Helions Bumpstead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Helions Bumpstead |
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 Shield of Helions Bumpstead |
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 Helions Bumpstead
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| Population | 439 (2011 Census) |
| OS grid reference | TL650415 |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HAVERHILL |
| Postcode district | CB9 |
| Dialling code | 01440 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Helions Bumpstead Parish Council Website |
Helions Bumpstead is a small village in Essex, England. It is part of the Braintree area. The village is close to Haverhill and where the borders of Essex, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire meet. It is also just 2 miles from Steeple Bumpstead.
Helions Bumpstead has several small green areas. These include Pale Green, Wiggens Green, and Drapers Green. Four main roads lead into and out of the village: Mill Road, Water Lane, Sages End Road, and Camps Road. The village center is marked by a crossroads and a village green. There is also a lovely meadow with a pond right in the middle of the village. In 2011, about 439 people lived here.
Contents
What's in Helions Bumpstead?
Helions Bumpstead has a few important places that make up its heart. These include the village post office, the village hall, the Three Horseshoes Public House, and St Andrew's Church. The church shares its priest with St Mary's in Steeple Bumpstead. There is also a Gospel Hall in the village. The church has a set of 8 bells that can be rung.
The Three Horseshoes Pub
The Three Horseshoes Public House is a special place. In March 2019, the local community bought the pub! They did this through a special plan where people could buy shares to help. This was managed by the Helions Bumpstead Community Benefit Society.
The pub was fixed up and first opened to help the community during the Covid-19 pandemic. It served as a shop and then opened on Friday evenings with volunteers running it. In December 2021, the pub fully reopened. The Community Benefit Society hired professional people to run it.
Village Hall Improvements
Around 2022, the village hall was also getting a makeover. Money for this was collected over many years from events and grants. The hall received a new roof made of slate tiles and was repainted. They also added more storage space. Inside, the stage was removed to create more room for different events and activities.
Village Events and Activities
Every year, Helions Bumpstead hosts its own Summer Fête. This fun event includes a dog show and an evening party. There is also a Christmas Bazaar held each year. A harvest supper is organized annually to raise money for St. Andrew's church.
The village used to have a farmers' market on the third Saturday of each month. It showed off local produce and was held in the village hall. The Helions Bumpstead Village Magazine is printed four times a year. It shares news and stories written by people living in the village. Money from advertising in the magazine helps support the village hall.
There is also an annual Boxing Day walk. People meet at the Three Horseshoes car park and walk a different route around the village each year.
Royal Celebrations
The village celebrated the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. To mark this special event, a village sign was put up. It shows the village symbol, which is a red badge with a white diagonal cross. This sign stands in the center of the village. When the Queen had her Golden Jubilee, the village held a big fair in her honor. A board with photos from that event was put up in the village hall to remember it.
Where Did the Name Come From?
The name Bumpstead used to refer to the whole area that is now Steeple and Helions Bumpstead. The name first appeared in a document from 1042. It also showed up in the Domesday Book of 1086.
Experts believe the first part of the name, Bune, comes from an old English word meaning 'reeds'. This might be because the area had many reeds, or because a river named Bune flowed through it, which was known for its reeds. This makes sense because a river with reeds runs through Steeple Bumpstead. The second part, stede, means 'place' or 'homestead'. So, the name once meant something like 'reed-place' or 'place on the River Bune'.
Over time, two separate areas grew. The Helions part became known as Bumpstead Magna (meaning Great Bumpstead). The Steeple area was called Bumpstead Parva (meaning Little Bumpstead). The 'Helions' part of the name Helions Bumpstead comes from a landowner named Tihel the Breton. He was also known as Tihel de Herion and came from Helléan in France. William the Conqueror gave Tihel the land of Bumpstead as a reward for his help in the Norman Conquest. The name Steeple Bumpstead comes from the church tower, or 'steeple', found there.
A Look at Village History
Helions Bumpstead's main manor house is on a hill that faces east. The church is on a small mound less than half a mile away. In the 1600s and 1700s, the Reynolds family owned the manor. This family had several important politicians and judges.
The Dropping Well
In the Sages End area of the village, there was a spring called the 'Dropping Well'. This spring was the source of the best water in the village. In 1871, a report noted that it flowed at four gallons per minute. Even in summer, it still flowed at nearly two gallons per minute. This was so important that people from nearby Castle Camps would walk there when their own water sources dried up in hot weather. The 'Dropping Well' provided much of Helions Bumpstead's water. It flowed down Sages End road to join the main stream near the crossroads. From there, it flowed east into the River Stour and eventually to the sea.
World War II Airfield
The De Havilland Mosquito was a very famous airplane from the Second World War. It was tested at an airfield near Castle Camps. Even in the early 2020s, many of the large buildings where these planes were built were still standing.
Famous People from Helions Bumpstead
The actor Norman Pierce lived in Helions Bumpstead. He was known for his role as Jim Sturry in the 1942 film Went the Day Well?. He also appeared in many other movies like Saloon Bar, The Four Feathers, and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. Norman Pierce passed away in Helions Bumpstead in 1968 at the age of 67.
