Laxfield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laxfield |
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 Church of All Saints |
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 Laxfield
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Woodbridge |
| Postcode district | IP13 |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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Laxfield is a small, old village in northern Suffolk, England. You can find it where the B1117 road makes a clear bend.
Contents
History of Laxfield
Laxfield started way back in Saxon times. We know this because there was an early church here. The village is even mentioned in the famous Domesday Book, which was a big survey of England made in 1086.
Early Village Life
In 1226, Laxfield was given a special permission called a "charter" to hold a market. This meant people could come to the village to buy and sell goods. Saturday was chosen as the market day.
The main church in Laxfield, called All Saints Church, was mostly built in the 1300s. It was pretty much finished by 1488.
Puritan Times
During the 1600s, Laxfield and the area around it, like much of East Anglia, was a strong center for people called Puritans. Puritans were a group who wanted to make the Church of England simpler.
A famous Puritan named William Dowsing was born in Laxfield. He was known for removing religious images from churches. Because he and many of his relatives lived there, Laxfield became a Puritan village.
By the mid-1630s, some families, like the Fiske family, left Laxfield. They moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America. This was part of a big movement of Puritans called the Great Migration.
The Old Railway
Laxfield was the last stop on the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway. This railway line started from the Great Eastern Railway line at Haughley. The Mid-Suffolk Light Railway opened in 1904 and finally closed in 1952. Eventually, the line reached a place called Cratfield.
Laxfield Today
Today, Laxfield has many useful things for people living there. It has a hardware store, where you can buy tools and other items. There's also a village shop, which sells everyday groceries. The village also has a primary school for younger children.
Important Buildings
You can still find All Saints' Church in Laxfield. There are also two pubs: the Royal Oak Pub and the Kings Head Pub. The Kings Head Pub is often called "The Low House" because it sits lower than the church and the village center. It's a bit unusual because it doesn't have a typical bar. Drinks are served from a traditional tap room at the back.
Laxfield has a very large playing field, almost eight acres big. This is one of the biggest communal playing fields in Suffolk. It has a fun play area for children and a bowls green for playing bowls.
There's also a recently updated village hall in the middle of the village. And don't forget the small museum in the Guildhall, which was built around 1520. This building used to be a doctor’s office from the 1930s until 2018. Now, the interesting museum uses this space for more displays and an office. The museum is open on summer weekend afternoons.
Village Activities
On the first Saturday of every month, Laxfield hosts a friendly Produce, Craft and Flea market. It runs from 10 am until 12:30 pm. You'll find over 20 stalls in and around All Saints Church and the Royal Oak. They offer a wide variety of things, including local foods, handmade crafts, plants, books, and collectibles.
The Hardware Store, called Grayston Brothers, used to be a full garage. Now, it mainly does smaller car repairs and changes tires.
Churches in Laxfield
There is also a Baptist Church in the center of the village. Services are held every Sunday, both in the morning and evening. The church also has different activities for all ages throughout the week and year.
On the front wall of the Baptist chapel, there is a special plaque. It remembers a man named John Noyes who was burned at the stake in the village on September 22, 1557. This was a sad event from a long time ago.
See also
In Spanish: Laxfield para niños
