Nacton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nacton |
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 St Martin's church, Nacton |
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 Nacton
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| Population | 757 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | TM220403 |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | IPSWICH |
| Postcode district | IP10 |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
Nacton is a small village and civil parish in the East Suffolk area of Suffolk, England. It is located between the towns of Ipswich and Felixstowe.
Nacton is next to the River Orwell, right across from the village of Pin Mill. Along the river, you'll find places like Buttermans Bay, Potter's Point, and Pond Oose.
Nacton parish used to be the main area for the nearby villages of Levington and Bucklesham. It was once large enough to have a workhouse, which is a place where poor people used to live and work. Later, a big house was built on its remains. This house was used by Amberfield School until it closed in 2011. You can still find the old burial ground near the school's entrance. The site of Alnesbourne Priory, an old religious building, is also close to Nacton.
The village is home to one of the few active wildfowl decoys left in East Anglia. A decoy is a special trap used to catch wild birds.
History of Nacton
The name Nacton means "Hnaki or Nokkvi's homestead," which refers to an old settlement. Around the year 1010, a leader named Ulfcytel, who was an Ealdorman (a type of important ruler) of East Anglia, fought against the Danes in an area now called Seven Hills. This area, which once had many ancient burial mounds, is now mostly under junction 58 of the A14 road.
A large country house in the parish, called Broke Hall, was the home of the Broke family. A famous member of this family was Admiral Sir Philip Broke, a naval hero.
From 1877 to 1959, the village had its own train station, called Orwell station, which helped people travel to and from Nacton.
Famous People from Nacton
- Margaret Catchpole became very well-known in the 1800s. A book about her life, The History of Margaret Catchpole: A Suffolk Girl, was published in 1845. It tells the story of a young woman who fell in love with a man involved in illegal activities. She took her employer's horse without permission and rode to London to be with him. She faced serious consequences for this and was later sent to Australia for the rest of her life.
- Edward Vernon was a brave naval hero.
- George Tomline was a politician.
How Nacton is Governed
Nacton is part of an electoral ward (a voting area) that shares its name. This ward stretches northeast towards Waldringfield. In 2011, the population of this entire ward was 4,602 people.
Orwell Park Observatory
There is an observatory at Orwell Park School. It was built for Colonel George Tomline (1813-1889). Since the 1960s, this observatory has been used by the Orwell Astronomical Society, Ipswich (OASI), where people can learn about and observe the stars and planets.
