Athelington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athelington |
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 St Peter's Church, Athelington |
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 Athelington
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| Area | 2.00 km2 (0.77 sq mi) |
| Population | 30 (2005 Est.) |
| • Density | 15/km2 (39/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TL210710 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Eye |
| Postcode district | IP21 |
| Dialling code | 01728 |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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Athelington is a very small village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It's located in the Mid Suffolk district. The village is about 12 miles (19 km) south-east of Diss.
The name Athelington comes from an old English word, Ætheling. This word means 'prince'. So, the village's name means 'Farm or settlement of the prince(s)'.
Athelington was first mentioned in a document from the year 942. This document was the will of Bishop Theodred. It showed that land in "Elyngtone" was given to a church in Hoxne. The village was not listed in the famous Domesday Book of 1086.
Even though it's small, Athelington has six listed buildings. These are special buildings protected for their history. St Peter's Church is a Grade II* listed building. The other five, including the 17th-century Athelington Hall, are Grade II listed.
St Peter's Church: A Historic Building
The Church of St Peter is a very old church. It was built in the Middle Ages. The church was greatly repaired and updated in 1873–1874.
The main part of the church, called the nave, and the chancel were built in the early 14th century. They are made of flint stone. The church tower was added in the 15th century. It is made of smooth flint stones mixed with red bricks.
A porch was added in 1873. Inside the tower, there are three bells. These bells were made in 1450 by John Magges of Norwich. They are currently not able to be rung.
How Athelington is Governed
Athelington is part of the Mid Suffolk District in Suffolk. This means it has several levels of government.
- National Government: Athelington is in the Central Suffolk and North Ipswich area for the UK Parliament. Your Member of Parliament (MP) is Dan Poulter.
- County Council: For Suffolk County Council, Athelington is in the Hoxne & Eye division. The representative for this area is Guy McGregor.
- District Council: For Mid Suffolk District Council, the village is in the Hoxne and Worlingworth ward. Matthew Hicks represents this ward.
- Local Parish Council: Athelington shares a Parish Council with the nearby village of Horham. This council has seven elected members who help make decisions for the local area.
Population Changes Over Time
The number of people living in Athelington has changed a lot over the years. In 1801, there were 70 people. The population grew to 129 people by 1831.
However, after that, the number of residents started to go down. By 1921, only 54 people lived there. In 2005, the population was estimated to be just 30 people. This shows how small the village has become.
