Nacton
| Nacton | |
|---|---|
 St Martin's church, Nacton | |
  Nacton Location withinSuffolk | |
| Population | 757 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TM220403 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | IPSWICH |
| Postcode district | IP10 |
Nactonis a village andcivil parishin theEast Suffolkdistrict ofSuffolk,England. The parish is bounded by the neighbouring parishes ofLevingtonto the east andBuckleshamin the north. It is located between the towns ofIpswichandFelixstowe.
Nacton abuts theRiver Orwellopposite the village ofPin Mill.Riverside features covered by this parish are (from east to west) Buttermans Bay, Potter's Point, Downham Reach, Mulberry Middle and Pond Oose.
Nacton parish is the mother for the villages ofLevingtonandBuckleshamand was sufficiently large to have aworkhouse,on the remains of which a substantial house was built.[2]This was used byAmberfield Schoolas its main building until it closed in 2011. The more adventurous explorer can find the old burial ground opposite the entrance to a lane leading down to the school. The site ofAlnesbourne Prioryis close to Nacton.[3]
The village contains one of the few remaining active wildfowldecoysleft inEast Anglia.
History
[edit]The name means Hnaki or Nokkvi's homestead.[4]In 1010Ulfcytel, Ealdorman of East Anglia,fought the Danes in the area now called Seven Hills (there were more than seven barrows at one time) which is now mostly under junction 58 of the A14.
A country house in the parish,Broke Hall,was the seat of the Broke family, includingAdmiral Sir Philip Broke.
A former public house, the Anchor, appears to have been closed in controversial circumstances during the late 19th century.[5]
From 1877 to 1959 the village was served by theOrwell station.[4]
Notable inhabitants
[edit]- Margaret Catchpole,who became legendary in the 19th century after the publication of 'The History of Margaret Catchpole: A Suffolk Girl' byRichard Cobboldin 1845. It is a classic story of young girl falling in love with a villain (a smuggler called Will Laud) and suffering the consequences. She stole her employer's horse and rode to London to be with Laud. She was convicted of theft and sentenced to death, but managed to escape. She was recaptured and transported to Australia for life.
- Edward Vernon,a naval hero.
- George Tomline,a politician
Governance
[edit]Anelectoral wardin the same name exists. This ward stretches north east toWaldringfieldand at the 2011 census had a population of 4,602.[6]
Orwell Park Observatory
[edit]An observatory, which had been commissioned atOrwell Parkby ColonelGeorge Tomline(1813-1889) has been in use as the base of the Orwell Astronomical Society, Ipswich (OASI) from the 1960s.[7][8]
In popular culture
[edit]Nacton's name was used as a word coined byDouglas Adamsto describe the letter 'N' when inserted between two other words as an abbreviation for 'and', as inrock 'n' rollandfish 'n' chips.[9]
References
[edit]- ^"Parish population 2011".Retrieved16 September2015.
- ^Edwards, PaulHistoric Asset Assessment, Former Amberfield School, Nacton, SuffolkReport prior to proposed redevelopment, March 2013
- ^Wilson J. M. (1872) 'Nacton',Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales(available online). Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ab"Parish: Nacton"(PDF).Suffolk Heritage Explorer.Suffolk County Council.Retrieved9 August2020.
- ^Nacton Anchorat The Suffolk Real Ale Guide, 8 December 2013. Accessed 21 February 2014
- ^"Ward population 2011".Retrieved16 September2015.
- ^Orwell Astronomical Society (Ipswich)Official website
- ^Whiting, Paul J. (2006)."The Work of John Isaac Plummer at Orwell Park Observatory in the Years 1874 to 1890".The Antiquarian Astronomer.3.Society for the History of Astronomy:95–100.Bibcode:2006AntAs...3...95W.Retrieved5 November2015.
- ^Nactonat The Suffolk Real Ale Guide. Accessed 21 February 2014
External links
[edit]
- Reference on british-history.ac.uk
- Location and picture at geograph.org.uk
- Account of Nacton workhouse and riotsat EASF radical history site