Charsfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charsfield |
|
|---|---|
 Church of St Peter, Charsfield |
|
 Charsfield
|
|
| Population | 342 (2021) |
| District |
|
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Woodbridge |
| Postcode district | IP13 |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Charsfield is a small village in Suffolk, England. It has about 342 residents. The village is located about 3 kilometres (2 miles) from Wickham Market. It is also 11 kilometres (7 miles) from Woodbridge and 19 kilometres (12 miles) from Ipswich. Charsfield is close to the villages of Debach and Dallinghoo. It is a civil parish in East Anglia.
Charsfield is famous for being a key location in the 1974 film Akenfield. This movie was based on the book Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village by Ronald Blythe. The village also hosted the very first Greenbelt festival in 1974. This festival is an annual event about arts, faith, and justice. It took place on a pig farm just outside the village.
Contents
Village Life in Charsfield
Charsfield has several useful places for its residents. These help make the village a community.
- Charsfield village hall: This is a place for community events and meetings.
- Baptist Chapel: A place of worship for the Baptist community.
- Charsfield Primary School: This school is connected to St Peter's Church. A famous former student is Charlotte Greig, a British writer and singer.
- Charsfield recreation ground: An open space for sports and play.
- Garage: A place for vehicle services.
- St Peter's Church: This is the local Church of England parish church.
Famous People from Charsfield
Several interesting people have connections to Charsfield.
George Fox the Younger
George Fox the Younger was born in Charsfield. He lived in the 1600s. He had similar religious ideas to George Fox, who started the Quaker movement. People called him "the Younger" because he joined the Quaker faith later. He wrote many strong religious writings. These were published after he died in 1661.
Michael Parkes
Michael Parkes (1931–1977) was an engineer and a racing driver. He worked on cars like the Hillman Imp in the 1950s. He then started a career in sports car racing, including the famous Le Mans race. In 1963, he joined Ferrari as an engineer. He later got to drive in the Formula One championship. He raced four times in 1966 and came second twice. His racing career ended in 1967 after an accident where he broke both legs. He returned to sports car racing in the 1970s. Michael Parkes died in a road accident in Italy in 1977. His father, John Joseph Parkes, lived in Charsfield. Both Michael and his father are buried near St Peter’s churchyard.
Peggy Cole
Peggy Cole (1936–2016) was born in Easton, Suffolk. By the early 1970s, she lived in Charsfield. The author Ronald Blythe introduced her to Peter Hall, the director of the Akenfield film. This meeting happened at a village flower show. Peggy was then chosen to play Dulcie Rouse in the film. She became a well-known local person. Her garden, which she sometimes opened for charity, became very popular. Even Princess Margaret visited it once! Peggy was very interested in Suffolk country life. She wrote several books and gave talks. She also spoke regularly on local radio. She received an award called the MBE in 1993 for her charity work. Peggy Cole passed away in 2016 at the age of 80.
