Haverhill, Suffolk facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Haverhill
Market Hill and parish church, Haverhill
Haverhill
Area	10.96 km² (4.23 sq mi)
Population	26,860 (2021 Census)
• Density	2,451/km² (6,350/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TL671456
• London	47 miles (76 km)
Civil parish	Haverhill
District	West Suffolk
Shire county	Suffolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	HAVERHILL
Postcode district	CB9
Dialling code	01440

Police	Suffolk
Fire	Suffolk
Ambulance	East of England

EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	West Suffolk
List of places UK England Suffolk 52°05′N 0°26′E / 52.08°N 0.44°E / 52.08; 0.44

Haverhill is a lively market town in Suffolk, England. It's located near the borders of Essex and Cambridgeshire. The town is about 14 miles (23 km) southeast of Cambridge. It's also about 47 miles (76 km) northeast of central London. In 2021, about 26,860 people lived in Haverhill.

Geography of Haverhill
History of Haverhill
Economy of Haverhill
Sport and Leisure in Haverhill
Transport in Haverhill
- Buses
- Roads
- Railways
- Air Travel
Culture of Haverhill
Media in Haverhill
Schools in Haverhill
Notable Residents
Twin towns – sister cities
Gallery
Freedom of the Town
- Individuals
- Military Units
See also

Geography of Haverhill

Haverhill's town centre sits in a gentle dip. This dip is part of the chalk hills of the Newmarket Ridge. A small stream called Stour Brook flows through the town. It later joins the River Stour nearby.

Haverhill has grown a lot recently. The hamlet of Hanchet End is now part of its western edge. The land around the town is mostly used for farming.

History of Haverhill

Anne of Cleves's House

Haverhill has a long history. It dates back to at least Anglo-Saxon times. The town's market was even mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086. This book was a huge survey of England.

A big fire on June 14, 1667, destroyed most of Haverhill's old buildings. But one special Tudor-era house still stands. It's called Anne of Cleves House. Many interesting Victorian buildings also remain. The Corn Exchange was built in 1889.

After World War II, London had many damaged areas. In 1956, plans were made to expand Haverhill. This helped resettle people from London. New homes and factories were built for them. By 1962, plans aimed to make the town three times bigger.

This growth brought many changes to Haverhill. Not everyone was happy at first. Some new residents felt there weren't enough facilities. Today, Haverhill is a modern town with many young people. Its town centre is surrounded by housing built over many years.

Haverhill became an urban district in 1894. It joined the county of West Suffolk in 1889. Later, in 1974, it became part of the St Edmundsbury district. In 1989, Haverhill became a parish again. Since 2019, it has been part of the West Suffolk district.

The Haverhill Police Station was built in 1976. The town's police are part of the Suffolk Constabulary.

Economy of Haverhill

Haverhill's economy is mostly based on industry. There is a large industrial area on the south side of town. Many manufacturing companies are located there.

Scientific companies like EuroAPI and Sigma-Aldrich have factories in Haverhill. International Flavors & Fragrances also has a plant here. Some companies deal with waste, transport, and construction. A Research Park has also been built. It includes The EpiCentre, a centre for innovation and conferences.

A market is held every Friday in the Market Square. On Saturdays, the market moves to the High Street.

Sport and Leisure in Haverhill

Haverhill Leisure Centre

Haverhill has two Non-League football clubs. They are Haverhill Rovers F.C. and Haverhill Borough F.C.. Both teams play in the Eastern Counties Football League. They share a ground called the New Croft.

The town also has a tennis club. Other sports clubs include cricket, rugby, and angling. Since 2013, Haverhill has had Suffolk's only baseball team. They are called the Haverhill Blackjacks. They play their home games at the New Croft too.

Haverhill offers many fun activities. There's a leisure centre with a swimming pool and gym. It also has a children's soft play area called Kid City. You can find an 18-hole golf course and a dance school. There is also a skate park for skateboarding and scootering.

The Haverhill Arts Centre is in the old town hall. It shows movies and hosts live music, plays, dance, and comedy. A new 5-screen cinema opened in 2008. From 2007 to 2013, Haverhill was home to The Centre for Computing History. This museum told the story of computers.

Transport in Haverhill

Buses

Stagecoach Gold bus 13 at Haverhill bus station

Local bus services are provided by Stagecoach East. Route 13 runs from Cambridge to Haverhill. Buses run often during the day. The bus station also connects Haverhill to nearby towns and villages.

Roads

The A1307 road is the main route connecting Haverhill to Cambridge. It also links to the A11, A14, and the M11 motorway. This road can get busy during rush hour. There is a plan to build a new dual carriageway. This would help ease traffic between Haverhill and Cambridge.

Railways

Haverhill no longer has a railway station. It is one of the largest towns in England without one. It used to have two stations and two railway lines. The Stour Valley Railway went from Cambridge to Sudbury. The Colne Valley and Halstead Railway went from Haverhill South to Marks Tey.

Both old stations have been taken down. But you can still see many bridges and old railway paths. A group called Rail Haverhill wants to reopen the railway. They hope to connect Haverhill and Cambridge by train again. A study is currently looking into this idea.

Air Travel

For national and international flights, London Stansted Airport is close by. It is about 21 miles (30 km) south of Haverhill.

Culture of Haverhill

In 2000–01, an artist named Chris Dorley-Brown took photos of two thousand Haverhill residents. He then combined them into one single image. This image was shown in the National Portrait Gallery. It was the biggest project of its kind.

In 2004, Haverhill became known for something unique. It was the first town to have a laser-lit sculpture on a roundabout. The 11-metre (36 ft) high steel sculpture is called the Spirit of Enterprise. It is located on the main roundabout on the west side of town. Local businesses helped pay for it.

Media in Haverhill

Local TV news comes from BBC East and ITV Anglia. You can get TV signals from either the Sudbury or Sandy Heath transmitters.

Local radio stations include BBC Radio Suffolk, Heart East, and Nation Radio Suffolk. Star Radio broadcasts from Cambridge.

The town has local newspapers. These include the Haverhill Echo and the East Anglian Daily Times.

Schools in Haverhill

Haverhill has several schools. Many are part of the Unity Schools Partnership. This includes Samuel Ward Academy, Clements Primary, Coupals Primary, Westfield Primary, and Churchill Special Free School. Burton End Primary Academy and Place Farm Primary Academy are also part of this group. Castle Manor Academy is also included.

St Felix Roman Catholic Primary School is part of the Our Lady of Walsingham Multi Academy Trust. There is also an independent school called Broadlands Hall School.

Notable Residents

Nathaniel Ward was born in Haverhill in 1578. He wrote the first constitution in North America. A local school is named after his brother, Samuel. Cambridge United footballer Michael Morrison went to Castle Manor Academy.