Shimpling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shimpling
St George's parish church
Shimpling
Population	431 (2011)
OS grid reference	TL8651
District	Babergh
Shire county	Suffolk
Region	East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BURY ST EDMUNDS
Postcode district	IP29
Dialling code	01284
Police	Suffolk
Fire	Suffolk
Ambulance	East of England
EU Parliament	East of England
UK Parliament	South Suffolk
List of places UK England Suffolk 52°07′46″N 0°43′05″E / 52.12952°N 0.71793°E / 52.12952; 0.71793

Shimpling is a village and civil parish located in the southern part of Suffolk, England. It's about 7 miles (11 km) from the larger town of Bury St Edmunds and is part of the Babergh area. The village is actually split into two main parts: the newer area called Shimpling Street and the older village of Shimpling, which is about 2 miles (3.2 km) away. Shimpling has a Church of England parish church. This church was the special place where supermodel Claudia Schiffer and film producer Matthew Vaughn got married on May 25, 2002.

A Look Back at Shimpling's History

A quiet lane west of Shimpling Street

Shimpling is nestled in the beautiful Suffolk countryside, surrounded by fields used for farming. It lies between the towns of Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds. For a long time, most people in Shimpling made their living from farming. However, other jobs were also important, like blacksmiths, millers, carpenters, shopkeepers, and teachers.

Today, Shimpling has changed. There is no longer a shop or a blacksmith. The local school, post office, and police station have also closed. But the village still has three important places that help its community thrive: the church, the local pub, and the village hall.

The Hallifax Family's Impact

A wealthy London banker named Thomas Hallifax and his family greatly helped Shimpling and the nearby areas. They moved to the village in the early 1800s. They bought many properties and farms in Shimpling. They lived in a large house called Chadacre Hall, which was built in 1835.

Over the years, the Hallifax family built new houses, a school, a schoolhouse, and a coal house for the village. They also made many improvements to the church.

The Chadacre Hall estate was very large, covering 2,300 acres. It included 22 farms and 54 houses. This huge estate was eventually sold in 1918. Chadacre Hall later became an agricultural institute, a place for learning about farming. This institute closed in 1989. Later, David Hart bought the hall.

Village Services Over Time

Shimpling's sub post office first opened in 1852. It served the community for many years before closing in the early 1970s. For a while, the post office service was moved to a different house on The Street.

The village of Shimpling is even shown in a famous painting! In 1752, the artist Thomas Gainsborough painted a scene showing John Plampin in Chadacre Park. The painting looks towards the village of Lawshall. This oil painting is now on display at the National Gallery in London.

John Plampin of Chadacre Hall by Thomas Gainsborough, displayed at the National Gallery.

How Shimpling is Governed

The village sign welcoming visitors to Shimpling

Shimpling is part of the Babergh area within the county of Suffolk. Local government in Shimpling works on three levels:

• Suffolk County Council
• Babergh District Council
• Shimpling Parish Council

The Shimpling Parish Council is made up of 7 elected members. These members help make decisions about local matters in the village.

Community Life and Facilities

Shimpling has several important places that bring the community together.

St George's Parish Church

St George's parish church is a beautiful old building. You can reach it by walking down an avenue of lime trees from Rectory Lane. The church dates back to the 12th century and has a unique round tower. Its chancel (the area around the altar) was built in the late 13th century.

On the south wall, you can see a canonical sundial, which is an old way of telling time using the sun. The main part of the church, called the nave, has Perpendicular Gothic windows that were added in the 15th century. The church building was repaired and updated in the 1860s. Some of its windows still have stained glass from the 14th and 15th centuries. There is also a window by artist Henry Holliday (1839–1927) that shows the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

A closer look at St George's Church

The Bush Pub and Village Hall

Shimpling has one pub, called The Bush. This building is from the 16th century and is made of timber. It has been a public house since at least 1840. It used to have a thatched roof, but this was replaced with tiles during the First World War.

The Shimpling Village Hall is another important community space. It hosts meetings for the Parish Council and the Women's Institute. Many other events are also held here, managed by the Village Hall committee.

Play Park and Recreation

In October 2010, a children's play park was opened next to Hallifax Place. This gives younger residents a fun place to play. There is also a recreation ground nearby on Shimpling Road, in the village of Lawshall.

Protecting Shimpling's Environment

A lane leading to Shimpling from Stanstead

The area around Shimpling is known for its beautiful landscapes. It includes areas described as 'Undulating ancient farmlands,' 'Ancient rolling farmlands,' and 'Rolling valley farmlands.'

The parish of Shimpling also contains parts of two special areas called SSSIs. These are protected areas because they are important for nature. These SSSIs are ancient woodlands known as Frithy and Chadacre Woods and Kentwell Woods.

Chadacre Woods, a protected ancient woodland.

Shimpling's Economy

Giffords Hall Vineyard & Wines is a local business located in the parish of Shimpling. It is near the village of Hartest, between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury. They currently have 12 acres (4.9 hectares) of land where they grow five different types of grapes. They also make wine to sell to the public.

Transport in Shimpling

Shimpling has a bus service that runs on Wednesdays. This service is operated by Chambers and is supported by Suffolk County Council.

A Mulleys bus in Shimpling, Suffolk (May 23, 2014)

The bus route, Service 375, connects several villages: Alpheton, Bridge Street, Shimpling, Shimpling Street, Cockfield, Lawshall, Hawstead, Nowton, and finally, Bury St Edmunds. You can find more details about bus times on the Suffolk Onboard website.

Education in Shimpling

Thomas Hallifax, the banker who helped the village, built Shimpling Girls' School in 1841. Later, in 1871, his daughter added a section for boys. This school was used for almost 150 years. It finally closed in 1989, and the remaining 29 students moved to a school in Lawshall.

Today, children in Shimpling travel outside the village to go to school. They typically attend schools in nearby places like Lawshall, Hardwick, and Bury St Edmunds.

Shimpling's Population

According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2001, Shimpling had a population of 395 people living in 162 households.

How Shimpling's Population Has Changed Over Time

The tables below show how the number of people living in Shimpling has changed over many years.

Notable People from Shimpling

• Sir Robert Gardiner (Chief Justice) was born in Shimpling in 1540. He became a very important judge, serving as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1586 to 1604.
• David Hart (1944–2011) was a British writer and businessman. He was an adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and lived at Chadacre Hall.

Where is Shimpling?

Shimpling is surrounded by other villages and hamlets. This map shows its location relative to its neighbours:

Neighbouring villages, and hamlets

	Brockley Green	Lawshall	Cockfield
	Hartest		Alpheton
		Shimpling
	Stanstead	Long Melford	Bridge Street