Great Waldingfield Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Great Waldingfield
St. Lawrence church, Great Waldingfield
Great Waldingfield
Population	1,431 (2011)
OS grid reference	TL9043
Civil parish	Great Waldingfield
District	Babergh
Shire county	Suffolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SUDBURY
Postcode district	CO10
Dialling code	01787

Police	Suffolk
Fire	Suffolk
Ambulance	East of England

EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	South Suffolk
List of places UK England Suffolk 52°03′21″N 0°46′29″E / 52.0558°N 0.77462°E / 52.0558; 0.77462

Great Waldingfield is a village in Suffolk, England. It is located in the Babergh area. The village is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) north-east of Sudbury. It is also about 3 kilometers (2 miles) south-west of its nearby village, Little Waldingfield.

Great Waldingfield is divided into two main parts. The older part is smaller and built around the St. Lawrence Church. The newer, larger part is found along the B1115 road. This road connects Sudbury and Lavenham. Many houses in the newer section were built after World War II. The village also includes smaller areas called Upsher Green and part of Washmere Green. About 1,431 people lived here in 2011.

The village hall used to be a stop for the Dunwich Dynamo bicycle ride. Also, an episode of the TV show Lovejoy was filmed in the village.

Village History
How the Village is Run
Famous People from the Village
Location Map
See also

Village History

People have lived in Great Waldingfield for a very long time. Old items found here show that the village existed during the Bronze Age. It was also around during the time of the Roman occupation of Britain.

The first written record of the village is from the Domesday Book of 1086. In this book, the village was called Walingafella Magna. It had three Saxon manors and covered about 12 square kilometers (3,000 acres).

During the late Middle Ages, the village was well-placed for trade. It was on a main road between the wool towns of Lavenham and Sudbury. This helped the village benefit from busy trade.

In 1626, a serious illness called the Bubonic plague hit the village. This reduced the population by at least 10%. The number of people went from 513 in 1611 to 459 in 1631.

In 1648, during the English Civil War, soldiers stayed in the village. These were Cromwell's Ironsides. They were here during the siege of Colchester. An area in the village became known as Garrison Lane because of this. Soldiers stayed in the village even after the war ended.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the number of people living in the village went down. This was because people moved away. A flu outbreak also caused the population to drop. It went from 659 people in 1851 to 348 in 1931.

During World War II, an airfield was built next to the village. It was finished in 1943. The USAAF took it over in 1944. For security reasons, it was called Station 174. But it was more commonly known as RAF Sudbury. This airfield had three runways. It was home to the 486th Bombardment Group.

How the Village is Run

Great Waldingfield is part of the Suffolk County Council area. This council helps manage larger parts of Suffolk. Philip Faircloth-Mutton, from the Conservative party, represents the area.

The village is also part of the Babergh District Council. This council manages local matters for the district. The area is called the Lavenham electoral ward. Councillors Margaret Maybury and Paul Clover, both Conservatives, represent this ward.

Famous People from the Village

John Hopkins: He was a church leader in the village. In 1562, he helped create the first national English hymn book. This book has been printed over 600 times. Only the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer have sold more copies.
Thomas Crooke: He was also a church leader in the village from 1571 to 1598. His three sons grew up in the village and became famous:
- Sir Thomas Crooke, 1st Baronet
- Helkiah Crooke
- Samuel Crooke
Neville Armstrong (1914–2008): He was a literary agent and publisher.