Belsteadis a village andcivil parishin theBaberghdistrict of theEnglish countyofSuffolk.Located on the southern edge ofIpswich,around 3 miles (5 km) south-west ofIpswichtown centre. It had a population of 202 according to the 2011 census.[1]Belstead has amenities such as a village hall, St Mary's the Virgin Church, The bridge school for children with learning difficulties and Belstead Brook Hotel and Spa. It is in theBelstead Brookelectoral divisionofSuffolk County Council.[2]
| Belstead | |
|---|---|
 Belstead War Memorial | |
  Belstead Location withinSuffolk | |
| Area | 3.06 km2(1.18 sq mi) |
| Population | 202 Census, 2011 |
| •Density | 66/km2(170/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TM1341 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Ipswich |
| Postcode district | IP8 |
 | |
History
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InJohn Marius Wilson'sImperial Gazetteer of England and WalesVol. I, p.151 (1870) Belstead is described like this:
BELSTEAD,a parish in Samford district, Suffolk; near theEastern Union railway,3½ miles SW of Ipswich. Post Town, Ipswich. Acres, 1,022. Real property, £1,849. Pop., 292. Houses, 57. The property is divided among a few. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Norwich. Value, £370.* Patron, the Rev. E. J. Lockwood. The church is tolerable; and there is an Independent chapel.[3]
TheIpswich Hoardwas found near Belstead in 1968. It is now in theBritish Museum,but there are copies of the goldtorcsin theIpswich Museum.[4]
The Bridge School
editThe Bridge School is situated 1.9 miles from Belstead on Sprites Lane. The school is a special school for children aged between three and sixteen years which have severe, profound and complex learning difficulties. The school aims to create a supportive learning environment and to allow their pupils to learn through their achievements.[5]The Ofsted inspection of the school which was carried out in January 2015 gave the school a ‘good’ rating overall.[5]
St Mary's the Virgin
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St Mary's church is located in Belstead. The church holds services for special events such as Remembrance Sunday and a Christmas Carol function as well as monthly events.[6]
In 2005 the church almost became redundant with it needing repairs. With support from the community it became possible for St Mary's Church to remain open as there was support from the community of Belstead. Work took place to clear the graveyard and clean the church.[7]
The structure of the church is believed to be 700 years old.[8]The church is described as below on its website.
Graves & memorials have been identified from 1611 onwards by our village historian. The building is of simple design, unpretentious and attractively rustic, the tower dates from the early 14th century, and is one of only 22 Suffolk towers which form porches. The interior is graced with a number of fittings and memorials dating from its earliest days, including the 15th-centuryrood screenwith paintings of saints and others, all of which were mutilated by Tudor reformers or later by Puritans in the 1640s, a rood loft staircase set into the thickness of the outer wall,monumental brasses,and wooden pews.[8]
Population
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The population graph from 1881–2011 shows an increase in population up until 1851 when the population was at its highest total population with 308 people living in Belstead.[1]The population then began to decrease with the lowest total population occurring in 2001 when 189 people were living in the village.[1]The decline in population began in the 1850s. In 2005 it had an estimated population of 190.[9]
Occupation
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1881 Occupations -The occupations in 1881 as shown in the graph represent both types of work undertaken by both male and females in the village. In the graph it can be seen that the total highest number of workers for one particular occupation was in the agriculture sector with a total of 50, all male, workers. Females dominated more in domestic office or services as well as all professionals living in the village being female. There were only males working in most other sectors with many females having unknown or being without specified occupations.[10]
2011 Occupations -The total number of residents of a working age of 17 to 74 in 2011 has decreased to a total of 105 workers in employment. Most employed people have professional occupations, at a total of 17 residents. The lowest employment area, with a total of seven people being employed, was in sales and customer service occupations. There has been a vast decrease in the number or residents being employed in the agricultural sector with a decrease from 50 workers in 1881 to 8 in 2011.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abc"Belstead (Parish): Key figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics".Neighborhood Statistics.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved28 January2016.
- ^"Belstead Brook Electoral Division Profile 2017"(PDF).Suffolk Observatory.Retrieved6 May2020.
- ^Wilson, John Marius (1870–72).Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales.Edinburgh: A. Fullerton & Co.
- ^The Celtic Coin GalleryArchived18 June 2006 at theWayback Machine,Sheshen Eceni, accessed 20 August 2010
- ^ab"Home | The Bridge School".www.thebridgeschool.org.uk.Retrieved24 March2016.
- ^"St Mary's Church".belstead.onesuffolk.net.Retrieved24 March2016.
- ^"Suffolk Churches".www.suffolkchurches.co.uk.Retrieved24 March2016.
- ^ab"St Marys the Virgin Church".Retrieved22 April2016.
- ^Estimates of Total Population of Areas in SuffolkArchived19 December 2008 at theWayback MachineSuffolk County Council
- ^"Vision of Britain | 1881 Census: Ages | Table 10".www.visionofbritain.org.uk.Retrieved23 April2016.
- ^"Key Figures for 2011 Census: Key Statistics – Area: Belstead (Parish)".Neighbourhood Statistics.Office for National Statistics.Retrieved22 April2016.
External links
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Media related toBelsteadat Wikimedia Commons