non-Anglican church buildings are also primarily constructed of local flint, albeit with later modifications in brick.

Lakenheath railway station is three miles away from the village and not served by a car park. Consequently, it is rarely used by travellers.

RAF Lakenheath

Lakenheath is host to the largest USAF base in the United Kingdom: RAF Lakenheath. The social impact of the United States Air Force fighter airbase and its nearby sister, RAF Mildenhall, on the economy of Lakenheath and on the nearby towns and villages is important.

The United States has maintained a presence in the community since bombers were stationed there during WWII conducting raids on Europe. The base has a population of around 7000 service personnel. This does not account for non-combatant personnel and families.

During the mid-eighties there was a peace camp outside RAF Lakenheath.

There are three squadrons of F-15 fighters and their support and maintenance personnel stationed at RAF Lakenheath. The 492nd and 494th Fighter Squadrons fly the multi-role F-15E Strike Eagle and the 493rd Fighter Squadron flies the air-to-air F-15C Eagle variant. The 48th Fighter Wing, "Liberty Wing", is the parent unit exercising command of the base in conjunction with the RAF.

An American school system exists on the base with an elementary, intermediate and a high school.

Archaeology

The region between Devil's Dyke and the line between Littleport and Shippea Hill has archaeological sites of the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. [cite book|title= Fenland survey : an essay in landscape and persistence / David Hall and John Coles |first=David|last=Hall|origdate=1994|publisher=London; English Heritage|id=ISBN 1-85074-477-7 , p. 81-88]

References

External links

* [http://www.lakenheath.af.mil/ 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath]
* [http://www.lakenheatholdboys.blogspot.com/ Lakenheath Alumni Blog]