Darsham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Darsham |
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 Church of All Saints, Darsham |
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 Darsham
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| Population | 300 (2011) |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Saxmundham |
| Postcode district | IP17 |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Darsham is a small village located in Suffolk, England. It's about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Saxmundham. The main A12 road goes around the village, so traffic doesn't pass directly through it. Darsham also has its own Darsham railway station, which is about a mile from the village center. This station is on the East Suffolk Line, connecting places like Ipswich and Lowestoft.
The name "Darsham" comes from an old English phrase, Deores Ham, which means "home of the deer." This makes sense because old records show that people used to hunt deer in this area until the 1700s. Today, Darsham is a mixed community with six farms. While the village still has a pub called The Fox, it has lost its school, shop, and post office over the years.
However, there are still many businesses in and around Darsham. Along the A12 road, there's a garage that mainly sells petrol but also has a cafe and a shop. You can also find a farm shop, a place that makes handmade tiles, a pottery studio, a builder, and companies that deal with irrigation and farm supplies. There's also a private nursing home and a plant nursery with its own shop and restaurant.
Contents
Exploring Darsham's Past
Village History and Connections
The village of Darsham has a few interesting connections to history. For example, a type of minesweeper ship used in the British Navy was named HMS Darsham.
Darsham's Role in World War II
During World War II, Darsham was home to a secret radar station called RAF High Street. This station was located off the A144 road, near Bramfield and Halesworth. It was an early radar station that was part of the Chain Home system, which helped detect enemy aircraft approaching Britain. The Chain Home system started at Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk.
The radar station at High Street used "Type 1 radar." It had four tall wooden towers, each 240 feet (73 meters) high, for receiving signals. It also had five even taller steel towers, each 360 feet (110 meters) high, for sending signals. These wooden towers were built close together. After the war, this important site later became a fireworks factory.
The Old Coaching Inn
Further down the A12 road towards Lowestoft, you can see a row of cottages called Optney Cottages. These cottages used to be the Darsham Coaching Inn. A coaching inn was like a hotel and restaurant for travelers in the past, where horse-drawn coaches would stop for people and horses to rest.
Discovering Darsham Marshes Nature Reserve
Darsham Marshes is a special nature reserve located just south of the village. This reserve covers about 20 hectares (50 acres) and is looked after by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. It's a protected area where you can find different types of land, including marshland, meadows, and fen land, all along the Minsmere River. Because of its important wildlife and habitats, Darsham Marshes is recognized as a County Wildlife Site.
External Links
- Picture of Darsham 'pylons' in WW2
